Windows Advertising ID: Scope and Control
Turning off the Windows advertising ID limits use of that Windows identifier by apps. It is not an ad blocker and does not control all advertising identifiers or browser tracking.
On this page
Locate the control on your version
On Windows 10 and older Windows 11 layouts, look in the General privacy page. Newer Windows 11 versions can use Recommendations & offers instead. Search Settings for the advertising-ID wording when the menu has moved, and use the controls documented for your build.
Make a scoped choice
- Record the existing advertising-ID preference for the current user.
- Turn off use of the identifier when that matches your preference.
- Reopen the same Settings page to confirm the value persisted.
- Review browser cookies and the privacy controls inside the apps you use as separate decisions.
Interpret the result correctly
You may still see advertisements. Their continued appearance does not by itself prove that this specific control failed. The relevant question is whether apps are allowed to use the Windows advertising identifier, not whether every advertising mechanism has disappeared.
Questions and answers
Will disabling the identifier remove ads?
No. Microsoft explains that the preference does not reduce the number of advertisements by itself.
Does this setting govern cookies on websites?
No. Browser storage and website advertising have separate controls.