To stop Edge from using your browsing activity to personalize Microsoft ads and services, open Settings and more (⋯) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Privacy and turn off the permission to save browsing activity for personalization. Then open the Microsoft privacy dashboard and switch off See ads that interest you if you also want to disable personalized Microsoft advertising across your account.
Those controls address different data uses. For third-party trackers, stay in Privacy, search, and services, open Tracking prevention, and choose Basic, Balanced, or Strict. Balanced is the practical default; Strict blocks more trackers but can make some sites or sign-ins fail.
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What “personalized ads and tracking” means in Edge
Microsoft separates browser-activity personalization, account-level ad personalization, and third-party tracking. Treating them as one switch leaves some data uses enabled.
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Edge can use activity such as browsing history, usage data, favorites, viewed web content, and device data to personalize Microsoft Edge and Microsoft experiences, including advertising, search, shopping, and news. Microsoft describes this as permission-based. Turning off the Edge permission stops Microsoft from collecting and using that browsing activity for personalization from that point forward. Microsoft’s support explanation states: “If you stop sharing this data, Microsoft will no longer collect and use your browsing activity for personalization of advertising or experiences from that point forward.” See Microsoft’s explanation of Edge browsing activity for personalized advertising and experiences.
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This is broader than an ad-only switch. The same permission can affect how Microsoft tailors search results, shopping suggestions, news, and other Edge or Microsoft web experiences. Turning it off therefore changes personalization even when no advertisement is visible on the page.
Microsoft account ad personalization
The See ads that interest you control in the Microsoft privacy dashboard governs personalized Microsoft advertising associated with your account, including advertising based on browsing history. It does not, by itself, stop browsing activity from being used to personalize search results, news, or other Microsoft web experiences. The Edge privacy permission is required for that separate purpose.
These controls can be off independently. For the broadest Microsoft opt-out, turn off both: the Edge browsing-activity permission and the account dashboard control. If you use multiple Microsoft profiles, review each one because a setting changed in one account or profile may not change another.
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Third-party tracking
Tracking prevention limits trackers embedded by websites, especially trackers that follow you between sites. It is independent of Microsoft’s personalization permissions. You can disable Microsoft personalization and still allow many third-party trackers, or use Strict tracking prevention while leaving Microsoft personalization enabled.
A tracker may support advertising, analytics, social widgets, embedded video, payments, or sign-in. Blocking it can reduce cross-site profiling, but it can also remove a function that a page expects. That is why Edge provides three levels instead of one permanent all-or-nothing setting.
Turn off Edge’s use of browsing activity for personalization
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Open Microsoft Edge.
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Select Settings and more (⋯) in the upper-right corner, then choose Settings.
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Open Privacy, search, and services.
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Under the Privacy section, find the permission that allows Microsoft to save your browsing activity—including history, usage, favorites, viewed web content, and related browsing data—for personalization of Microsoft Edge and Microsoft services.
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Turn that permission off. The change applies from that point forward; it does not retroactively erase activity already stored in your account or on your devices.
Read the description beside the toggle before changing it. The wording identifies personalization of both Microsoft Edge and Microsoft services, not merely advertisements shown in a tab. If you want to preserve personalized search or news while limiting only ads, use the account-level advertising control separately; if you want browsing activity excluded from all listed Microsoft experiences, disable the Edge permission.
Menu wording can differ slightly between Edge releases and between Windows and Mac. If you cannot find the control, use the Settings search box for browsing activity or personalized advertising. On a work or school computer, an administrator may manage or lock this setting.
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Disable personalized Microsoft ads across your account
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Open the Microsoft privacy dashboard from Microsoft’s support guidance and sign in to the Microsoft account used with Edge.
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Find See ads that interest you.
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Turn the control off.
This account-level setting covers personalized Microsoft advertising, including ads informed by browsing history. It does not replace the Edge browsing-activity switch: search results, news, shopping, and other Microsoft web experiences may still use Edge activity until that browser permission is disabled as well.
Turning this setting off does not mean Microsoft’s advertising spaces disappear. It means the account control for interest-based Microsoft advertising is disabled. You may still see ads selected from the page’s context or by a website, and advertisements can remain visible when other forms of targeting are outside this particular control.
Choose a tracking-prevention level
Go to Settings and more (⋯) > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Tracking prevention. Confirm that tracking prevention is on, then select a level. Microsoft’s settings overview identifies Balanced as its recommended default. The detailed descriptions are documented in Learn about tracking prevention in Microsoft Edge and Adjust privacy settings in Microsoft Edge.
| Level | Tracker blocking strength | Effect on personalization | Risk of website breakage | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Allows most trackers; blocks fewer of them. | More third-party tracking and ad personalization can remain. | Lowest risk; sites are most likely to behave normally. | Compatibility-first browsing or sites that already fail with stronger protection. |
| Balanced | Blocks potentially harmful trackers and trackers from sites you have not visited. | Reduces cross-site tracking while allowing commonly needed site functions. | Usually low; Microsoft recommends this default in its settings overview. | Most people who want meaningful protection without frequent troubleshooting. |
| Strict | Blocks most trackers across sites. | Provides the strongest built-in reduction in third-party tracking and related personalization. | Highest; parts of websites, embedded content, or sign-in flows may not work as expected. | Privacy-focused browsing when you are willing to make exceptions for broken sites. |
Basic is the least disruptive choice, but it leaves the greatest amount of third-party tracking in place. Balanced is intended to reduce trackers from sites you have not visited while preserving normal browsing on sites you do use. Strict offers the most aggressive built-in blocking and is the setting most likely to require troubleshooting.
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Use Global Privacy Control as an additional signal
Edge can send a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal to websites indicating that you prefer your data not be sold or shared for targeted advertising. A site may ignore the signal; it is a request, not a universal opt-out mechanism. Microsoft’s current support article says this Edge setting is available in the United States. Availability and wording can therefore differ by region and Edge release. Details are in Global Privacy Control in Microsoft Edge.
If your Edge settings include Global Privacy Control, enable it in the privacy settings. Keep tracking prevention enabled as well: GPC communicates your preference to a site, while tracking prevention blocks classes of trackers in the browser. Enabling GPC does not guarantee that every advertising or analytics provider will stop processing data, because the receiving website decides how to respond to the signal.
Do not confuse Windows advertising ID with Edge tracking
Windows has an advertising-ID control for apps that use that identifier. Microsoft says disabling it does not disable other interest-based advertising methods, such as website ads based on cookies. It is therefore not an Edge tracking switch and cannot substitute for the Edge privacy settings or the Microsoft account ad-personalization control. Microsoft documents this scope in General privacy settings in Windows.
You can disable the Windows advertising ID for app privacy, but doing so will not change the Edge tracking-prevention level, the browsing-activity permission, or the Microsoft privacy-dashboard setting. Make that change only if you also want to limit the identifier used by supported Windows apps.
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A practical setup for different privacy goals
Stop Microsoft from using Edge activity for personalization
- Turn off the Edge browsing-activity personalization permission.
- Leave Tracking prevention at Balanced unless a particular site requires Basic.
- Turn off See ads that interest you if you also want account-level Microsoft ads to stop being personalized.
Reduce third-party tracking without constant site failures
- Use Balanced tracking prevention.
- Turn off the Edge browsing-activity permission and the account ad-personalization control independently.
- Enable GPC where the option is available in your region, understanding that websites decide whether to honor it.
Maximize built-in blocking
- Use Strict tracking prevention.
- Keep both Microsoft personalization controls off.
- When a site loses a login, payment widget, video, or other feature, temporarily test that site with Balanced. If it works there, the stricter tracker blocking is the likely cause; add the minimum exception your Edge version offers rather than lowering protection globally.
Keep compatibility as the priority
- Choose Basic if a business portal, school system, or frequently used site repeatedly fails under stronger protection.
- Keep the two Microsoft personalization controls off even when Tracking prevention is Basic; those settings still prevent the covered Microsoft use of browsing activity.
- Revisit the level after an Edge update or a site redesign, since a site that worked under Strict can later depend on a different embedded component.
How to check that the changes took effect
Recheck the two Microsoft controls
Return to Privacy, search, and services > Privacy and confirm the browsing-activity permission remains off. Then revisit the Microsoft privacy dashboard and confirm See ads that interest you is off. If Edge is signed into several Microsoft accounts or profiles, check each profile: a setting changed in one account does not necessarily change another.
Do not use the appearance of an ad as the only test. Ads can remain visible after personalization is disabled. The useful verification is that both controls show the off state and that the profile or account you checked is the one displaying the Microsoft experience.
Inspect trackers on a page
Open Privacy, search, and services > Tracking prevention to verify that protection is on and that the intended level is selected. Edge also provides tracker information for sites in its privacy tools. Use that information to identify whether a broken feature depends on a blocked tracker before changing the global level.
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Allow for propagation and existing data
The controls govern future collection and use. Previously collected browsing history, cookies, or account records are separate data and are not automatically erased simply because personalization is turned off. If you need to remove stored history or other account data, use Edge’s clearing tools and the relevant Microsoft privacy-dashboard controls; those are deletion actions, not personalization switches.
Clearing history or cookies alone also does not replace the personalization opt-outs. Deletion removes selected stored information, while the switches determine whether covered activity may be collected and used for personalization going forward.
Troubleshooting when a site stops working
Sign-in loops or missing embedded content
Strict blocks most trackers across sites, and some sites rely on cross-site components for authentication, payment, comments, or media. Temporarily switch to Balanced and reload the page. If the feature returns, keep Balanced for general browsing and use a narrowly scoped site exception if your Edge build provides one.
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Ads still appear after personalization is off
Turning off personalization does not remove advertising. It changes whether Microsoft may tailor ads using the covered activity and account settings. You can still see contextual ads, ads selected by a website, or ads based on methods outside the disabled control. Confirm that both the Edge browsing-activity permission and See ads that interest you are off before diagnosing a remaining ad as a settings failure.
Search or news still looks tailored
Check the Edge browsing-activity permission, not only the account advertising switch. Microsoft’s account control addresses personalized advertising, while the Edge permission governs use of browsing activity for search, news, shopping, and other Microsoft experiences. Both must be addressed when your goal includes those services.
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Settings are unavailable or revert
Managed work and school devices can apply administrator policies that hide, lock, or reset privacy controls. In that situation, the organization’s administrator must change the policy. Menu labels can also move after an Edge update; search Settings for tracking prevention, browsing activity, or personalized advertising rather than assuming an older path is still identical.
GPC is missing
Microsoft currently documents GPC availability in the United States. If the option is not shown, your region or Edge release may not support it. Continue using the browsing-activity, account advertising, and tracking-prevention controls that are available.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Private browsing is not a replacement for these settings
Microsoft says browsing in InPrivate or Guest is not used for the cited personalization. That can limit the activity associated with those sessions, but it does not turn off account-level advertising preferences, change tracking prevention for ordinary windows, or send a site a permanent opt-out. Use the explicit privacy controls for an ongoing preference and treat InPrivate or Guest as a separate session mode.
Private browsing also does not erase data already saved in a Microsoft account or on another device. Use the appropriate history-clearing or privacy-dashboard deletion tools when removal is your objective.
What to expect after turning everything off
- Microsoft should no longer collect and use newly shared Edge browsing activity for the covered personalization purpose after you disable the browser permission.
- Microsoft ads can remain visible, but the account-level personalized-ad setting is off when See ads that interest you is disabled.
- Search, news, shopping, and similar Microsoft experiences require the Edge browsing-activity permission to be off if you do not want that activity used for their personalization.
- Balanced and Strict tracking prevention reduce third-party tracking; neither promises that every website will honor an opt-out signal or that all trackers will be blocked.
- Windows advertising ID changes app-level ad identification and does not cover website advertising methods such as cookie-based interest targeting.
- Strict protection can require occasional site-specific troubleshooting, while Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended general setting.
Frequently asked questions
Does turning off Edge personalization remove all ads?
No. The setting controls Microsoft’s use of covered browsing activity for personalization. Advertising can still appear, including contextual ads or ads selected through methods outside that control.
Do I need both Microsoft switches?
Use both for the broadest Microsoft opt-out. The Edge permission covers browsing-activity personalization of ads and Microsoft experiences; See ads that interest you covers personalized Microsoft advertising associated with your account.
Which tracking-prevention level should most people choose?
Balanced is Microsoft’s recommended default and the practical starting point. It blocks potentially harmful trackers and trackers from sites you have not visited while usually preserving site functionality.
Is Strict always better?
Strict blocks most trackers, but Microsoft warns that parts of some websites may not work as expected. Choose it when stronger blocking matters more than compatibility, then test Balanced if a sign-in, payment, media, or embedded feature fails.
Does GPC force every website to stop selling or sharing data?
No. GPC sends a preference signal. Websites may or may not honor it, and Microsoft currently lists the Edge option as available in the United States.
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Will disabling Windows advertising ID stop website tracking?
No. Microsoft says the Windows control applies to apps using that identifier and does not disable other interest-based advertising methods, including website ads based on cookies.
Will these changes delete my old browsing history?
No. They govern future collection and use for personalization. Delete existing history, cookies, or account records separately with Edge’s clearing tools and Microsoft privacy-dashboard controls.
Why can’t I change the setting?
A work or school administrator may control it through device policy. Otherwise, search Edge Settings for the relevant term because labels and locations can change between releases.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fastest way to stop personalized Microsoft ads in Edge?
Turn off the Edge browsing-activity personalization permission, then turn off See ads that interest you in the Microsoft privacy dashboard. These controls have different scopes, so use both for the broadest Microsoft opt-out.
What is the difference between personalized ads and tracking prevention?
Personalization controls govern Microsoft’s use of your activity and account for tailored experiences. Tracking prevention blocks third-party trackers embedded by websites. One does not automatically change the other.
Will Strict tracking prevention break websites?
It can. Strict blocks most trackers across sites, and Microsoft warns that parts of some websites, embedded content, or sign-in flows may not work as expected. Test Balanced when a feature fails.
Does private browsing replace these settings?
No. Microsoft says InPrivate and Guest activity is not used for the cited personalization, but private browsing does not change ordinary-window tracking prevention, account advertising preferences, or permanent site opt-outs.
Can I turn off tracking without losing every site feature?
Yes. Balanced is designed to reduce cross-site tracking while usually keeping sites working. If a specific feature fails, test that site at Balanced and use the narrowest exception your Edge version offers.
Why do ads remain after I disable personalization?
Disabling personalization does not remove advertising. Contextual ads, website-selected ads, and ads based on other methods can still appear.
The Bottom Line
For a complete Edge privacy change, turn off the browsing-activity personalization permission, disable See ads that interest you in the Microsoft privacy dashboard, and enable Tracking prevention. Choose Balanced for a strong everyday compromise or Strict for maximum built-in blocking with a greater chance of site breakage. GPC is an additional US-available signal, not a guarantee, and Windows advertising ID controls do not replace Edge settings.
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