You cannot turn off all ads on Facebook, but you can reduce how many you see and control what they advertise to you
Facebook and Instagram show ads because that is how Meta makes money — the platforms themselves are free because advertisers pay to reach you. You cannot disable ads entirely without paying for a subscription, but you can shrink the number of ads in your feed, hide ads from specific companies, and tell Meta not to use certain information to target ads at you. The settings are scattered across different menus, so most people never find them.
The fastest change is hiding individual ads as they appear. The slowest but most thorough change is adjusting your ad preferences in settings, which affects what Meta shows you going forward. Both take a few minutes and work on phones and computers.
Key Takeaways
- You can hide ads one at a time by clicking the three dots on any ad and selecting "Hide ad" or "See less from this advertiser".
- In Settings, under Ads, you can review which companies have your contact information and remove yourself from their lists.
- You can limit the data Meta uses to target ads by adjusting your ad preferences for interests, location, and demographics.
- Facebook Premium (a paid subscription) removes most ads from your feed, but costs money and is not available in all countries.
- Hiding ads one at a time works when ready, but adjusting ad preferences takes a few hours to show results.
Hide individual ads as they appear in your feed
The quickest way to see fewer ads is to hide them one by one. On your phone or computer, scroll to any ad in your feed. Look for three dots (or a menu icon) in the top right corner of the ad. Tap or click those dots.
A menu will appear with options like "Hide ad," "See less from this advertiser," or "Report ad." Choose "Hide ad" to remove that specific ad from your feed when ready. Choose "See less from this advertiser" if you want to block ads from that company altogether. This works right away — you will not see that ad again, and you will see fewer ads from that advertiser in the future.
The downside is that you have to do this for every ad you dislike. If you see dozens of ads a day, hiding them one at a time is tedious. But it is the fastest way to clean up your feed right now.
Review and remove advertisers who have your contact information
Many companies buy your email address or phone number from data brokers and upload those lists to Facebook. Meta then matches those addresses to your account and lets the advertiser target you. You can see which companies have done this and remove yourself from their lists.
On a computer, go to Settings (the gear icon in the top right). Click "Ads" in the left menu. Click "Advertisers and businesses." You will see a list of companies that have your contact information on file. Click each one to see what data they have — usually your email or phone number. Click "Remove" to tell Meta to stop letting that advertiser target you.
On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Tap "Ads," then "Advertisers and businesses." The process is the same: tap each advertiser and tap "Remove."
This does not delete your information from the advertiser's database — it only tells Meta to stop matching you to their list. The advertiser still has your contact information, but Meta will no longer use it to show you their ads.
Adjust your ad preferences to limit targeting
Meta uses information about you — your age, location, interests, and browsing habits — to decide which ads to show you. You can see what Meta thinks it knows about you and turn off some of that targeting.
Go to Settings, then Ads, then "Ad preferences." You will see categories like "Your interests," "Your information," and "Advertisers you've interacted with." Click each section to see what Meta has recorded. For example, under "Your interests," you might see "Technology," "Fitness," or "Travel." You can click any interest and remove it. Under "Your information," you can see your age, gender, and location — you cannot change these, but you can see what Meta is using.
Removing interests does not hide all ads — Meta will still show you ads, but they will be less targeted to your specific hobbies and habits. You will see more generic ads instead. This takes a few hours to take effect across your feed.
Limit ad targeting based on your activity
Meta tracks what you do on Facebook and Instagram, and also what you do on other websites and apps. If you visit a clothing store's website, Meta notes that and shows you ads from that store. You can limit this tracking.
In Settings, go to Apps and websites. You will see a list of websites and apps that have sent Meta information about you. You can review this list and remove apps or websites if you want. Click "Remove" next to any app or website to stop Meta from using that data to target ads at you.
You can also go to Settings, then Ads, then "Ad topics" to see what kinds of ads Meta thinks you are interested in based on your activity. You can remove topics here as well — for example, if you searched for running shoes once, Meta might add "Fitness" as a topic. You can remove it.
Pay for Facebook Premium to remove most ads
Facebook Premium is a paid subscription that removes most ads from your feed. The cost varies by country and whether you use Facebook, Instagram, or both. In the United States, Facebook Premium costs around $11.99 per month on a phone and $14.99 per month on a computer. Instagram Premium costs the same. If you want both without ads, you pay for both subscriptions.
Premium removes ads from your feed and Stories, but not from Reels or Messenger. It also gives you a blue checkmark next to your name. Premium is not available in all countries — Meta is rolling it out gradually.
To check if Premium is available to you, go to Settings, then "Meta Verified" or "Premium." If you see an option to subscribe, you can sign up there. If you do not see it, Premium is not yet available in your region.
Use browser extensions or settings to block ads
If you use Facebook on a computer, you can install a browser extension that blocks ads. Popular options include uBlock Origin, Adblock Plus, and AdGuard. These extensions block ads on Facebook and most other websites.
To install an extension, open your browser's extension store (Chrome Web Store for Google Chrome, Add-ons for Firefox). Search for the extension name, click "Add to [browser]," and confirm. The extension will start blocking ads when ready.
Extensions do not work on the Facebook app on phones — they only work in web browsers. If you use the Facebook app, you cannot use an extension. Extensions also do not affect what data Meta collects about you; they only hide the ads from view.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I still see ads after hiding them?
Hiding one ad removes that specific ad, but Meta will show you new ads from other advertisers. To see fewer ads overall, you need to adjust your ad preferences or remove advertisers from your targeting list. This takes time — changes can take a few hours to show up across your feed.
Can I stop Meta from tracking me across other websites?
You can limit it, but not stop it entirely. In Settings, go to Apps and websites and remove websites and apps you do not want Meta to track. You can also use your phone's privacy settings — on iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy, Tracking, and turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track." On Android, the option varies by phone model.
Does removing my interests from ad preferences actually work?
Yes, but Meta will still show you ads — they will just be less targeted. You will see more generic ads instead of ads chosen specifically for you. It takes a few hours for the change to take effect.
Is Facebook Premium worth it if I just want fewer ads?
That depends on how much the ads bother you and whether you use Facebook or Instagram enough to justify the cost. Premium removes most ads, but costs money every month. The free options (hiding ads, adjusting preferences, removing advertisers) take more effort but cost nothing.
Will blocking ads with a browser extension slow down Facebook?
No — extensions typically make Facebook load slightly faster because they block the code that loads ads. The downside is that extensions only work on computers, not on the Facebook app on phones.