How To Block Ads on Facebook App and Web

Ads have become an integral part of our online experience, and Facebook is no exception. While ads provide revenue for the platform, they can also disrupt the user experience, invade privacy, and slow down the page loading speed. If you’re tired of being bombarded with unwanted ads on Facebook, there are effective ways to block them. In this article, we will explore how you can regain control over your Facebook feed by blocking ads on both the Facebook app and web interface.

Blocking Ads on Facebook App

The Facebook app offers several built-in features that allow you to customize your ad preferences and reduce the number of ads you see.

Using built-in ad preferences

Facebook provides an ad preferences section where you can view and manage the information Facebook uses to show you ads. You can update your interests, remove unwanted ad topics, and adjust your ad settings.

To access your ad preferences on Facebook, follow these steps:

  • Click on your profile picture located in the top right corner of the Facebook interface.
  • From the dropdown menu, choose “Settings and privacy” and then select “Settings.”
  • In the settings menu, navigate to “Accounts Centre” and click on it.
  • Look for the “Ad preferences” option and click on it.

Please note that the availability of the “Accounts Centre” setting may vary for different users. If you don’t find it, you can try an alternative method:

  • Click on your profile picture located in the top right corner of Facebook.
  • Select “Settings and privacy,” and then click on “Settings.”
  • On the left-hand side menu, find and click on “Ads.”

In this section, you can see the companies that have shown you ads recently. You have the option to reduce the number of ads you see on specific topics. You can also check your ad settings and decide if you want personalized ads based on your online activity from ad partners.

Accessing your ad preferences on Facebook Andriod app

  • Tap the  menu menu icon  located in the top right corner of Facebook.
  • Tap on settingsSettings and privacy” and then select “Settings.”
  • Scroll down and tap on “See more in Accounts Centre” section.
  • Tap on “Ad preferences.

Alternative method:

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.

Using Facebook iOS app

  • To begin, tap on the menu located at the bottom right corner of Facebook.
  • Next, tap on “Settings & Privacy” and then select “Settings.”
  • Tap See More in the Accounts Centre, then tap Ad Preferences.

If the above method does not work, follow this:

  • Tap Menu in the bottom right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.

Using the Facebook Lite app

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.
  • From your Ad preferences page, you can update your interests, choose what Facebook information we use to show you ads and adjust your general ad settings.

Hide ads from an advertiser

The Advertisers section in your ad preferences shows you the companies that have recently shown you ads on Facebook. It also includes the advertisers whose ads you have clicked on while using Facebook. These advertisers are chosen based on what Facebook thinks you might find interesting and relevant, considering how you use Facebook and other websites. If you want, you can choose to hide ads from these advertisers and see the list of advertisers you have already hidden.

To manage your advertisers and control the ads you see on Facebook, follow these steps:

  • Click on your profile picture located at the top right corner of Facebook.
  • From the dropdown menu, select “Settings and privacy” and then click on “Settings.
  • In the settings menu, scroll down and click on “Accounts Centre.
  • Look for the option labelled “Ad preferences” and click on it.
  • Within the Ad Preferences section, click on “Advertisers you’ve seen.”
  • Under “Advertisers you’ve seen most recently,” you will find a list of advertisers that Facebook has shown you ads from based on your activity on and off the platform. 

If you wish to hide ads from any specific advertiser, follow these steps:

  • Click on the “Hide Ads” button next to the advertiser you want to hide ads from.

Please note that the availability of the “Accounts Centre” setting may vary for different users. If you are unable to access it, you can try the following alternative method:

  • Visit your Ad preferences page by clicking on the dropdown menu from your profile picture and selecting “Settings and Privacy.
  • Within the settings menu, click on “Ad preferences.
  • Under “Advertisers you’ve seen most recently,” you will find a list of advertisers. To hide ads from a specific advertiser, click on the “Hide Ads” button next to their name.

It’s important to note that these settings may not be accessible to all users at this time. If the provided steps don’t work for you, please consider contacting Facebook support for further assistance.

Managing advertisers and controlling the ads using Android Facebook App

  • To begin, tap on the menu located at the top right corner of Facebook.
  • Next, tap on “Settings & Privacy” and then select “Settings.”
  • Tap See More in the Accounts Centre, then tap Ad Preferences.
  • Select “Advertisers you’ve seen most recently.”
  • Below the section displaying the most recently viewed advertisers, you will find a list. Tap on “Hide ads” for any advertisers whose ads you wish to avoid seeing.

In case, if those options are not available on your Facebook account, try this alternative way.

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap “Settings and Privacy”, then tap “Settings”.
  • Scroll down and tap “Ad Preferences”.
  • Below are Advertisers you’ve seen most recently, you’ll see a list of advertisers. Tap “Hide ads” for any advertisers that you don’t want to see ads from.

Using the Facebook iOS app

  • Tap on the menu located at the bottom right corner of Facebook.
  • Next, tap on “Settings & Privacy” and then select “Settings.”
  • Tap See More in the Accounts Centre, then tap Ad Preferences.
  • Select “Advertisers you’ve seen
  • Below the section displaying the most recently viewed advertisers, you will find a list. Tap on “Hide ads” for any advertisers whose ads you wish to avoid seeing.

Alternative way:

  • Tap Menu in the bottom right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and tap Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Advertisers you’ve seen.
  • Tap Hide ads for any advertisers that you don’t want to see ads from.

Using the Facebook Lite app

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down and tap Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Hide ads for any advertisers that you don’t want to see ads from.

Adjust your ad topic preferences

Ad topics is a feature that lets you control the types of ads you see less often on Facebook and Instagram. It includes various categories like alcohol, parenting, pets, and social issues, as well as elections or politics. However, please keep in mind that the option to control social issues, elections, or political ads may not be available in every country.

To adjust your ad topic preferences:

  • Click on your profile picture located at the top right corner of the Facebook interface, then click on “Settings and privacy.
  • In the settings menu, click on “Settings.
  • Within the settings, navigate to “Accounts Centre” and click on it.
  • Look for the option labelled “Ad preferences” and click on it.
  • Click on “Ad topics.” This section shows the topics that advertisers use to target you based on your activity.
  • To see fewer ads related to a specific topic, click on the topic and select “See less.
  • Once you’ve selected a topic to see less of, it will appear under “Your ad topic choices” on the Ad Topics page. You can change your preference anytime by selecting a topic and choosing “No preference.
  • You can also explore all ad topics and choose to see fewer ads related to topics you are not interested in. Simply use the search bar at the top of the Ad Topics page to find and adjust your preferences.

To Adjust your ad topic preferences on Facebook Android App

  • Tap on the menu icon located at the top right corner.
  • Next, navigate to “Settings & Privacy” and tap on “Settings.
  • Tap See more in Accounts Centre, then tap Ad Preferences.
  • From there, tap on “Ad topics.” This section displays the interest categories that advertisers use to target you, based on your activity.
  • To see less of an ad topic, tap the topic that you want to see less of and then select See less.

Try this alternative method if the above method does not work for you.

  • Tap on the menu icon located at the top right corner.
  • Next, navigate to “Settings & Privacy” and tap on “Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.
  • Select “Ad topics.” Here, you will find a list of topics that advertisers can utilize to target you based on your interests. These topics represent categories that advertisers use to reach out to you. You are included in these categories based on your activity.
  • If you wish to reduce the visibility of a specific ad topic, simply tap on the topic you want to see less of, and then choose the option “See less.

Using Facebook on iOS

  • Tap on the menu icon located at the bottom right corner.
  • Navigate to “Settings & Privacy” and tap on “Settings.
  • Tap See more in Accounts Centre, then tap Ad Preferences.
  • Tap on “Ad topics.
  • Tap the topic that you want to see less of and then select See less.

Try this alternative method if the above method does not work for you.

  • Tap on the menu icon located at the bottom right corner.
  • Navigate to “Settings & Privacy” and tap on “Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.
  • Select “Ad topics.” 
  • Simply tap on the topic you want to see less of, and then choose the option “See less.

Using the Facebook Lite app

  • Tap the menu icon at the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Permissions and select Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Ad Topics
  • To see less of an ad topic, tap the topic that you want to see less of and then select See less.

Disabling ad personalization

By turning off ad personalization, you can limit the targeting of ads based on your browsing behaviour and personal information. This can help reduce the number of irrelevant ads displayed to you.

To customize the ads displayed to you based on your activity information from ad partners, follow these steps:

  • Click on your profile picture located at the top right of Facebook.
  • Choose “Settings & Privacy” and click on “Settings.
  • Navigate to “Accounts Centre” and click on “Ad preferences.
  • Click on “Ad settings.”
  • Select “Activity information from ad partners.
  • Proceed to “Review setting.”
  • Choose whether you want us to show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Alternative way:

  • Click on your profile picture situated at the top right of Facebook.
  • Select “Settings & Privacy” and click on “Settings.
  • Scroll down and click on “Ads” in the left menu.
  • Click on “Ad settings” and then choose “Activity information from ad partners.
  • Select your preference regarding the usage of information from ad partners to show you ads.

Using the Android Facebook app

  • Tap on the menu located at the top right of Facebook.
  • Select “Settings & Privacy” and then tap on “Settings.
  • Tap on “See more in Accounts Centre” section, and then select “Ad preferences.
  • Tap on “Ad settings.”
  • Under “Information used to show you ads,” tap on “Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap on “Review setting.
  • Choose whether you want us to show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Alternative way:

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap a7850285 a087 4111 a59e 16bd8096eb3eSettings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Ads and select Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Ad settings.
  • Under Manage data used to show you ads, tap Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap the Review setting.
  • Choose whether we can show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Using the Facebook iOS app

  • Tap on the menu located at the bottom right of Facebook.
  • Select “Settings & Privacy” and then tap on “Settings.
  • Tap on “See more in Accounts Centre” section, and then select “Ad preferences.
  • Tap on “Ad settings.”
  • Under “Information used to show you ads,” tap on “Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap on “Review setting.
  • Choose whether you want us to show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Alternative way:

  • Tap menu in the bottom right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap 4abfb55c 75fc 4d01 99a3 bfa935f5ef85Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.
  • Scroll down to Ads and select Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Ad settings.
  • Under Manage data used to show you ads, tap Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap the Review setting.
  • Choose whether we can show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Using the Facebook Lite app

  • Tap on the menu located at the top right of Facebook.
  • Select “Settings & Privacy” and then tap on “Settings.
  • Tap on “See more in Accounts Centre” section, and then select “Ad preferences.
  • Tap on “Ad settings.”
  • Under “Information used to show you ads,” tap on “Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap on “Review setting.
  • Choose whether you want us to show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Alternative way:

  • Tap menu in the top right of Facebook.
  • Scroll down and tap 6e657370 898d 411a a67b 1db7fd84086cSettings.
  • Scroll down to Ads and select Ad Preferences.
  • Tap Ad settings.
  • Under Manage data used to show you ads, tap Activity information from ad partners.
  • Tap the Review setting.
  • Choose whether we can show you ads based on your activity information from ad partners.

Reporting and hiding ads

When you come across an ad that you find intrusive or irrelevant, you can report it to Facebook. Additionally, you can choose to hide specific ads or even select the reason for hiding them, allowing Facebook to better understand your preferences.

To report an ad when you see it:

  • In your feed, click more next to the ad that you want to report.
  • Click Report ad and then follow the on-screen instructions.

Blocking Facebook ads by using browser extensions

Blocking Facebook ads through browser extensions is a simple and effective method to regain control of your online browsing. By utilizing popular and trusted ad-blocking browser extensions, you can effectively eliminate unwanted ads while navigating through Facebook. These extensions analyze the webpage’s content and code, identifying and filtering out ads before they appear on your screen. This process leads to a cleaner and more streamlined browsing experience, free from distracting advertisements. 

It’s also important to note that while these extensions are highly effective, occasional ad bypasses or compatibility issues may arise due to the ever-evolving nature of online advertising. Regularly updating the extensions and considering multiple extensions for different browsers can help ensure a consistent and seamless ad-blocking experience on Facebook.

Benefits of Blocking Ads

Blocking ads on Facebook brings several benefits that contribute to a more enjoyable and personalized experience.

  • Enhanced user experience: By blocking ads, you can focus on the content that matters to you, without constant interruptions. This leads to a cleaner and less cluttered Facebook feed, enabling a smoother and more enjoyable browsing experience.
  • Improved page loading speed: Ads often contain large media files that can significantly slow down page loading times. By blocking ads, you can reduce the amount of data your device needs to download, resulting in faster load times and quicker access to content.
  • Increased privacy and security: Ads on Facebook can track your online activities, collecting data about your preferences and behaviour. Blocking ads limits the amount of personal information shared with advertisers, enhancing your privacy and reducing the risk of targeted ads following you across the web.

Considerations and Limitations

While blocking ads on Facebook can offer numerous benefits, it’s important to consider the following aspects:

  • Impact on content creators: Many content creators rely on ad revenue to support their work. Blocking ads indiscriminately may hinder their ability to produce free or low-cost content. Consider supporting creators whose content you enjoy by whitelisting their pages or supporting them through alternative means.
  • Balancing ad revenue and user experience: Facebook depends on ad revenue to provide its services for free. Striking a balance between blocking intrusive ads and supporting the platform is essential to maintain its availability and quality. Opt for non-intrusive ads or support ad formats that respect user experience.
  • Limitations of ad-blocking solutions: Ad-blocking tools may occasionally fail to block certain ads or impact the functionality of certain features on Facebook. It’s important to stay up to date with the latest versions of ad-blockers and report any issues to the developers to help improve their effectiveness.

Also check: How To Remove Followers On Facebook

Conclusion

Imagine a Facebook experience free from clutter, where your browsing is faster, your privacy is respected, and your data consumption is minimized. With the methods explained above, you have the power to tailor your Facebook adventure to your liking. So go ahead, take control, and savour every moment spent on the world’s favourite social platform. Happy ad-blocking!

FAQs on How to Block Ads on Facebook

Is it possible to block all ads on Facebook?

While ad-blocking extensions can significantly reduce the number of ads you see on Facebook, it is important to note that it may not be possible to block all ads entirely. Facebook continuously updates its ad delivery mechanisms, making it challenging for ad-blocking tools to catch every single ad. Some ads may still slip through, particularly those that are seamlessly integrated into the platform or served through native advertising methods. However, using reliable ad-blocking extensions can greatly minimize the presence of ads and provide you with a much cleaner and more enjoyable browsing experience on Facebook.

Can I block ads selectively based on topics or interests?

Absolutely! Facebook provides an option called “Ad Preferences” that allows you to block ads selectively based on topics or interests. Within the Ad Preferences settings, you can customize your ad experience by indicating your preferences and choosing which topics or interests you want to see less of in your ads. For instance, if you find certain ad topics less relevant or interesting, such as sports or fashion, you can adjust your preferences accordingly to minimize the appearance of ads related to those topics on your Facebook feed. By utilizing this feature, you can tailor your ad experience to align more closely with your personal interests and preferences.

Do ad-blockers affect other websites besides Facebook?

Yes, ad-blockers can affect other websites besides Facebook. Ad-blockers are designed to block advertisements across the internet, not limited to a specific platform. When you use an ad-blocker, it works in the background of your browser and filters out ads on various websites you visit, including news sites, e-commerce platforms, blogs, and more. 

Do ad-blockers work on the Facebook mobile app?

Ad-blockers do not typically work directly on the Facebook mobile app. Most ad-blocking extensions and browser settings primarily function within the browser environment, such as Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge or Safari, and may not have direct control over the content displayed within mobile apps.

Do ad-blockers compromise my privacy?

Ad-blockers themselves do not compromise your privacy. In fact, they can enhance your privacy by blocking certain tracking scripts and preventing unwanted ads from collecting your browsing data. However, it’s important to choose reputable ad blockers from trusted sources. Some less reputable or free ad-blocking extensions may collect and sell user data or display their own ads. 

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Bibek Sapkota

I'm Bibek | Tech Enthusiast & Lifelong Learner. | Playing on the Web for the Past Few Years as a Full-Time Tech Blogger. At TechnoBite, I curate insightful content ranging from how-to guides to in-depth tech reviews. Passionate about continuous learning and sharing knowledge, my mission is to empower my audience with valuable information to navigate the ever-evolving world of technology.

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