Why am I seeing ads on Snapchat?
We want the ads we show you to be fun, interesting, and relevant to you! To help make that happen, advertisers and other partners show you ads based on information collected from other websites and services.
If you would prefer not to have ads shown to you based on this information, or if you don’t want to see ads at all, you can read more about your different options below!
How do I stop seeing ads on Snapchat?
If you need help adjusting the kinds of ads you see in the app, please continue reading below.
How do I manage the kinds of ads I see on Snapchat?
Tap to expand a section:
Audience-Based Ads
Audience-Based Ads are targeted based on audience lists we receive from advertisers and other partners. These types of ads help advertisers and other partners show relevant ads to their desired audience on Snapchat or other services on which we serve ads.
For example, let’s say you’re on the mailing list for a musician you really like. When that musician is preparing to announce their new album, they may share their fan list to Snap to help make sure that you’ll see an ad about their latest release.
Alternatively, let's say you've already bought that album. Then, the artist could exclude you from future ad campaigns for the album since you’re already enjoying it! Similarly, if you owned a small business, a local restaurant could use a list of small business owners provided by one of our partners to announce that they now deliver.
Snapchatters can opt out of Audience-Based Ads…
On iOS:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Additional Services' and tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Toggle off 'Audience-Based' to opt out
On Android:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Features' and tap ‘Ads'
- Tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Uncheck 'Audience-Based' to opt out
If you change your mind later, you can turn 'Audience-Based' back on to opt in again.
Non-Snapchatters can opt out of Audience-Based ads by following the instructions listed under “Opting Out Through Your Device Preferences” below.
Activity-Based Ads
We may show you ads based on information about your activities off Snapchat or other services on which we serve ads. These are called Activity-Based Ads.
For example, if you search for a movie on a website that shares data with Snap, you may see ads for similar movies.
Snapchatters can opt out of Activity-Based Ads…
On iOS:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Additional Services' and tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Toggle off 'Activity-Based' to opt out
On Android:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Features' and tap 'Ads'
- Tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Uncheck 'Activity-Based' to opt out
If you change your mind later, you can turn 'Activity-Based' back on to opt in again.
Non-Snapchatters can opt out of Activity-Based ads by following the instructions listed under "Opting Out Through Your Device Preferences" below.
Third-Party Ad Networks
Snap may use third-party ad networks to serve ads on Snapchat. To do this, Snap sends the ad networks a limited amount of data (e.g., IP Address, Mobile Ad ID, and whether you saw the ad or interacted with it) so the ad networks can provide advertising services, like ad targeting, measurement, and optimization to us and their advertisers.
Snapchatters can opt out of Third-Party Ad Networks…
On iOS:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Additional Services' and tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Toggle off 'Third-Party Ad Networks' to opt out
On Android:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Features' and tap 'Ads'
- Tap 'Ad Preferences'
- Uncheck 'Third-Party Ad Networks' to opt out
If you change your mind later, you can turn 'Third-Party Ad Networks' back on to opt in again.
Opting Out Through Your Device Preferences
Your mobile device includes a feature that lets you opt out of some types of targeted advertising (‘Limit Ad Tracking’ on iOS and ‘Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads’ on Android). Non-Snapchat users can opt out of Audience-Based and Activity-Based targeting by turning on the ‘Limit Ad Tracking’ setting on their iOS device or the ‘Opt Out of Ads Personalization’ setting on their Android device. To learn more about how these opt-out features work, please review your device settings.
On Device Data
- Snap is exploring on-device solutions, an industry trend which promotes storing more data on your device instead of Snap’s servers to enhance privacy. Please note that none of the changes should meaningfully impact storage on the device or battery life.
- Per Apple’s policies, the iOS Tracking setting does not apply to data about your use of third-party apps and websites when it is used on device.
- You can control Snap’s use of your third party app and website activity for advertising purposes on device by opting out of the Activity Based Ads in Settings as described above.
Lifestyle Categories
If you’re a Snapchatter, Snap can try to guess what kind of content you’ll enjoy based on the things you like to watch, so we can share ads and Stories that’ll be relevant to you!
For example, if you follow race car drivers, like watching Stories about new cars or racing, and visit racing websites that share data with Snap, then we might guess that you’re an “Automotive Enthusiast.” We call guesses like these “Lifestyle Categories.” Even though Snapchat can guess your Lifestyle Categories on its own, you can always decide them for yourself!
To update your Lifestyle Categories…
On iOS:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Additional Services' and tap 'Lifestyle & Interests'
- Tap a Lifestyle Category to turn it on or off
On Android:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Features' and tap 'Ads'
- Tap 'Lifestyle & Interests'
- Tap a Lifestyle Category to turn it on or off
Ad Topics
Snapchatters can choose to see fewer ads from certain categories, including political, alcohol and gambling advertisements.
To update your preferences...
On iOS:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Additional Services' and tap 'Lifestyle & Interests'
- Scroll down and tap an Ad Topic to turn it on or off
On Android:
- Tap the ⚙️ button in the Profile screen to open Settings
- Scroll down to 'Features' and tap 'Ads'
- Tap 'Lifestyle & Interests'
- Tap an Ad Topic to turn it on or off
Consumer Choice
Companies that advertise on Snapchat may participate in self-regulatory programs which allow you to opt out of having some information collected to serve interest-based ads. For more information, including how to opt out of having your information used for interest-based ads, you can review the following resources:
What is the Apple Tracking Prompt and when do I see it on Snapchat?
In iOS 14, Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) framework which requires apps to display a permission prompt, allowing users to choose whether apps can use data about them from other companies' apps and websites for advertising targeting or measurement purposes.
Snapchat will display the Apple Tracking Prompt before we use your data in a way that would be impacted by your choice. You can opt-out of tracking at any time from your iOS device’s settings menu. Once Snap detects that you’ve opted out, we will honor your preference without undue delay, but please be aware that it may take a short time for the change to work its way through our systems.
How do I report an ad?
- Press and hold on the ad, or tap the three dot icon at the top while viewing
- Tap ‘Report Ad’
- Tell us why you’re reporting the ad