How to Disable Ad ID Tracking on iOS and Android, and Why You Should Do It Now

The ad identifier - aka “IDFA” on iOS, or “AAID” on Android - is the key that enables most third-party tracking on mobile devices. Disabling it will make it substantially harder for advertisers and data brokers to track and profile you, and will limit the amount of your personal information up for sale.

This post explains the history of device ad identifiers and how they have enabled persistent tracking, identification, and other privacy invasions. 

But first things first. Here’s how to revoke tracker access to your ad ID right now:

On Android 

Open the Settings app, and navigate to Privacy > Ads. Tap “Delete advertising ID,” then tap it again on the next page to confirm. This will prevent any app on your phone from accessing it in the future.   

The Android opt out is available on Android 12, but may not available on older versions. Instead, you can reset your ad ID and ask apps not to track you as below:

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On iOS 

Apple requires apps to ask permission before they can access your IDFA. When you install a new app, it may ask you for permission to track you.

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Select “Ask App Not to Track” to deny it IDFA access.

To see which apps you have previously granted access to, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. The menu should look like this:

Here you can disable tracking for individual apps that have previously received permission. Only apps that have permission to track you will be able to access your IDFA.

You can set the “Allow apps to Request to Track” switch to the “off” position (the slider is to the left and the background is gray). This will prevent apps from asking to track in the future. If you have granted apps permission to track you in the past, this will prompt you to ask those apps to stop tracking as well. You also have the option to grant or revoke tracking access on a per-app basis.

Apple has its own targeted advertising system, separate from the third-party tracking it enables with IDFA. To disable it, navigate to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising:

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Set the “Personalized Ads” switch to the “off” position to disable Apple’s ad targeting.

History

In the early days of smartphones, trackers used static device identifiers - the “Unique Device Identifier” (UDID) on iOS, and the “Android ID” on Android - to track users across apps. These identifiers were unique, permanent, and were frequently accessed by third parties without user knowledge or c