You ever just try to search for something simple? Maybe a recipe, or the score from last night’s game.

And before you can even get to the information you need, there it is. A wall of ads at the top of Google.

Then you click a link and pop-ups appear. You go to watch a video review of a product and bam, two unskippable ads. It’s a lot.

It feels like in 2025 the internet is more ad than internet. Getting away from them on Google is sort of a cat-and-mouse game.

But you can still win. It just takes a few steps, some are easy, some are a little more involved.

This guide is about how to prevent ads on Google. We will look at the tools and settings you can change.

It’s about taking back a little bit of your screen space and your sanity.

Why Are Google Ads Stalking Me?

It’s a good question to ask. The whole reason this is happening is because, well, that’s how Google makes its money.

They are, at their core, an advertising company. That’s the business they’re in.

Every time you search for something you’re giving them information.

They see what you’re interested in, what you buy, what you’re thinking about buying.

This information is then used to show you ads they think you’ll click on.

It’s a massive system that is designed to figure you out for the purpose of selling you things.

This is why an ad for a pair of shoes you looked at once seems to follow you everywhere.

So when we talk about stopping ads, we are really talking about interrupting this system.

The Easiest Fix: Get a Good Ad Blocker

This is your front line, your first and best defense against most Google ads.

An ad blocker is normally just a small program you add to your web browser. Like Chrome or Firefox.

It works by keeping a big list of the websites that push out the ads.

When you load a webpage, the blocker sees a request going out to one of those ad websites.

It just stops that request from ever leaving your computer. So the ad never loads. Simple.

It can also hide the empty boxes where ads were supposed to be, cleaning up the page.

Picking an Ad Blocker That Actually Works

Not all of them are the same. Some are better than others and some are just plain confusing.

A good one is considered to be a tool that is updated all the time.

Because Google and other sites are always trying to find ways around them.

uBlock Origin is a popular choice because it’s known for being very effective and not very greedy with your computer’s power.

AdGuard is another solid option that has a lot of different settings you can mess with if you like that sort of thing.

What About Those YouTube Ads?

Ah yes, YouTube. This has become the big battleground for ad blocking.

Google, since they own YouTube, is getting really aggressive about stopping ad blockers there.

In 2025, you might find your ad blocker works one day and not the next.

The key is to make sure your ad blocker and its filter lists are always up to date.

The people who make these tools are always playing catch-up, so updates are really important.

Sometimes you just have to be patient or look for an alternative for a little while.

Digging into Your Google Account Settings

Using an ad blocker is like putting a bouncer at the door. But you can also do some work on the inside.

Your own Google Account has settings that tell Google what ads to show you. You can change these.

It won’t stop all ads. That’s a big thing to remember. But it can make them way less specific.

You need to go to your Google Account and find the section called “My Ad Center.”

In there, you’ll see a big switch at the top that says “Personalized ads.” Turn it off.

This tells Google to stop using your activity, your searches, your watched videos, to build a profile of you.

The ads you see will be more random. They’ll be based on the general topic of the page you’re on, not you.

It’s a step that gives you back a little bit of privacy. It’s a good move.

For a Full Blockade: Use a Different DNS

Okay, this part sounds a little technical but the idea is pretty simple.

Think of DNS as the internet’s phone book. Your browser uses it to find the location of a website.

Normally, you use the “phone book” your internet provider gives you. It has every number in it.

But you can choose to use a different one. A special one that has all the ad company numbers ripped out.

When your computer tries to look up an ad server, the phone book just says “Sorry, no one by that name here.”

This means the ad can’t load. Not just in your browser, but in apps on your phone or smart TV too.

Is DNS Blocking a Good Idea?

For many people, it is a great solution because it protects your whole network.

Services like AdGuard DNS or NextDNS are popular choices. You just change a setting in your router or on your device.

It’s a set-it-and-forget-it kind of thing, which is nice.

The downside is that sometimes it can be too aggressive.

It might block something that isn’t an ad, breaking a part of a website you need.

It’s less common now but it can happen. For most web surfing it’s totally fine.

It is typically something that people who are more comfortable with tech settings might try first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will using an ad blocker to prevent ads on Google make my internet slower?

No, it generally does the opposite. Ads, especially video ads, use up a lot of bandwidth to load. By blocking them, pages can often load much faster because your computer has less stuff to download and display.

Is it actually legal to block Google’s ads?

Yes, it’s completely legal. You are in control of what your browser loads on your own computer. While companies that rely on ad revenue don’t like it, there is no law against you using software to block content you don’t want to see.

I have an ad blocker, but I still see some ads on Google. Why?

This can happen for a few reasons. Google might have changed how they deliver ads, and your ad blocker needs an update. Also, some ad blockers have an “acceptable ads” program where they allow some non-intrusive ads through, which you can usually turn off in the settings.

How can I stop ads on my Android phone or iPhone?

For your phone’s web browser, you can get ad-blocking browsers like Brave or install extensions for Firefox Mobile. For blocking ads inside of apps, the DNS method described earlier is your best bet. Services like AdGuard DNS have easy guides for setting it up on your phone.

Key Takeaways

The most direct way to stop Google ads in your browser is by installing a reputable ad blocker like uBlock Origin or AdGuard.
Go into your “My Ad Center” in your Google Account and turn off ad personalization to stop Google from using your activity to target you with ads.
For a more complete solution that works across all devices on your home network, consider switching your DNS provider to one that filters out ads.
Stopping ads is an ongoing process. You will need to keep your tools updated as companies like Google find new ways to show them.