What you can actually control about Facebook ads
You cannot turn off ads on Facebook entirely — the platform is free because advertisers pay to reach you, and that is how Meta makes money. What you can do is reduce how many ads you see, make them less targeted to your interests, and hide specific ads or advertisers you do not want to see again.
Facebook offers several controls built into your account settings. These controls let you tell Facebook which topics, companies, and types of ads bother you most. The changes take effect within hours, though new ads matching your interests will still appear — you are managing preferences, not blocking ads altogether.
The most effective approach is to use the ad preferences menu, which shows you exactly why an advertiser targeted you and lets you remove those reasons one by one. This is faster than hiding individual ads and gives you more control over what shows up in your feed.
Key Takeaways
- You can reduce targeted ads by visiting Ad Preferences in your Facebook settings and removing the interests, demographics, and behaviors Facebook uses to target you.
- When you see an ad you dislike, click the three dots in the corner and select "Hide ad" or "Hide all ads from this advertiser" to remove similar content.
- Turning off "Ads based on your data from partners" and "Ads based on your activity on Facebook and Instagram" in Ad Preferences limits how much information advertisers can use.
- These changes do not stop ads from appearing — they make the ads less personalized and reduce how often you see ads for topics you have marked as unwanted.
How to access and change your ad preferences on Facebook
Open Facebook on a computer or phone and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines on mobile, or the downward arrow in the top right on desktop). Scroll down and tap or click "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, look for "Ads" — click it to open your ad preferences.
You will see several sections: "Ad preferences," "Advertisers and businesses," and "Ad topics." Start with "Ad preferences." Here you can see the interests, age range, location, and behaviors Facebook thinks describe you. Click on any category — say "Interests" — and you will see a list of topics Facebook has assigned to you. Click the X next to any topic you want to remove. Removing interests does not delete your account data; it just tells Facebook not to use that interest when showing you ads.
Next, scroll down in the same menu to find "Ads based on your data from partners" and "Ads based on your activity on Facebook and Instagram." Both are usually turned on. Click each one and toggle it off. This prevents Facebook from combining information it buys from data brokers with your activity to create a more detailed profile for advertisers.
Hiding individual ads and advertisers
When you see an ad in your feed that you do not want to see again, hover over it (on desktop) or tap and hold it (on mobile) until a menu appears. Click or tap the three dots icon in the top right corner of the ad. A dropdown menu will show options like "Hide ad," "Hide all ads from this advertiser," or "Report ad."
Choose "Hide ad" to remove just that one ad from your feed. Choose "Hide all ads from this advertiser" if you never want to see anything from that company again — this is more effective if a particular business keeps showing you ads. Facebook will not show you ads from that advertiser for at least six months, though the advertiser can still target you if they create a new ad account.
If you hide many ads from the same advertiser, Facebook learns that you do not want to see their content and will show them to you less often. This method works best when you are consistent — hide ads from the same few advertisers repeatedly, and Facebook will deprioritize them in your feed.
Removing specific advertisers from your list
Facebook keeps a list of every advertiser who has targeted you in the past month. You can see this list and remove advertisers from it, which tells Facebook not to let that company use certain targeting methods on you going forward. Open your Ad Preferences again and click "Advertisers and businesses."
You will see a section called "Advertisers you have seen ads from." This list can be long — it includes every company that has paid to show you an ad, whether you clicked it or not. Scroll through and click on any advertiser you want to remove. A menu will appear with the option "Remove." Click it, and that advertiser will no longer be able to target you using certain data points, though they can still reach you if they upload a customer list that includes your email or phone number.
This is different from hiding ads. Removing an advertiser from this list restricts how they can target you in the future, while hiding an ad just removes it from your current feed. If you see an advertiser repeatedly, removing them from this list is more effective than hiding individual ads.
Controlling what topics appear in ads
In your Ad Preferences menu, look for "Ad topics." This section lets you see which subjects Facebook thinks you care about and remove the ones you do not want to see advertised. Common topics include "Fitness and wellness," "Travel," "Shopping and fashion," or "Parenting."
Click on any topic and you will see a list of ads related to it that have appeared in your feed. Click the X next to the topic name to remove it from your ad preferences. Removing a topic does not prevent all ads in that category — Facebook may still show you ads for fitness products if you have visited a gym's website, for example — but it reduces how often ads for that topic appear.
You can also click on individual ads within a topic and hide them. This is useful if you want to keep seeing ads about fitness but do not want to see ads for a specific gym or supplement brand. The more granular your choices, the more control you have over what appears in your feed.
What happens when you use these controls
When you remove interests, hide ads, or turn off data-based targeting, Facebook does not stop showing you ads — it changes which ads you see. You will still see ads from local businesses, ads for products similar to ones you have looked at, and ads from companies that have bought your email address from a data broker. What you reduce is the volume of highly targeted ads based on your stated interests and online behavior.
These changes take effect within a few hours, though it can take up to 24 hours for all changes to show across Facebook and Instagram. If you remove an interest and then when ready see an ad for that topic, it may be because the ad was already in the queue before your change took effect, or because Facebook is still showing you ads based on other factors like your location or age.
The controls are not permanent. If you visit a website with a Facebook tracking pixel (a small piece of code that tells Facebook you were there), Facebook may add new interests to your profile based on that visit. Similarly, if you click on an ad or engage with a post about a topic, Facebook may add that topic back to your interests. You can remove it again at any time.
Using browser extensions and privacy settings for additional control
Some people use browser extensions like uBlock Origin or Privacy Badger to block ads across the internet, including on Facebook. These extensions work by preventing ad networks from loading in the first place. However, they do not change your Facebook ad preferences — they just hide ads from view. If you stop using the extension, the ads return.
You can also limit ad tracking by adjusting your device settings. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Privacy, then Tracking, and turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track." On Android, go to Settings, tap Google, then Manage your Google Account, tap Data and Privacy, and turn off "Web and App Activity." These settings prevent Facebook and other apps from collecting as much data about your browsing habits, which means advertisers have less information to target you with.
Neither of these methods stops Facebook from showing you ads. They reduce how much data Facebook collects and how precisely it can target you. Combined with the ad preference controls described above, they give you the most control available without leaving Facebook entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay Facebook to remove ads?
No. Facebook does not offer an ad-free version of its free service. Meta offers Facebook Premium (a paid subscription) in some countries, which removes ads and gives you some additional features, but this is not available everywhere and costs around $10 to $15 per month depending on your location and device.
Why do I still see ads after removing interests?
Facebook targets ads using multiple data points — your age, location, device type, websites you have visited, and apps you use, in addition to your stated interests. Removing interests reduces targeted ads but does not stop all ads. You may also see ads because an advertiser uploaded a customer list that includes your email address, which Facebook matched to your account.
Does hiding ads from an advertiser stop them from targeting me?
Hiding a single ad removes it from your feed but does not prevent that advertiser from showing you future ads. To restrict an advertiser more broadly, go to "Advertisers and businesses" in your Ad Preferences and click "Remove" next to their name. This limits how they can target you, though they can still reach you through other methods like customer lists.
Will turning off data-based targeting stop Facebook from collecting my data?
No. Turning off "Ads based on your data from partners" and "Ads based on your activity on Facebook and Instagram" tells Facebook not to use that data for ad targeting, but Facebook still collects it. Your data is used for other purposes, including improving Facebook's services and training its algorithms. To limit data collection itself, adjust your privacy settings in your account or use your device's tracking controls.
What is the difference between hiding an ad and reporting it?
Hiding an ad removes it from your feed and tells Facebook you do not want to see similar ads. Reporting an ad tells Facebook the ad violates its policies — for example, it contains misinformation, is misleading, or promotes illegal products. Use "Report ad" only if you believe the ad breaks Facebook's rules. Use "Hide ad" if you straightforward do not want to see it.