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How to Turn Off Personalized Ads in Microsoft Bing

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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Quick answer: Sign in to your Microsoft account, open the Privacy dashboard, select Review ad settings under More privacy settings, and switch off See ads that interest you. This stops Microsoft from using your account data for personalized advertising. It does not delete Bing search history, disable every kind of personalization, or block ads from appearing.

Turn off personalized ads in your Microsoft account

The main Bing advertising control is not in Bing search settings. It is in the Microsoft account Privacy dashboard, where Microsoft manages advertising choices for signed-in users. You need to change the setting in the account that supplies your Bing searches, Edge profile and other Microsoft activity.

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Before you start

  • Have the Microsoft account credentials for the account you use with Bing.
  • Use a browser in which you can reach the account Privacy dashboard.
  • If you have several Microsoft accounts, identify the one currently active in Bing or Edge.

Being signed in matters because Microsoft stores the choice in the account. A signed-out opt-out is stored only in a browser cookie and can be lost when cookies are cleared.

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  1. Sign in to the Microsoft account you use with Bing.
  2. Open the account’s Privacy dashboard.
  3. Under More privacy settings, select Review ad settings.
  4. On the Personalized ad settings page, find See ads that interest you.
  5. Switch the setting to Off.
  6. Refresh the page and confirm that the control still reads Off before closing the tab.

With this switch off, Microsoft says it will not use your data for personalized advertising, including data from Edge browsing history. The choice applies to the account where you changed it, so make sure you are signed in to the account that actually supplies your Bing searches and Edge profile.

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Review the separate third-party data-sharing choice

The same page includes Share my data with third parties for personalized ads. This is a different control from See ads that interest you. Review it if you also want to change whether Microsoft shares data with third parties for personalized advertising, rather than only stopping Microsoft’s own interest-based ad selection.

Changing one switch does not automatically change the other. Treat them as two independent decisions and confirm the final state of both before leaving the dashboard. Turning off Microsoft’s personalized ad selection therefore should not be described as deleting data or as a complete ban on every possible advertising use.

What turning off Bing ad personalization does—and does not do

Personalized advertising is only one use of Microsoft account and browsing data. The controls below affect different data flows, so turning off the account advertising switch should not be interpreted as a universal privacy reset.

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Control Where to change it What it governs What it does not do
See ads that interest you Microsoft account Privacy dashboard Microsoft’s use of your data for personalized advertising It does not delete Bing search history or stop other forms of Microsoft experience personalization
Share my data with third parties for personalized ads Microsoft account Personalized ad settings Data-sharing choice for third-party personalized advertising It is not the same as the account-level ad-personalization switch
Edge browsing-activity permission Microsoft Edge settings Use of Edge browsing activity to personalize Microsoft Edge and Microsoft services such as search, shopping, news and ads It does not replace the Privacy dashboard advertising choice
Bing search history Microsoft Privacy dashboard Viewing and deleting search history associated with the signed-in account Turning off personalized ads does not erase existing history
Windows advertising ID Windows privacy settings Advertising identifier used by apps that support the Windows identifier It does not reduce the number of ads or disable website-cookie and other interest-based advertising

This separation explains why a person may still see tailored search suggestions, news selections or shopping recommendations after disabling personalized ads. Those experiences can have separate permissions and data sources. It also explains why clearing history, changing Edge permissions and changing the Windows identifier should be treated as separate tasks rather than as alternate names for the same setting.

Stop Edge browsing activity from personalizing Microsoft services

Microsoft Edge has its own permission for using browsing activity. Microsoft describes that activity broadly: it can include history, usage information, favorites, web content and other browsing data. When allowed, Microsoft can use it to personalize Edge and services such as ads, search results, shopping recommendations and news.

Edge desktop steps

  1. Open Microsoft Edge.
  2. Select Settings and more (the three-dot menu).
  3. Choose Settings.
  4. Open Privacy, search, and services.
  5. In the Privacy section, find the setting that allows Microsoft to save browsing activity to personalize Microsoft Edge and Microsoft services.
  6. Turn that setting Off.

Microsoft says that, after this permission is disabled, it will stop collecting and using that Edge browsing activity for the stated personalization purposes from that point forward. This is a forward-looking control; it is not a command to erase activity that was already associated with the account. If removing old activity matters, use the separate history controls in the Privacy dashboard.

Why both Edge and account settings matter

The account switch and the Edge permission overlap for advertising but are not interchangeable. Microsoft states that when See ads that interest you is off, it will not use your data for personalized advertising, including Edge browsing history, regardless of the Edge personalization permission. However, the account switch alone does not stop Edge activity from being used to personalize search results, news-feed content, shopping or other Microsoft web experiences. Disable the Edge permission as well if your goal is to limit that broader use of browsing activity.

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This distinction is especially important if your complaint is not the ad itself but the feeling that Bing results, product suggestions or news items reflect recent browsing. Those are broader experience-personalization questions, and the Edge control addresses them more directly than the advertising switch.

InPrivate and Guest browsing

Microsoft says browsing performed in Edge InPrivate or Guest mode is not used for personalization. These modes can reduce the activity associated with a browsing session, but they are not a substitute for reviewing the Microsoft account and Edge settings. They also are not a global opt-out from Microsoft advertising across other browsers, devices or services. If you sign in elsewhere or use a normal profile, the relevant account and browser permissions still apply.

Clear Bing search history separately

Bing search history is a separate privacy category. Microsoft says Bing can use search history to improve suggestions and personalized results, and it provides tools in the Privacy dashboard to view and clear history associated with a signed-in Microsoft account.

How to find the history controls

  1. Sign in to the Microsoft account used for Bing.
  2. Open the account’s Privacy dashboard.
  3. Find the section for Bing or search activity.
  4. Review the recorded searches and use the available clear or delete control.

Deleting history changes the stored activity; it does not turn off personalized advertising by itself. Conversely, switching off See ads that interest you does not delete the searches already shown in the dashboard. Decide whether you need an advertising opt-out, history deletion, or both. If searches remain visible after you clear them, check that you cleared the account currently signed in and that you are not viewing activity from another profile.

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Windows advertising ID is another setting

Windows includes an advertising ID used by apps that support that identifier. Its setting is independent of Bing’s Microsoft account advertising control and Edge’s browsing-activity permission.

Microsoft says that turning off the Windows advertising ID does not reduce the number of ads. It may make ads less relevant in apps that rely on the identifier, but it does not disable other interest-based advertising methods, including website cookies. Therefore, changing the Windows ID is useful if you want to limit app-level use of that identifier, but it is not a complete Microsoft advertising opt-out and is not required to switch off Bing account ad personalization.

What you should expect after opting out

Ads may still appear

The Privacy dashboard switch controls whether Microsoft uses your data to select ads based on inferred interests. It is not an ad blocker and does not remove advertising spaces from Bing or other services. Seeing an advertisement after the switch is off does not necessarily mean the setting failed; the ad may be selected using contextual or other methods that are outside this particular control.

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The number of ad placements should not be used as a test of whether the opt-out worked. The meaningful check is the state of the account control and, if relevant, the separate Edge and third-party data-sharing controls.

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Search can still be personalized

Turning off personalized ads does not automatically turn off personalization of Bing results, suggestions, shopping content or news. Edge browsing activity and Bing search history have separate controls, described above. If search personalization is your concern, review the Edge permission and the search-history controls rather than relying only on the advertising switch.

The result is account-specific

If you use more than one Microsoft account, each account can have its own privacy choices and associated activity. Change the setting while signed in to the account whose Bing and Edge data you want to protect. A browser profile signed in to a different account can continue to show a different setting. Repeat the review on each account or profile where you want the same choice.

How long the opt-out lasts

Signed-in users

For a signed-in Microsoft account, Microsoft says the opt-out is stored in the account settings until you change it or delete the account. Clearing ordinary browser cookies does not normally remove an account-level choice that is saved to the account. You may still need to sign in again to verify the setting on another device or browser.

Users who are not signed in

Microsoft says a signed-out user’s opt-out is held in a browser cookie for six months from each opt-out, or until the browser’s cookies are cleared, whichever happens first. Clearing cookies, using a different browser or switching devices can therefore require you to opt out again while signed out. Signing in provides the more persistent account-based behavior described above.

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Troubleshooting when the setting is missing or does not seem to work

You cannot find “Review ad settings”

  • Confirm that you opened the Microsoft account Privacy dashboard, not only Bing’s search page or Edge’s general settings.
  • Look under More privacy settings; the link is not necessarily displayed alongside search-history controls.
  • Sign in first. The available controls can differ for signed-in and signed-out sessions.
  • Check that you are using the account associated with the Bing profile you intend to change.
  • Use the exact labels Review ad settings and See ads that interest you when scanning the page; layouts can move even when the wording remains recognizable.

The switch is off, but ads still appear

  • Verify that See ads that interest you still shows Off after refreshing the dashboard.
  • Remember that this is a personalization opt-out, not an ad blocker. Ads can continue to occupy normal advertising placements.
  • Check whether the ad is appearing in an app or on a website using a different advertising system. The Microsoft account switch does not control every ad provider.
  • If you also want to limit third-party personalized advertising, review Share my data with third parties for personalized ads separately.

Search results, news or shopping recommendations still feel personalized

  • Open Edge’s Settings and more > Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Privacy path and turn off the browsing-activity permission.
  • Review Bing search history in the Privacy dashboard and delete activity you no longer want stored.
  • Check which Microsoft account is active in the browser. A different profile can have different history and permissions.
  • Remember that InPrivate or Guest sessions are not a replacement for changing settings on your ordinary profile.

You cleared cookies and the choice returned

This is expected for a signed-out session: Microsoft says the opt-out cookie lasts six months or until cookies are cleared, whichever comes first. Sign in and make the change in the account Privacy dashboard if you want the choice retained in account settings.

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A complete Microsoft privacy check for Bing users

Use this checklist when your goal is broader than simply changing ad selection:

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  • Advertising: In the Privacy dashboard, set See ads that interest you to Off.
  • Third-party advertising data: Review Share my data with third parties for personalized ads separately.
  • Edge activity: In Edge privacy settings, disable the permission to save browsing activity for personalization.
  • Search history: View and clear Bing history in the Privacy dashboard if you want existing searches removed.
  • Windows apps: Review the Windows advertising ID setting if you want to limit use of that identifier by supporting apps.
  • Other accounts and devices: Repeat the review for each Microsoft account or browser profile you use.

These steps address different purposes. Completing one does not automatically complete the others, so record which controls you changed if you are working through several accounts or devices.

Limits and interface differences

Microsoft can change labels, page layouts and the exact location of controls. The labels documented for this process are Review ad settings, See ads that interest you and Share my data with third parties for personalized ads. The screens may not look identical in every region, account type or product version, so use the wording of the setting—not the position of a switch on a screenshot—as the deciding reference.

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The controls also have different scopes. The Privacy dashboard advertising choice addresses Microsoft’s use of account data for personalized ads; Edge’s permission addresses browsing-activity-based personalization across several Microsoft experiences; Bing history controls stored searches; and Windows advertising ID affects compatible apps. No single switch covers all four categories.

Bottom line

To turn off personalized ads in Bing, use your signed-in Microsoft account’s Privacy dashboard and switch off See ads that interest you under Review ad settings. For a wider reduction in Microsoft personalization, separately disable Edge browsing-activity personalization and clear Bing search history. Review the third-party data-sharing control if that is part of your goal. The Windows advertising ID is an additional, app-focused setting—not a replacement for the Bing account control—and opting out does not make advertisements disappear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off personalized Bing ads remove all ads?

No. The setting stops Microsoft from using your data for personalized advertising, but it is not an ad blocker. Ads can still appear through contextual or other advertising methods.

Does the ad opt-out delete my Bing search history?

No. Open the Microsoft Privacy dashboard to view and clear Bing search history separately. Turning off personalized ads and deleting history are different actions.

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Why do Bing results or news still seem personalized?

The ad switch does not disable all Microsoft experience personalization. In Edge, turn off the permission to save browsing activity for personalizing Edge and Microsoft services, and review or clear Bing search history if needed.

What is the third-party data-sharing switch for?

The control labeled Share my data with third parties for personalized ads governs a separate data-sharing choice. It does not automatically change See ads that interest you, so review both controls independently.

Does turning off the Windows advertising ID turn off Bing personalization?

No. The Windows advertising ID applies to apps that use that identifier. It does not replace the Microsoft account ad setting, reduce the number of ads, or disable website-cookie and other interest-based advertising.

How long does the opt-out last?

For a signed-in user, Microsoft says the choice remains in account settings until it is changed or the account is deleted. For a signed-out user, an opt-out cookie lasts six months or until browser cookies are cleared, whichever comes first.

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Does InPrivate browsing permanently opt me out of Microsoft advertising?

No. Microsoft says Edge InPrivate and Guest activity is not used for personalization, but those modes are not a global Microsoft advertising opt-out across browsers, devices or services.

What if I use multiple Microsoft accounts?

Privacy choices and associated activity are account-specific. Sign in to each account or browser profile you use and repeat the review if you want the same settings everywhere.

The Bottom Line

Open your signed-in Microsoft account’s Privacy dashboard, choose Review ad settings, and turn off See ads that interest you. Separately manage Edge browsing activity, Bing search history, third-party data sharing and the Windows advertising ID according to the privacy result you want.

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