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The “hidden tracking ID” on most Android phones is the advertising ID supplied by Google Play services. To remove it, open Settings > Privacy > Ads > Delete advertising ID, then confirm. If your phone offers only a reset option, that creates a new identifier rather than deleting the old one.
What Android’s advertising ID does
Google describes the Android Advertising ID as a unique, user-resettable and user-deletable identifier for advertising. Apps and advertising systems can use it to recognize a device for ad-related purposes while allowing the device owner to change or remove the identifier. Google documents the identifier’s role in Google Play Console Help.
It is not a complete record of everything your phone does. It is one standardized advertising signal, separate from account data, app-specific identifiers and other information an app may collect.
Delete the advertising ID
The labels vary by Android release and manufacturer, but this is the usual path on current phones:
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- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy.
- Tap Ads.
- Choose Delete advertising ID.
- Read the confirmation message and approve the deletion.
On some devices, Google places the controls here instead: Settings > Google > All services > Privacy & security > Ads > Ads privacy. Google’s current Android instructions are at Android Help.
Delete or reset: choose the result you want
| Choice | What happens | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|
| Delete advertising ID | The identifier is removed. It is not replaced with a new advertising ID. | You want to remove this standardized advertising identifier from the device. |
| Reset advertising ID | Android creates a new advertising ID, separating future ad activity from the old value. | You want a fresh identifier but still want apps that depend on one to receive it. |
Both controls appear in the Ads area on supported versions. Google’s explanation of the distinction and its privacy implications is available on its Advertising policy page.
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What deletion changes—and what it cannot stop
On supported devices, Google Play services returns a string of zeros to apps that request the advertising ID after you delete it. Google says this behavior rolled out to Android 12 devices in late 2021 and expanded to Google-Play-supported devices in 2022; exact behavior depends on device and Play services support. The implementation details are in Google’s developer documentation.
Deleting the ID does not make every app anonymous, disable all advertising or erase data an app already holds. Google warns: Your advertising ID will be reset or deleted, but apps may have their own settings using other types of identifiers, which can also affect the types of ads you see.
Apps can continue to display ads, and their own accounts, cookies, device signals or settings may still influence personalization.
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Use Android’s additional Ads privacy controls
Deleting the advertising ID is separate from the newer controls under Settings > Google > All services > Privacy & security > Ads > Ads privacy. Review each one if you want to reduce additional ad-personalization signals:
- Ad topics: Android can infer topics from app use. Turn off Allow ad topics to stop sharing those topics.
- App-suggested ads: Block apps from suggesting ads. Google says blocking this feature deletes the associated suggestion data.
- Ad measurement: Turn off limited data sharing used to measure advertising performance.
These switches address topic inference, app suggestions and measurement; they are not substitutes for the advertising-ID delete command.
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If you cannot find “Delete advertising ID”
Search Settings
Use the Settings search field and try Ads, Advertising ID or Ads privacy. Samsung and other manufacturers may rename or move the menu inside their privacy sections.
Check the Android version
Older releases may show Settings > Privacy > Advanced > Ads and an Opt out of Ads Personalization control instead of the newer delete workflow. That wording limits personalized advertising but may not provide the same explicit delete action documented for newer versions.
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Confirm you are in the device settings
The control is part of Android or Google Play services settings, not an individual app’s advertising preferences. If an app still shows personalized ads after deletion, inspect that app’s own privacy and account settings as well.
Quick Recap
What to remember
- The identifier is Android’s advertising ID, provided through Google Play services.
- The common delete route is Settings > Privacy > Ads > Delete advertising ID.
- Reset supplies a new ID; delete removes it without a replacement.
- Deletion affects one advertising identifier, not every tracking method or every ad.
- Ad topics, app-suggested ads and ad measurement have separate switches.
- Menu names depend on Android version and the phone maker’s interface.
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