To stop Google from using your account information and activity to personalize ads, open My Ad Center, set Personalized ads to Off, and confirm. That is the broad, account-level setting for a signed-in Google account.
If you only want to remove browsing or location-area signals from ad personalization, use My Ad Center → Manage privacy → Activity used to personalize ads. There you can disable Activity on sites and apps and Areas where you’ve used Google independently. The area setting applies across Google sites and apps; it is not a Google Maps-only switch.
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Use the broad switch when you want all personalized Google ads turned off
The quickest route is the account-level control in My Ad Center. It is intended for people who do not want information saved in their Google Account, account activity, or choices in My Ad Center used to select personalized ads. You must be signed in to the Google Account whose Maps activity you are concerned about.
- Sign in to the relevant Google Account.
- Open My Ad Center from your Google Account or an ad-settings link.
- Select Personalized ads.
- Switch the setting to Off.
- Read the confirmation message and choose Turn off or Confirm, depending on the label shown for your account.
Google documents this as the broadest setting for signed-in users. Its help explains that, after personalized ads are turned off, “Google will not use the information and activity saved to your Google account or your choices in My Ad Center to show you ads.” See Google’s My Ad Center instructions for the current account interface.
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The setting is associated with the signed-in account rather than only with the device on which you changed it. Google says the signed-in personalization choice applies to its services across devices where that account is signed in. If you use more than one Google Account, check which account is active before changing the switch.
What the broad switch is designed to cover
This switch is the appropriate choice when your concern is not limited to one place, one search, or one map. It tells Google not to use information and activity saved in the account, together with choices made in My Ad Center, to select personalized ads. In practical terms, it is a single account-level change instead of a series of individual input changes.
It does not mean that every Google service stops using data for its ordinary functions. Maps can still provide directions, Search can still answer queries, and other services can still operate according to their own settings. The switch governs ad personalization, not every use of information throughout the account.
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You do not have to disable every form of ad personalization. My Ad Center provides narrower controls under Manage privacy. Open My Ad Center → Manage privacy → Activity used to personalize ads and change only the inputs you no longer want used for ads.
Turn off Activity on sites and apps
- In My Ad Center, open Manage privacy.
- Choose Activity used to personalize ads.
- Open Activity on sites and apps.
- Switch the control off and confirm.
Google describes this control as affecting ads in Search, YouTube, and Discover. Turning it off prevents that activity from being used for ad personalization, but it does not itself switch off personalized recommendations. It also does not automatically erase the activity from your account.
This option is useful when you want to keep the main ad-personalization system available but exclude activity from sites and apps as an input. It is narrower than turning off Personalized ads altogether, so other eligible information or choices may still be used for ads unless you change those controls too.
Turn off Areas where you’ve used Google
- Remain in Activity used to personalize ads.
- Open Areas where you’ve used Google.
- Switch off Use areas to personalize ads.
- Confirm the change.
This is the control most relevant to people who describe the problem as “Google Maps activity” or “location-based ads.” Google says it affects ads on all Google sites and apps, not just Maps. The areas can still be saved to your Google Account and may continue to inform personalized recommendations even after their use for ad selection is disabled. The documented controls are explained in Google’s data-use settings guide.
The wording matters: this setting covers areas where you have used Google, rather than a list of individual places you searched for in Maps. It is therefore a useful way to exclude geographic-area signals from advertising, but it is not a promise that Google will stop processing location for every Maps feature or erase any location record.
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Which setting should you choose?
| Goal | Setting | Scope | What remains separate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stop Google from using account information and activity for personalized ads | Personalized ads: Off | Broad, account-level change for Google advertising when you are signed in | Ads can still be shown using contextual factors; saved activity and recommendations have separate controls |
| Stop site and app activity from feeding ad selection while leaving other ad controls in place | Activity on sites and apps: Off | Google documents the effect for Search, YouTube, and Discover | The activity may still be saved, and recommendations can remain personalized |
| Stop areas where you used Google from feeding ad selection | Use areas to personalize ads: Off | Ads across Google sites and apps | Area data may remain saved and may still influence recommendations |
Choose the first row when your objective is a general end to personalized Google advertising. Choose one of the latter rows when you want a narrower change and are comfortable leaving other personalization inputs or product recommendations unchanged.
Examples of the choice in practice
If you simply do not want Google to tailor advertising from your account, use the broad switch. If your concern is specifically that visits or searches associated with certain geographic areas affect ads, turn off Use areas to personalize ads. If you want to exclude broader site-and-app activity while leaving geographic-area use unchanged, turn off Activity on sites and apps instead.
You can also turn off both selective controls without turning off every other setting in My Ad Center. That removes those two documented inputs from ad personalization, but it is still a narrower approach than switching Personalized ads to Off. Read the confirmation text for each control so you know which scope you selected.
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What turning off personalized ads actually changes
Ads do not disappear
Turning personalization off is not an ad blocker. Google can still show non-personalized ads selected from contextual factors, such as the content or general context of the service you are using. As a result, you may continue to see advertising in Google services after the switch is confirmed. Google describes this distinction in its explanation of how personalized ads work: How personalized ads work on Android.
Therefore, the continued presence of an ad is not a reliable test of whether the setting worked. The relevant question is whether the account setting shows Off and whether you changed the intended account and control.
It changes ad selection, not necessarily data retention
The ad controls determine whether particular information is used to personalize ads. They are not the same as controls that save, retain, or delete activity. Disabling an activity or area input therefore does not, by itself, remove that record from your Google Account. If your goal is to delete location or other account history, you must review the separate activity controls rather than relying on My Ad Center.
Recommendations can remain personalized
Google uses saved activity for product experiences as well as advertising. Recommendations in Maps, Search, and other services are governed separately from ad personalization. You can turn off an input for ads and still receive recommendations based on information that remains available to those products. The distinction is covered in Google’s explanation of activity and ad controls and its My Ad Center frequently asked questions.
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The area control is not a Maps-only privacy setting
“Areas where you’ve used Google” refers to geographic areas associated with use of Google, not a toggle limited to the Maps app. Switching it off removes those areas from ad-personalization inputs across Google sites and apps. It does not promise that Google will stop providing Maps functions that require location, nor does it delete the underlying areas from account history.
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Can you turn off location-based ads only in Google Maps?
Google’s documented controls do not provide a dedicated “Google Maps ads” switch. The closest targeted option is Use areas to personalize ads in My Ad Center. Because Google defines that control across its sites and apps, it is broader than Maps. If you need every form of account-based ad personalization disabled, use the main Personalized ads switch instead.
An ad appearing while you are using Maps is not, by itself, proof that saved Maps activity was used to personalize it. Non-personalized advertising can still be selected from contextual information, so the presence of an ad after you change the setting is expected.
Will this delete Google Maps history?
No. Neither the broad ad-personalization switch nor the selective activity and area switches is described as a deletion command. Google treats ad personalization and saved activity as separate settings. The areas associated with Google use may remain in the account, and site or app activity may continue to be retained according to your account’s activity settings.
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Google’s Maps privacy overview explains the broader set of controls available for Maps data and account activity: How Google protects your privacy and keeps you in control.
Before changing the setting: check the account and scope
First check the profile image or account identifier shown in the Google service you are using. A phone can have several Google Accounts, and changing My Ad Center for one account does not change another account used in the same browser, tablet, or device. If Maps is signed in to a different account than the one open in My Ad Center, you may be editing the wrong profile.
Next decide whether you want a broad or selective result. “I do not want personalized Google ads” points to Personalized ads: Off. “I do not want areas where I used Google to influence ads” points to Use areas to personalize ads: Off. “I want site and app activity excluded but want other ad controls left alone” points to Activity on sites and apps: Off. Making that decision first prevents an overly broad change when a narrower one is sufficient.
How to verify that you changed the intended control
- Return to My Ad Center after confirming the change.
- Check that the main Personalized ads status or the selected activity control displays Off.
- Confirm the account profile shown at the top of the page.
- If you changed an area or activity input, verify that you changed the specific control rather than only opening its explanation page.
- Allow for the possibility of contextual ads; do not use the disappearance of every ad as the success criterion.
If the setting appears unchanged, repeat the steps while signed in to the account that actually displays the ads. Google says availability and exact labels can vary according to sign-in state and account eligibility, so your screen may not match another person’s instructions word for word.
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Why you may still see ads after switching personalization off
The ads are contextual rather than personalized
The most common explanation is that the ads are non-personalized. Contextual advertising can continue when personalization is disabled, so seeing an ad does not mean the setting failed.
Only one input was disabled
If you turned off Activity on sites and apps or Use areas to personalize ads, other eligible inputs and My Ad Center choices may still be available for personalization. Review the main Personalized ads switch if you intended a complete account-level change.
You are viewing a different account
Check the profile image or account identifier in the Google service showing the ad. A setting changed while signed in to one account does not change a different account used on the same phone, browser, or tablet.
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The documented account-level setting applies to Google services on devices where you are signed in. A signed-out experience can have different controls and may not display the same My Ad Center switch. Sign in to the account you want to manage and open My Ad Center again.
Your interface does not show the same labels
Google notes that availability and the exact interface can vary with sign-in state and account eligibility. Look for the current Personalized ads, Manage privacy, or Activity used to personalize ads sections in the account you are using. If a control is absent, consult the current My Ad Center help page and the account’s own settings rather than assuming that a Maps-specific switch exists.
Recommendations are being mistaken for ads
Turning off ad personalization does not necessarily alter recommendations in Maps or other Google products. A recommended place, search suggestion, or promoted result can therefore continue to reflect separate product-personalization settings even when ad inputs have been disabled.
Ad personalization versus Maps privacy controls
My Ad Center answers the question, “May this information be used to choose ads?” It does not answer every question about what Maps or Google Account activity stores. If you want to change retention, review Web & App Activity and My Activity. If you want to understand Maps’ broader privacy controls, use Google’s Maps privacy overview. Keeping these tasks separate helps avoid expecting an advertising switch to erase history or disable location-dependent features.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Similarly, turning off area use for ads does not mean that Maps loses the ability to show a map centered on a location or provide a route when you request one. The documented area control is about ad selection across Google sites and apps. It should not be presented as a device location permission, a Maps history deletion tool, or a complete location-processing shutdown.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Changing a setting while signed in to a secondary Google Account.
- Assuming that Use areas to personalize ads applies only inside the Maps app.
- Expecting Personalized ads: Off to remove every advertisement.
- Assuming that turning off an ad input deletes the corresponding activity or area history.
- Expecting recommendations in Maps, Search, or other products to become entirely non-personalized.
- Stopping after opening a settings page without completing the confirmation.
- Using the appearance of a later contextual ad as proof that the account switch was ignored.
A practical privacy checklist
- Confirm that you are signed in to the Google Account whose activity you want to manage.
- For the broadest advertising change, set My Ad Center → Personalized ads to Off and complete the confirmation.
- For a narrower change, open Manage privacy → Activity used to personalize ads and disable the specific activity or area input.
- Remember that Areas where you’ve used Google affects Google sites and apps generally, not only Maps.
- Do not treat an ad-personalization switch as a history-deletion command.
- If you want to change what Google retains, inspect Web & App Activity and My Activity separately.
- If ads remain, first distinguish contextual ads from personalized ads before changing additional settings.
- Recheck the account name and the final status after you confirm the change.
The short decision
Use Personalized ads: Off when you want Google to stop using saved account information and activity to personalize ads across your signed-in Google experience. Use the two controls under Activity used to personalize ads when you want to exclude site-and-app activity or areas where you used Google without changing every other ad setting. Neither choice removes all advertising, deletes Maps history, or automatically turns off personalized recommendations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off location-based ads only in Google Maps?
Google does not document a Maps-only advertising switch. In My Ad Center, turn off Use areas to personalize ads to remove area signals from ad personalization across Google sites and apps, or turn off Personalized ads for the broad account-level change.
Will turning off personalized ads delete my Google Maps history?
No. My Ad Center controls whether information is used to select personalized ads. Review Web & App Activity and My Activity separately if you want to change retention or delete activity.
Why am I still seeing ads after turning personalization off?
Google can still show non-personalized, contextual ads. Also check that you changed the correct Google Account and that you turned off the main switch rather than only one activity input.
Does the area control stop Google from using my location in Maps?
No. Use areas to personalize ads controls advertising use across Google sites and apps. It is not a Maps location-permission switch and does not promise to erase areas saved in the account.
Do recommendations stop being personalized when ads are off?
Not necessarily. Google treats ad personalization and product recommendations separately, so Maps, Search, or other services may continue using information available to them.
Does the setting apply to all my devices?
Google says the signed-in personalization choice applies across devices where that Google Account is signed in. A different account or a signed-out experience can have different settings.
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What if My Ad Center does not show the same controls?
The interface and availability can vary with sign-in state and account eligibility. Check the current My Ad Center for the active account and consult Google’s help pages if a control is missing.
Should I use the broad switch or selective controls?
Use Personalized ads: Off for the broadest change. Use Activity on sites and apps or Use areas to personalize ads when you want to exclude specific inputs while leaving other settings in place.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Open My Ad Center and set Personalized ads to Off for the broadest account-level change. For a narrower adjustment, disable Activity on sites and apps or Use areas to personalize ads under Manage privacy. These controls do not block every ad, delete Maps history, or automatically remove personalized recommendations.
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