In today's digital world, your smartphone knows more about you than you do yourself. System Services and third-party applications constantly collect data about your movements, interests and purchases to form a detailed digital portrait. This process is called profiling, and its main purpose is to show targeted advertising that is likely to lead to a purchase. Most users are not even aware that their device is configured by default to transmit a unique advertising identifier to thousands of servers.
Disabling this feature will not only improve your privacy, but can also have a positive effect on the speed of the interface. Fewer background processes collecting and sending telemetry frees up CPU resources. In this article, we will analyze in detail the mechanisms of operation of advertising trackers in the Google ecosystem and provide step-by-step guide on how to completely neutralize them on different versions of the operating system. battery autonomy and interface speed. Fewer background processes collecting and sending telemetry frees up CPU resources. In this article, we will analyze in detail the mechanisms by which advertising trackers operate in the Google ecosystem and provide step-by-step guide for completely neutralizing them on different versions of the operating system.
You need to understand that complete removal of advertising from all applications is impossible without root access, since many developers build in their own SDKs for data collection. However, blocking the main communication channel - Google Advertising ID - blocks the lion's share of the information flow. This action is the first and most important step towards the digital sovereignty of your mobile device.
The principle of operation of the advertising identifier in Android
The targeting system is based on a special code known as GAID (Google Advertising ID). This is a unique character sequence assigned to each Android device. Unlike the immutable IMEI or serial number, this identifier is intended specifically for advertising purposes and can theoretically be reset by the user. Algorithms analyze the history of your actions and tie it to this code, allowing advertising networks to show you relevant ads.
When you install a new application, it often requests access to this identifier immediately upon launch. App Developers use the data obtained for cross-tracking: they can see what other apps you have installed, how often you use them and what you buy in Internet. This information is aggregated in huge databases of information brokers. Without disabling this feature, you are essentially leaving an open channel for constant monitoring of your digital activity.
There is a misconception that using incognito mode in your browser or turning off location history will completely protect you from advertising. In fact, system level data collection works regardless of browser settings. Even if you are not signed in to your Google Account, your device still generates an anonymous ID that is tied to your IP address and device model. Therefore, privacy settings should be done in the system menu, and not just in individual applications.
⚠️ Attention: Resetting the advertising identifier does not delete data already collected about you from ad network servers. It only breaks the connection between the old profile and your current activity, starting data collection "from scratch" under a new code.
Periodic resetting of the advertising identifier (once every 1-2 months) prevents advertising networks from building a long-term and accurate profile of your interests, making advertising less intrusive.
Basic privacy settings through the system menu
Let's start with the most accessible method, which does not require installing additional software. In modern versions of Android, the path to the required settings may differ slightly depending on the manufacturer's shell (Samsung One UI, Xiaomi MIUI, ColorOS), but the general logic remains the same. You will need to find the section responsible for privacy or advertising in the general system settings.
For most stock devices, the algorithm of actions is as follows. Go to the settings menu and find the item Google. Inside this section, you must select the option Advertising. Here you'll see a toggle that says "Turn off ad personalization" or similar wording. Enabling this slider tells all apps that you don't want to receive ads based on your interests.
However, simply turning off personalization is often not enough. Next to this switch there is usually a Reset advertising identifierbutton. Clicking on it generates a new random code, resetting the accumulated history. It is recommended to perform this procedure immediately after disabling personalization for maximum effect. In some firmware, this function is hidden deeper, for example, in the section Privacy → Permission Manager.
- 📱 Open the settings and find the "Google" or "Accounts" section.
- 🔒 Go to subsection "Advertising" or "Privacy".
- 🚫 Activate the switch "Disable ad personalization".
- 🔄 Click the "Reset advertising ID" button to clear the history.
☑️ Checking system settings
After completing these steps, the system will begin sending advertising networks a signal that the user has abandoned targeting. While this does not guarantee that the banners will disappear completely, their content will become random and less relevant to your profile. This significantly reduces the value of your data for marketers.
Using a private DNS to block trackers
A more advanced and effective method is to configure Private DNS (Private DNS). This feature, introduced in Android 9 and above, allows all of your device's DNS requests to be routed through a secure server that can filter ad network domains at the system level. Unlike installing blocker applications, this method does not require root access and works globally for all apps.
The principle of operation is that when an application tries to connect to an advertising server (for example, doubleclick.net or ads.google.com), the DNS server returns an empty response or the address of a local stub. As a result, the connection is not established and the advertising content simply does not load. This also saves traffic and speeds up applications, since they do not need to wait for a response from ad servers.
To set up, you will need the address of a reliable DNS service that blocks ads. One of the most popular and proven solutions is the service dns.adguard.com. To activate it, go to Settings → Network and Internet → Private DNS (path may vary). Select the "DNS Provider Hostname" mode and enter the server address. After saving, the settings will take effect instantly.
| DNS Service | Host Address | Blocking Level | Speed work |
|---|---|---|---|
| AdGuard DNS | dns.adguard.com |
High (advertising + trackers) | Stable |
| NextDNS | your-id.dns.nextdns.io |
Customizable | Very high |
| Control D | p2.freedns.controld.com |
Medium (advertising only) | High |
| Standard Google | dns.google |
Absent | Maximum |
What to do if the Internet stops working after turning on DNS?
If access is lost after entering the host address to the network, you may have made a typo in the server name or the selected service is temporarily unavailable. Try switching the mode back to "Auto" or "Disconnected" to restore the connection, and then check the correct spelling of the address (no http:// or spaces).
It is important to note that the use of third-party DNS servers can sometimes lead to incorrect operation of some specific applications that are strictly tied to certain domains. However, in 99% of cases this method works transparently to the user. If you notice problems loading content in a particular app, you can always temporarily disable Private DNS in the network settings.
Limiting application rights and background activity
Even with the advertising ID disabled, applications continue to collect data in other ways. They can track your location, access to contacts, or use device sensors. It is critically important to audit permissionsissued to each installed application. Often, a harmless flashlight or calculator requests access to geolocation and contact list, which is a clear sign of hidden data mining.
Go to the section Settings → Applications and consistently check suspicious apps. Pay special attention to access rights to background activity. Many trackers work exactly when you are not using your phone, synchronizing data in silence. Limiting background activity not only increases privacy, but also significantly saves battery power.
In Android 12 and later, a convenient function “Privacy Dashboard” has appeared. It allows you to see on the timeline which applications accessed the camera, microphone or geolocation and when. If you see that an application is accessing data at strange times (for example, at night), this is a reason to immediately revoke the corresponding rights from it or remove the app altogether.
- 🛑 Deny access to geolocation for applications where it is not critical (games, utilities).
- 📵 Disable background data transfer for apps that you rarely use are using.
- 👁️ Use the privacy panel to monitor access to the camera and microphone.
⚠️ Attention: Completely disabling the Internet in the background for Google system services may lead to inoperability of push notifications, contact synchronization and Gmail. Be selective, denying access only to third-party applications.
Regularly checking access rights (once a month) helps identify new application updates that may request unnecessary permissions without the user's knowledge.
Advanced methods: ADB and universal blockers
For users willing to spend a little more time on configuration, there are methods that use USB debugging (ADB). This approach allows you to remove or freeze system components responsible for collecting telemetry that cannot be disabled through the regular menu. This is the most radical, but also the most effective way to clean the system from built-in spying.
Before starting work, you must activate the developer mode. To do this, go to Settings → About phone and quickly click 7 times on the item Build number. After the message “You have become a developer” appears, return to the main settings menu, find the new section For developers and enable the item USB Debugging.
Once you connect your phone to your computer, you can use commands to disable specific packages. For example, commands like adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.gms.adsare often used to disable analytics services. However, working with ADB requires caution: disabling critical system processes can lead to unstable operation of the device or cyclic reboots.
adb shell pm list packages | grep google
adb shell pm disable-user --user 0 com.google.android.adservices
An alternative to manually entering commands is to use specialized blocking applications, such as Blokada or AdGuard (in local VPN mode). They create a local tunnel on the device and filter all traffic against internal block lists. This solution is convenient because it does not require a connection to a PC and updates lists of advertising domains automatically.
Specific settings for various manufacturers
Smartphone manufacturers often add their own data collection layers on top of pure Android. Chinese brands, such as Xiaomi, Huawei i Oppoare known for having built-in system advertising that is displayed even in standard applications (Explorer, weather, music). Disabling these banners requires a separate approach and searching for specific switches in the menu.
In Xiaomi's MIUI shell, advertising services are hidden in the "Passwords and Security" section. You need to find the item Access to personal data and disable the service msa (MIUI System Ads). It is also recommended to go into each system application, find the settings and disable the "Get recommendations" option. Without these steps, the phone will continue to show ads, despite Google's settings.
Samsung devices have their own ecosystem of services that can also collect data. In the menu Settings → Privacy you should check the "Personalization Services" section. Here you can disable marketing communications and the use of data to improve Samsung services. The interfaces of different versions of One UI may differ, so you should carefully study all subsections of the privacy menu.
⚠️ Attention: Settings interfaces are constantly updated by manufacturers. If you do not find the described menu item, use the search in settings (magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen) by entering “advertising”, “personalization” or “identifier”.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Will disabling advertising affect the operation of free applications?
In most cases, applications will continue to work correctly. However, some developers may limit functionality or display messages asking you to disable the blocker, since advertising is their main source of income. In rare cases, an application may refuse to launch if it fails to load an ad module.
Is it safe to use third-party DNS servers?
It is safe to use trusted services such as AdGuard DNS or NextDNS. They encrypt your DNS requests, preventing your ISP from intercepting your data. However, you should not enter the addresses of unverified servers found on dubious forums, as attackers can redirect your traffic to phishing sites.
Do you need to reboot your phone after changing the settings?
Usually the changes take effect instantly. However, to fully apply the Private DNS settings and reset the advertising ID, it is recommended that you perform a hard reboot of the device. This will ensure that all background services are restarted with the new privacy settings.
Is it possible to completely remove Google Play Services for ad protection?
Technically, this is only possible on rooted devices, but it is highly not recommended. Removing Google services will disrupt the Play Market store, most banking applications, maps, and Push notifications. It is much more effective to configure rights restrictions than to remove a system component.
Why do ads still appear after all the settings?
Some applications use their own advertising networks, independent of Google, or embed banners directly into the content. Ads may also come from your mobile operator or through notifications from allowed applications. In such cases, only detailed configuration of notification rights for each application separately helps.