You can hide individual ads and adjust what Facebook shows you, but you cannot delete all ads at once
Facebook makes money by showing you ads, so the platform will not let you turn advertising off completely. What you can do is remove specific ads from your feed, tell Facebook which topics or companies you do not want to see, and adjust your ad preferences so fewer ads match your interests. These changes affect only your own account — they do not delete the ads from Facebook's system or prevent other people from seeing them.
The fastest way to remove an ad you see right now is to click or tap the three dots in the top right corner of that ad and select "Hide ad". Facebook will ask why you hid it — your answer helps train what you see next time, but you do not have to give a reason. Hiding one ad takes five seconds and works when ready.
Key Takeaways
- Click the three dots on any ad and select "Hide ad" to remove it from your feed when ready; Facebook will ask why, and your answer shapes future ads you see.
- You can block entire companies from showing you ads by selecting "Hide all ads from [Company Name]" instead of hiding a single ad.
- Your Ad Preferences page lets you see which interests Facebook thinks you have and remove the ones that do not match you, which reduces ads based on those topics.
- Turning off "Ads based on your activity on Facebook and partner websites" in settings reduces tracking across other sites, though ads will still appear.
- Hiding ads and adjusting preferences is free and takes a few minutes, but Facebook will continue showing you ads based on other data it collects.
Hide a single ad from your feed right now
When you see an ad you do not want, look for the three dots (or sometimes three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of that ad. On a computer, hover your mouse over the ad first — the dots may not show until you do. On a phone or tablet, tap the ad once, and the dots should appear.
Click or tap those dots. A menu will pop up with the option "Hide ad" near the top. Select it. Facebook will then ask "Why did you hide this ad?" and show you a few reasons: "I don't like this ad", "It's not relevant to me", "I see this ad too often", or similar wording depending on your region. Pick the reason that fits, or skip this step — your choice does not affect whether the ad disappears, but it does help Facebook learn what you prefer.
The ad vanishes from your feed when ready. This works on Facebook's main feed, in Stories, in Reels, and in the right-hand sidebar on desktop. You will not see that exact ad again, but Facebook may show you similar ads from the same company or about the same topic unless you take the next step.
Block all ads from a specific company
If you keep seeing ads from one company and want to stop, you can block that advertiser entirely. Use the same three-dot menu on any of their ads, but this time select "Hide all ads from [Company Name]" instead of just "Hide ad". This removes all current and future ads from that company from your feed.
You can block as many companies as you want. There is no limit, and blocking one advertiser does not affect ads from other companies. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them through your Ad Preferences (explained below), though you will have to do this for each company individually.
Adjust your Ad Preferences to see fewer targeted ads
Facebook builds a profile of your interests based on what you click, what you like, what pages you follow, and what websites you visit outside Facebook. It then uses this profile to show you ads for things it thinks you want. You can see this profile and remove interests you do not want Facebook to use.
On a computer, click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom left corner of Facebook, scroll down, and select "Settings and privacy" then "Settings". On a phone, tap the menu icon at the bottom right, scroll down to "Settings and privacy", and tap "Settings". Look for "Ads" in the left sidebar (on desktop) or scroll until you find it (on phone). Click or tap "Ad preferences".
You will see a section called "Your interests" or "Interests used for ads". This shows topics Facebook thinks you care about — things like "Technology", "Travel", "Fitness", or brand names. Scroll through the list. If you see an interest that does not match you, click or tap it and select "Remove". Removing an interest means Facebook will not use that topic to target ads to you, though it may still show you ads based on other information.
You can also see "Advertisers you've interacted with" — a list of companies whose ads you have clicked on or whose websites you have visited. You can remove companies from this list the same way. Below that, you may see "Advertisers who uploaded a contact list with your information" — these are companies that bought your email address or phone number and uploaded it to Facebook to find you. You cannot remove these, but you can see who they are.
Turn off activity-based tracking across websites
Facebook tracks you not only on Facebook itself, but also on other websites and apps that have a Facebook button or pixel (a tiny piece of code). This tracking helps Facebook build a more complete picture of your interests and show you more targeted ads. You can turn this off, though Facebook will still show you ads — they just will not be based on your activity outside Facebook.
Go to Settings (same path as above: menu icon, "Settings and privacy", then "Settings"). Find "Ads" in the left sidebar or by scrolling. Look for a setting called "Ads based on your activity on Facebook and partner websites" or similar wording. Toggle this off. On a phone, you may see a switch next to this option — tap it to turn it off.
Turning this off does not stop Facebook from collecting the data — it only stops Facebook from using that data to target ads to you. The data is still there, and Facebook still uses it for other purposes. But the ads you see will be based more on your Facebook activity alone and less on your browsing across the internet.
Understand what you cannot change
Facebook will always show you ads. The company's business model depends on advertising, so there is no setting that removes ads entirely. Even if you hide every ad, adjust every preference, and block every advertiser, new ads will appear in your feed.
You also cannot stop Facebook from collecting information about you. Hiding ads and adjusting preferences only change which ads you see — they do not change what Facebook knows about you. Facebook collects data from your account activity, your device, your location, and your behavior on other websites, and it keeps this data whether or not you hide ads.
If you want to limit data collection more broadly, you can review your privacy settings (a separate process from ad preferences) or use your device's privacy tools. But those changes are outside the scope of managing ads alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
If I hide an ad, will the advertiser know?
No. The advertiser does not see which individual people hide their ads. Facebook only tells advertisers how many people saw their ad and how many clicked it. Hiding an ad is private to your account.
Can I hide ads from a specific person or friend?
No. You can hide ads from companies and topics, but not from individual people. If a friend's business is running ads, you can block that company's ads, but you cannot block ads only from that friend while seeing ads from other advertisers.
Why do I still see ads about things I removed from my interests?
Facebook uses many signals to target ads, not just your interests list. It also uses your age, location, device type, and behavior on Facebook itself. Removing an interest reduces ads on that topic, but does not eliminate them entirely. Some ads are also based on information you did not directly provide, like demographic data Facebook infers.
Does paying for Facebook Premium remove ads?
Facebook Premium (called Meta Verified on some accounts) removes ads from your feed on the main Facebook app, but ads still appear in Stories, Reels, and other sections. This is a paid subscription and is separate from the free ad preference tools described here.
If I clear my cookies, will it stop Facebook from tracking me?
Clearing cookies removes some tracking data from your device, but Facebook still tracks you through your account login. Even if you clear cookies, Facebook knows it is you when you log in, and it continues collecting data about your activity. Clearing cookies helps with other websites more than it helps with Facebook.