Turn Off Tracking Secria

How to stop smart TV ads

You mostly can't. Google says plainly that you can't turn off ads on Google TV. What every platform below lets you turn off is the personalization, so the ads you get are no longer based on what you watch.1, 3

Checked 4 November 2026 against the sources. Steps are for US models.

Turn off ad personalization

Find your TV's platform. Each guide links to the full tracking guide for that brand.

Google TV

Settings › Privacy › AdsDelete advertising ID

Checked against Google TV Help.1 Full Google TV guide

  1. From the home screen, select Settings at the top.1
  2. Select Privacy › Ads › Delete advertising ID.Google says no new ID is assigned, so you won't get ads based on it, though apps can still show ads based on other things you've shared with them.1

Roku TV and Roku players

Settings › Privacy › AdvertisingPersonalize Ads

Checked against Consumer Reports and Roku Support.3, 2 Full Roku guide

  1. Press Home, select Settings, then Privacy.2
  2. Under Advertising, uncheck Personalize Ads.Consumer Reports says you still get ads, but they shouldn't be personalized.3
  3. To hide one banner ad on the Home Screen, highlight it, press * and choose Hide this ad.Roku replaces it with another ad.2

Roku's Sensitive ad content choices, such as gambling or politics, only work while Personalized Ads is on, and only for banner ads on the Home Screen and screensaver, not video ads or ads in partner apps.2

Samsung

General & Privacy › Terms & PrivacyInterest-Based Advertisements

Checked against Consumer Reports.3 Full Samsung guide

  1. Go to Menu › Settings › All Settings.3
  2. Open General & Privacy › Terms & Privacy.3
  3. Turn off Interest-Based Advertisements.Consumer Reports says you'll still get ads, but they'll be less targeted to your viewing habits and interests.3

LG

All Settings › Support › Privacy & TermsUser Agreements

Checked against Consumer Reports.3 Full LG guide

  1. Go to All Settings › Support › Privacy & Terms.3
  2. Under User Agreements, withdraw the Interest-Based & Cross-Device Advertising agreement.Consumer Reports says it lets LG collect information from your TV to generate targeted ads, and that it's off by default at setup.3

Fire TV

Fire TV privacy settingsInterest-Based Ads

Checked against Consumer Reports.3 Full Fire TV guide

  1. Turn off Interest-Based Ads.Consumer Reports says it's on by default, and that turning it off affects your other Amazon devices too. You'll still get ads, but they won't be personalized.3

The Fire TV guide has the full menu path and the other Fire TV data switches.

Ads and tracking are two settings

Turning off ACR and turning off personalized ads do different things, so do both.

ACR feeds the targeting

Consumer Reports says Samsung's Viewing Information Services powers the targeted marketing you receive, and that Vizio uses Viewing Data for advertising and marketing.3

See what ACR is.

The ad slots stay

Turning off personalization doesn't remove the ads themselves. Roku says its ad choices can't reach video ads, ads in partner apps or some ads shown to everyone, like themed backgrounds.2

Fewer targeted ads, not fewer ads.

Questions people ask

Can I turn off ads on a Google TV?

No. Google says you can't turn off ads, only control how your advertising ID is used for personalized ads across installed apps.1

Is deleting the ad ID better than resetting it?

On Google TV, resetting gives you a new ID, and apps can still personalize ads. Deleting leaves no ID until you create a new one.1

Why do I still see an ad I hid on Roku?

Roku says a hidden ad can reappear because of the ways ads are delivered, and that there's a daily limit on how many ads you can hide, reset every 24 hours.2

Other TV guides

Sources 3
  1. Change ad settings for your Google TV, Google TV Help, Google, undated. Read 4 November 2026.
  2. How to manage ad preferences, Roku Support, last updated 18 June 2026. Read 4 November 2026.
  3. How to Turn Off Smart TV Snooping Features, James K. Willcox, Consumer Reports, updated 19 October 2025. Read 4 November 2026.

Steps come from Google's and Roku's help pages and Consumer Reports' dated tests. How we check