Resetting the advertising ID on Android: all methods (including hidden ones)

Advertising ID on Android (Google Advertising ID, or GAID) is a unique code that is used for targeted advertising, user behavior analysis and content personalization. Resetting it may be necessary for many reasons: from the desire to increase privacy to the need to “reset” the advertising profile after selling the device. However, not everyone knows that Full GAID reset on modern versions of Android (12+) is often blocked by manufacturers through proprietary shells (MIUI, One UI, ColorOS, etc.)and standard methods do not always work.

In this article we will look into all current methods advertising ID reset - from basic to advanced, including bypassing restrictions Xiaomi, Samsung and other brands. You'll also learn why some methods stopped working after updates Google Play Servicesand how to check if the ID was actually reset. If you encounter the error "Unable to reset advertising ID" - here is the solution.

Warning: resetting GAID does not disable advertising completely, but only resets its personalization. To completely block tracking, additional measures will be required (about them in the last section).

What is an advertising identifier on Android and why reset it

An advertising identifier (GAID) is an anonymous but unique code for each device that is assigned Google Play Services. It replaces the outdated one Android ID and is used by advertising networks (AdMob, Facebook Audience Network etc.) to display targeted advertising. Unlike IMEI or the serial number, GAID can be reset manually - but with caveats.

Main reasons for resetting:

• 🔒 Privacy: even without personal data, GAID allows you to track your actions in applications.
• 📱 Selling/transferring a device: the new owner will receive a “clean” advertising profile.
• 🎯 Testing applications: developers reset GAID to test advertising campaigns.
• 🚫 Fighting annoying advertising: sometimes resetting helps reduce the number of impressions.

It is important to understand: GAID is not associated with an account Google —it is associated with the device. This means that after the reset, personalized advertising will return in a few days if you start using services again Google (for example, YouTube or Google Search).

⚠️ Attention: Starting from Android 13, some manufacturers (for example, Xiaomi and Oppo) block GAID reset through the standard menu. In such cases, alternative methods will be required (see sections below).

Method 1: Standard reset through Android settings

This is the most a simple method that works on most devices with Android 5.0–12 (on Android 13+ may be blocked). Instructions:

1. Open Settings → Google (or Accounts and archiving on Samsung).
2. Select Advertising (on some devices the path: Settings → Privacy → Advanced → Advertising).
3. Click Reset advertising identifier and confirm the action.

If the item "Reset" is not there or is inactive:

• 🔄 Check if Google Play Services has been updated (go to Play Market → My Software).
• 📱 On Xiaomi/Redmi you may need to disable "Mi-account" in the synchronization settings.
• 🔧 On Huawei (without GMS) this method does not work - use HUAWEI Ads Kit in the account settings.

After resetting, the identifier will be reset, but after 1-2 days it will be assigned a new value. To check the current GAID, use applications like AppBrain Ad Detector or command adb (see the next section).

Method 2: Reset via ADB (for advanced users)

If the standard method does not work (for example, on Android 13+ or custom firmware), you can use Android Debug Bridge (ADB)This method requires connecting the phone to the PC and enabling developer mode.

Step by step instructions:

1. Enable USB debugging in the developer settings (Settings → About phone → Build number (press 7 times) → For developers).
2. Connect the phone to the PC and run the command:

   adb shell settings put global advertising_id [new_id]

   Replace [new_id] with any string of 32 characters (for example, 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000).

3. Reboot the device.

To check the current ID, use:

adb shell settings get global advertising_id

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example, Samsung Galaxy s One UI 5+), this command may return an error Operation not allowed. In this case, try an alternative method via pm clear (see spoiler below).

adb shell pm clear com.google.android.gms

If ADB returns an access error, it means that the manufacturer has blocked GAID changes at the kernel level. In this case, only factory reset (see section 4) or rooting the device will help.

Method 3: Using third-party applications

There are applications that promise to reset GAID without ADB or root access. However, most of them either do not work on new versions of Android or require suspicious permissions. We tested several tools and compiled a list. reliable options:

We do not recommend installing applications from unknown sources that promise a “magic GAID reset”. Many of them contain malicious software. code or just show ads. If you need to check the current ID, use AppBrain Ad Detector is the safest solution.

Method 4: Factory reset - a radical solution

If all the previous methods did not work, the only option left is full reset of the device to factory settingsThis is guaranteed to reset the GAID, but will also delete all data, applications and settings. Use this method only as a last resort (for example, before selling your phone).

How to reset correctly:

1. Create a backup copy of important data (Settings → System → Backup).
2. Disable account Google (Settings → Accounts → Google → Delete account).
3. Go to Settings → System → Reset → Delete all data.
4. After reboot do not restore data from a backup —this may return the old GAID.

⚠️ Attention: On some devices (for example, Xiaomi s MIUI 14+) even after a factory reset, the GAID may be restored from clouds if you log into the same account again Mi Account. To avoid this, disable synchronization in your account settings before resetting.

After a factory reset:

• 🆔 The GAID will be generated again the first time you connect to Internet.
• 🔄 The advertising profile will begin to form from scratch (personalized advertising will return in 3-7 days).
• 📱 If you are selling a phone, do not log into your accounts Google/Mi/Samsung —the new owner must create his own.

Problems and errors when resetting GAID

Even following the instructions, you may encounter errors. Let's consider the most common ones and how to solve them solutions:

If none of the methods helped, the reason may be:

• 🔒 Enterprise policies: on work phones with Android Enterprise GAID may be blocked by the administrator.
• 📱 Custom firmware: some modifications (for example, LineageOS without GApps) do not support GAID.
• 🛡️ Antivirus/firewall: apps like Avast or 360 Security can block changes.

In such cases, you can either accept the current identifier or use alternative privacy protection methods (for example, VPN + ad blocker).

Additional measures for protection from tracking

Resetting GAID is only part of the solution. To really reduce tracking, we recommend combining several methods:

• 🔒 Turn off personalized advertising: Settings → Google → Advertising → Disable "Personalized Ads".
• 🚫 Block trackers using Blokada, AdGuard or DNS66 (does not require root).
• 🌍 Use alternative DNS: Settings → Network and Internet → Private DNS → specify dns.adguard.com.
• 📱 Limit permissions for applications:

  Revoke access to "Advertising" and "Device ID" in permission settings.

• 🔄 Clear your cache regularly Google Play Services (once every 1-2 weeks).

For maximum anonymity, consider using:

• 📱 GrapheneOS or CalyxOS —firmware with enhanced privacy protection (requires unlocking the bootloader).
• 🔒 Shelter or Island —to isolate applications with advertising in a separate profile.
• 🌐 Tor Browser or Bromite —browsers with built-in tracker blocking.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about ID reset. advertising