If you've ever mentioned something in passing and then seen an ad for it shortly after, you're not imagining things. Learn how ads can sometimes follow you from real life to your screen, and how secure browsers with built-in ad blockers can help you take back control of what you see online.

Many people have had the experience of mentioning something casually and then seeing ads for it later. It's a jarring enough experience that Adam Mosseri, Instagram CEO, felt the need to make a video about it. Apparently, he even had to convince his wife that Instagram doesn’t listen in on conversations.

The truth is that brands have gotten incredibly good at tracking your online activity, trading that data, and even using your connections' behavior to predict what you're interested in. And because all of this happens in the background, a hyper-relevant ad can feel scary.

The truth is that brands have gotten incredibly good at tracking your online activity, trading that data, and even using your connections' behavior to predict what you're interested in. And because all of this happens in the background, a hyper-relevant ad can feel scary.

Can advertisers hear my conversations?

No, advertisers cannot hear your private conversations, and social media apps such as TikTok or Facebook are not secretly listening to you through your phone’s microphone for ad targeting.

Voice assistants work a little differently. They listen for trigger phrases like “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google,” but they don’t record your conversations unless you’re actually talking to them. However, when you do have a conversation with the voice assistant, it will be recorded, and what happens to that data depends on the company.

Apple says interactions with Siri aren’t used to build advertising profiles, but there have been reports that recordings from Amazon Alexa have been used for ad targeting.

Also, continuously recording and processing billions of users’ audio would be extremely expensive and generate enormous amounts of data. This isn’t profitable for even the bigger tech giants.

This doesn’t mean this is not “technically” possible. If you grant apps microphone permissions, they can capture audio. Recently, there have been reports about “active listening” technology from the marketing firm Cox Media Group, which mentions analyzing conversations for ad insights.

After the report became public, Google removed the firm from its partner program.

Why do I get personalized ads after a conversation?

It can feel like your phone listened to you and sent you ads, but that’s usually just a coincidence combined with super-detailed advertising profiles. Platforms like Google, Meta, and Amazon constantly collect signals from your browsing activity, searches, app usage, purchases, and location data to predict what you might be interested in.

Advertisers also share data with platforms to reach people who have already shown interest in a particular topic. For example, if you viewed a product on a website, the advertiser can pay to show you ads for that product later.

When those predictions work, you get ads for things you might have talked about.

How do advertisers predict what I’m thinking or talking about?

Modern advertising relies heavily on predictive modeling. Platforms analyze massive datasets and compare your behavior with that of millions of other users to infer likely interests. They create and target “lookalike audiences”.

Some ways platforms do this are:

• Behavioral similarity: Algorithms compare your browsing, search history, and app activity with those of users with similar patterns. If people with similar behavior tend to buy a certain product, you may start seeing ads for it.
• Demographics: Age range, language, income brackets, and other demographic signals help platforms estimate what types of products people in similar groups are more likely to buy.
• Shared networks and device grouping: Advertising systems may link devices or accounts within the same household or network. If someone else on your Wi-Fi searches for something, ads related to it can appear on your device.
• Location: Frequent visits to certain places, such as gyms or travel hubs, can signal potential interests and influence the ads you see.
• Social connections: Interactions on platforms such as Facebook or Instagram can also influence recommendations, especially when friends or people with similar profiles engage with the same products or brands.

That’s why you more often than not get ads for the things you think about, rather than actively search for.

Can I stop targeted personalized ads?

While you can't fully stop targeted ads, you can reduce them by limiting what apps track about you. Here are some ways you can stop getting ads about the things you talk about:

• Reduce tracking: Review app permissions and remove microphone or location access from apps that don’t need it. You can also turn off ad personalization in your account settings, which stops platforms from using much of your activity to customize ads.
• Limit cross-site tracking: Many ads follow you across websites using third-party cookies and tracking scripts. Blocking third-party cookies or using a privacy-focused browser can limit advertisers from building a profile of your activity.
• Reduce device and network clustering: Ad systems sometimes group devices that appear to belong to the same household or network. Limit the use of shared accounts and browse in incognito mode to reduce those signals.

You can also use built-in privacy controls on your phone. On iPhone, Apple’s Ask App Not to Track setting lets you block apps from tracking your activity across other apps and websites.

On Android devices, you can reset your Advertising ID, which breaks the profile advertisers use to target you and forces them to start over with limited data.

5. Block intrusive ads with Avast

If you want fewer intrusive ads without constantly tweaking settings, switching to a privacy-focused browser can help. Secure browsers like Avast Secure Browser come with built-in ad blocking and can be paired with Avast Free Antivirus—together, they protect you on all fronts. That means less data collected about your activity, and more importantly, no ads based on conversations.

FAQs

How do I check if my phone is being monitored?

The easiest way to check if your phone is being monitored is to review its app permissions and battery usage. Look for unfamiliar apps with access to sensitive features like the microphone, camera, or location. In most devices, the privacy settings show which apps have recently accessed these sensors.

How do I know if an app has access to my microphone?

The quickest way to check whether your phone has access to your microphone is to review the permission settings. Both Android and iPhone list which apps have microphone access, and you can revoke it instantly if an app doesn’t need it.

Why does the virtual assistant on my phone listen before activation?

The reason your phone’s virtual assistant listens before activation is that it needs to detect a wake phrase. Tools like Siri or Google Assistant listen locally for trigger words like “Hey Siri” before activating. They don’t continuously record full conversations.