Turn Off Tracking Secria

Chrome ad privacy settings in 2026

Google is retiring Topics, the technology behind Chrome's ad topics, along with other Privacy Sandbox features. The tracking setting that matters most in Chrome is third-party cookies.1, 2

Checked 28 October 2026 against the sources. Steps are for Chrome on a computer.

Block third-party cookies

Third-party cookies come from other sites embedded in a page, such as ads. Google says they can be used to personalize content and ads and learn about what you do on other sites.3

Block them

Privacy and securityBlock third-party cookies

Checked against Chrome Help, desktop version.3

  1. Open Chrome and select More › Settings at the top right.3
  2. Select Privacy and security › Third-party cookies.3
  3. Select Block third-party cookies.3On the same page you can turn off Allow related sites to see your activity in the group.3

Google says some sites that rely on third-party cookies may not work as expected. Add those under Sites allowed to use third-party cookies, rather than turning the block off.3

Delete stored cookies

MoreDelete browsing data

Checked against Chrome Help.3

  1. Select More › Delete browsing data at the top right.3Or type Delete browsing data in the address bar.3
  2. Choose a time range, such as All time.3
  3. Select Cookies and other site data, and anything else you want deleted, then Delete data.3

You may be signed out of sites that remember you, and lose saved preferences.3

What happened to ad topics

Being retired

On 17 October 2025, citing low adoption, Google said it would retire Privacy Sandbox technologies including Topics, Protected Audience, Attribution Reporting and Related Website Sets.1 Its status page, last updated 14 August 2026, lists Chrome's Topics, Protected Audience and Attribution Reporting as deprecate and remove.2

If you still see the switches, turning them off does no harm.

Cookie choice stays

The same announcement says Chrome will keep its current approach of offering users a choice about third-party cookies.1 Chrome blocks them by default in Incognito mode.3

In regular windows, set it yourself.

Questions people ask

Should Chrome's ad privacy feature be on or off?

It's your choice. Google calls ad topics and site-suggested ads features that limit what sites and their partners can learn about you, but it is retiring the technology behind ad topics.1, 3

How do I allow cookies for one site?

At the top left of the address bar, select Third-party cookies blocked and turn on Third-party cookies. Google says that in regular browsing this adds the site to your exceptions for 90 days or until you turn it off.3

Does blocking third-party cookies stop all tracking?

No. The setting covers cookies from other sites. Chrome manages first-party cookies separately, as on-device site data.3

Sources 3
  1. Update on Plans for Privacy Sandbox Technologies, Anthony Chavez, Google, 17 October 2025. Read 28 October 2026.
  2. Privacy Sandbox feature status, Google, last updated 14 August 2026. Read 28 October 2026.
  3. Delete, allow, and manage cookies in Chrome, Google Chrome Help, computer version, undated. Read 28 October 2026.

Every step comes from Google's own pages. How we check