You cannot fully disable ads on Facebook, but you can reduce them significantly
Facebook's business model depends on advertising, so the platform does not offer a setting to turn ads off completely. What you can do is limit which ads you see, hide ads from specific companies, and adjust your ad preferences so Facebook shows you fewer ads overall. These changes take a few minutes and happen in your account settings, not through a separate app or tool.
The most effective approach is to review your ad preferences — the section where Facebook stores what it thinks you are interested in — and remove categories that do not match you. You can also tell Facebook to stop showing ads from particular advertisers, and you can reduce how much information Facebook collects about your activity outside Facebook, which directly reduces the number of ads it can target to you.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook's Ad Preferences section lets you see and remove the interests and categories it uses to target ads to you, which reduces how many ads appear.
- You can hide ads from specific companies one at a time, but this does not stop Facebook from showing you ads — only from that advertiser.
- Turning off off-Facebook activity tracking prevents Facebook from collecting data about what you do on other websites, which reduces targeted ads.
- Using Facebook's Audience Network setting lets you reduce ads on apps and websites outside Facebook that use Facebook's ad system.
- Browser extensions and ad blockers can hide ads on Facebook, but they may break some features and do not change what Facebook collects about you.
How to adjust your ad preferences on Facebook
Open Facebook and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner on mobile, or the downward arrow in the top right on a computer. Select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Ads. You will see a section called Ad preferences.
Click Categories under Ad preferences. Facebook shows you a list of interests and topics it thinks describe you — things like "Technology enthusiasts" or "People interested in fitness". Read through this list and remove any that do not match your actual interests. Click the X next to each one you want to remove. Facebook will stop using those categories to show you ads. This is the single most effective step because it directly tells Facebook to narrow the pool of ads it targets to you.
You can also click Advertisers and businesses in the same Ad preferences section to see which companies have uploaded lists containing your information. You cannot remove yourself from these lists, but seeing them shows you which advertisers have data about you. Some people find this useful for understanding why they see ads from a particular company.
How to hide ads from specific companies
When you see an ad on Facebook that you do not want to see again, click the three dots in the top right corner of that ad. Select Hide ad or See fewer ads like this. Facebook will show you fewer ads from that advertiser going forward, though it may still show you some.
If you want to block a company entirely, click those same three dots and select Hide all ads from [Company Name]. This tells Facebook not to show you any ads from that advertiser. You can hide ads from as many companies as you want, but this approach works best for a handful of advertisers you see repeatedly. If you are seeing hundreds of ads you dislike, adjusting your ad preferences (the previous section) is more efficient because it addresses the root cause.
How to turn off off-Facebook activity tracking
Facebook collects information about what you do on other websites and apps — which articles you read, which products you look at, which videos you watch. It uses this data to build a detailed profile of your interests and show you more targeted ads. Turning off this tracking does not stop ads, but it does reduce how much information Facebook has about you, which means fewer ads can be precisely targeted.
Go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Apps and websites (on the left menu). Click Off-Facebook activity. You will see a summary of apps and websites that have sent Facebook information about you. Click Clear history to delete the data Facebook has already collected, then toggle off Future off-Facebook activity. This prevents Facebook from collecting new data about your activity outside Facebook going forward.
Note that this setting only affects Facebook's tracking. Other companies still track your activity on their own websites and apps — this just stops them from sending that information to Facebook.
How to manage ads on apps and websites outside Facebook
Facebook owns an advertising network called the Audience Network that shows ads on apps and websites you use outside Facebook. These ads use the same targeting information as Facebook ads. To reduce them, go to Settings and privacy > Settings > Ads > Audience Network. Toggle off Audience Network. This tells Facebook not to show you ads through its network on other apps and websites.
This setting does not affect ads from other ad networks — only Facebook's own Audience Network. You will still see ads on other apps and websites, but they will come from different ad companies that do not have access to Facebook's data about you.
Using browser extensions and ad blockers
Ad blockers like uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, and similar extensions can hide ads on Facebook so you do not see them on the page. They work by filtering out the code that displays ads before the ads load. On a computer, you can install these extensions in your browser and they will automatically hide Facebook ads.
Ad blockers have two limitations. First, they only hide ads visually — Facebook still collects data about you and still counts the ads as shown, even though you cannot see them. Second, some ad blockers can break Facebook features like video playback or messaging. If you use an ad blocker, test Facebook regularly to make sure everything works. On mobile, ad blockers are harder to use because they require a different browser or a special configuration, and many do not work reliably on Facebook's app.
What happens after you change these settings
Changes to your ad preferences take effect within a few hours. You will not see ads disappear when ready, but over the next day or two you should notice fewer ads overall and ads that are less relevant to you. If you hide ads from specific companies, those changes usually happen within minutes.
Facebook regularly updates the interests it assigns to you based on your activity. If you remove an interest from your ad preferences but then spend time on pages related to that interest, Facebook may add it back. You can remove it again whenever you notice it has returned. This is normal behavior and not a sign that your settings did not work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I pay Facebook to remove all ads?
No. Facebook does not offer a paid ad-free version. The company has tested subscription options in some countries that remove ads, but these are not widely available. For most users, the methods in this guide are the only way to reduce ads.
Will disabling ads affect my ability to use Facebook?
No. Reducing ads, hiding ads from companies, or turning off tracking does not change how Facebook works. You can still message friends, post, and use all features normally. Ad blockers may occasionally break features, but the settings within Facebook itself have no side effects.
If I hide an ad, will that advertiser know I hid it?
No. When you hide an ad or select "See fewer ads like this", only Facebook's system records that action. The advertiser does not receive a notification that you hid their ad. They only know how many people saw their ad and how many clicked it.
Does turning off off-Facebook activity stop Facebook from tracking me on Facebook itself?
No. Turning off off-Facebook activity only stops Facebook from collecting data about your activity on other websites and apps. Facebook still tracks everything you do on Facebook — what you like, what you search for, what you click. That tracking is built into Facebook and cannot be turned off.
Why do I still see ads after removing all my interests?
Facebook shows ads based on multiple signals, not just your listed interests. It also uses your age, location, device type, and basic profile information. Even with no interests listed, you will still see some ads. Removing interests reduces the number and relevance of ads, but does not eliminate them entirely.