Turn Off Tracking Secria

How to turn off Viewing Data on a Vizio TV

Vizio calls its ACR Viewing Data. Turning it off deletes Vizio's logs of past viewing data for that TV. Ads, Activity Data and the Walmart data link are separate choices.1, 3

Checked 29 October 2026 against the sources. Steps are for US models.

Turn it off

Each choice applies only to the TV you change it on, so repeat it on every Vizio TV.1

Viewing Data

Privacy & LegalViewing Data

Checked against Vizio's Viewing Data Supplement, read 29 October 2026.1

  1. With the remote, open All Settings › Privacy & Legal.1On older Vizio TVs: All Settings › Admin & Privacy.1
  2. Set Viewing Data to off.1

If you can't find the setting, Vizio says to email privacy@vizio.com or call 1-855-472-8817.1 A factory reset sets Viewing Data back to off.1

Tailored ads

AdvertisingLimited Ad Tracking

Paths by model year from Vizio's Ads & Privacy FAQ, read 29 October 2026.2

  1. Open the advertising menu for your TV's age.VIZIO OS products after 2024: Menu › Privacy & Legal › Advertising. Before 2024: Menu › Admin & Privacy › Advertising. Before 2020: Menu › System › Reset & Admin › Advertising.2
  2. Turn Limited Ad Tracking on.2Vizio describes this switch for TVs on older firmware that have no account or a Vizio Account. On TVs signed in with a Walmart account, see the next guide.2
  3. Optionally, select Reset TV Advertiser ID in the same menu.2Vizio says data tied to the old ID is no longer used for tailored ads, but ads are then tailored on data collected after the reset.2

Walmart account

AccountCombine VIZIO OS Data with your Walmart Account Data

From Vizio's Walmart consent notice and Ads & Privacy FAQ, read 29 October 2026.2, 3

  1. During setup, decline the choice to link and combine your VIZIO OS Data with your Walmart account.2
  2. If you already agreed, sign in at VIZIO.com/account or in the VIZIO Mobile App and opt out there.3Vizio says the choice applies to every updated Vizio device on that Walmart account.3
  3. For Do Not Sell or Share, use Walmart's Your Privacy Choices.2On TVs with updated firmware, Vizio says this choice is managed by your Walmart account.2

A Walmart opt-out stops Vizio selling or sharing Viewing Data from linked TVs with the latest firmware, but Vizio says the data is still collected unless you also turn Viewing Data off on the TV.1

What each switch stops

From Vizio's own notices.

Viewing Data off

Vizio stops using ACR to recognize what plays on the screen, including ads, games and what comes in through HDMI, and deletes its logs of past Viewing Data for that TV.1 When on, Vizio licenses the data to advertisers, analytics and ad technology companies.1

Vizio says it doesn't affect the TV's performance.1

What keeps going

Activity Data, which Vizio uses to personalize and recommend content, is not affected. Vizio's Walmart notice says you turn off Activity Data by resetting the TV to factory settings.1, 3 You may also keep seeing ads on other devices targeted with data shared before you switched off.1

Apps on the TV can still show their own tailored ads.2

Questions people ask

Can I decline Vizio Viewing Data?

Yes. Vizio says each TV gets a notice and a choice before Viewing Data is collected, and you can turn it off or on at any time after that.1

Do I need a Walmart account for a Vizio TV?

On newer Vizio TVs, yes, for the smart features: Vizio says a Walmart account is required to sign in and use them, and you can create one for free.2 Linking your Vizio data to that account is a separate choice.2

What happens if I merge my Vizio Account into Walmart?

Vizio says the old Vizio Account stops being accessible and your devices are associated with the Walmart account, but Vizio won't combine Viewing Data and other VIZIO OS Data with it without your explicit consent.2 If you don't merge, you can delete the old Vizio Account instead.2

Why was Vizio fined over viewing data?

In February 2017 Vizio agreed to pay $2.2 million to settle charges by the FTC and New Jersey that it collected viewing histories from 11 million TVs without consumers' knowledge or consent. The order requires Vizio to disclose its data collection prominently and get affirmative express consent.4

Other TV guides

Sources 4
  1. Viewing Data Supplement to the VIZIO Privacy Policy, VIZIO, undated. vizio.com redirects visitors outside the US, so we read the Internet Archive copy made 29 October 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  2. Ads & Privacy FAQs, VIZIO, undated. Read in the Internet Archive copy made 27 October 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  3. Combine VIZIO OS Data with Your Walmart Account Data, VIZIO, undated. Read in the Internet Archive copy made 23 October 2026. Read 29 October 2026.
  4. VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC, State of New Jersey to Settle Charges It Collected Viewing Histories, Federal Trade Commission, 6 February 2017. Read 29 October 2026.

Every step comes from Vizio's own notices. How we check