If you want to improve your online privacy, there are several things you can address on Android. Among which is Ad ID. What is it, and what can you do with it?
Advertising ID
Google and privacy remains a sensitive combo. It is not said for nothing that Google knows 'everything' about you. Still, if you want to have a bit more control over it, you can get started with the Advertising ID.
The Advertising ID on Android is a unique Google-created identifier associated with a device. This ID is used by apps and advertisers to track users anonymously for personalised ads, without access to personal data such as name or email address. Unlike permanent identifiers such as IMEI numbers, users can reset the ad ID or disable personalisation completely via the device's settings. By default, though, this is on.
The ad ID allows developers and advertisers to analyse user behaviour, for example to measure how many times an ad was viewed or whether an app installation came via a specific campaign. Since Android 12, Google has put stricter restrictions in place, preventing apps from getting detailed information if the user has turned off personalisation. If you have it turned on but reset the ad ID a while ago, an advertiser can still get a pretty good idea of who you are and what you are interested in.
Switch off ad ID
And you can do something about that. By disabling the Ad ID, you won't make Google and advertisers any wiser than they already are. To do so, follow these steps;
- Go to your phone's settings
- Choose the 'Security and privacy' option
- Tap the 'Privacy options' option
- Go to 'Ads'
- Here you can choose to reset, for if you do want to see personalised ads again, or choose to remove the Ad ID.
