This post shows students and new users steps to disable a device’s advertising ID in Windows 11 to prevent apps from tracking and providing you more personalized advertisings online or within apps.
With advertising ID enabled, location based apps will be able to track and access your location much the same way that websites do online with unique identifier stored in a cookie. This unique identifier can then be used to provide more targeted ads and services to you, the user on that device.
This might also be a privacy issues as advertising networks can associate personal data they collect and link it with your device advertising ID to track you and your activities. Although this feature applies to Windows apps using the Windows advertising identifier, it might be misused by networks who don’t abide by policies.
If an app choses not to use advertising ID for tracking purposes, then no personalized add or data collection will be permitted.
Using the steps below, you’ll be able to disable letting apps use advertising ID to target and provide you with relevant ads in Windows 11.
How to disable personalized advertising ID in Windows 11
As mentioned above, Windows allows for more personalized advertising ID in Windows which helps track and provide users with more personalized advertising online or within apps.
If you want to disable this in Windows 11, use the steps below.
Windows 11 has a centralized location for majority of its settings. From system configurations to creating new users and updating Windows, all can be done from the System Settings pane.
To get to System Settings, you can use the Windows key + i shortcut or click on Start ==> Settings as shown in the image below:
Alternatively, you can use the search box on the taskbar and search for Settings. Then select to open it.
Windows Settings pane should look similar to the image below. In Windows Settings, click Privacy & security, then on the right pane, and select the General tile to expand it.
On the General settings pane, select the tile that reads “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID” tile, then toggle the button to the Off position to disable.
You can now exit the Settings app.
How to turn on personalized advertising ID in Windows 11
By default, personalized advertising ID is enabled in Windows 11. However, if the feature was previously disabled and you want to re-enable, simply reverse the steps above by going to the Start menu ==> Settings ==> Privacy & security ==> General, then toggle the button on the tile that reads “Let apps show me personalized ads by using my advertising ID” to the On position to enable it.
Turning the advertising ID off will not reduce the number of ads you see, but it may mean that ads are less interesting and relevant to you. Turning it back on will reset the advertising ID.
That should do it!
Conclusion:
This post showed you how to disable or enable advertising ID in Windows 11. If you find any error above or have something to add, please use the comment form below.
