Advertising ID and Reward Games, Explained
Your advertising ID is a resettable code Android gives apps for ads. In a reward game it helps ad networks choose and count the ads you watch. Resetting or deleting it makes ads less personalised, but Google says apps can still show you ads, so rewarded videos keep working. It also won’t make you look like a new player, because Play rules still let apps use it for fraud detection.
Key takeaways:
- Resetting gives you a new ID. Deleting removes it, and apps then see a string of zeros.
- Neither stops ads, and neither is a way to earn more or start over. Fraud detection and frequency capping are still allowed.
- Play policy bars games from linking the ad ID to hardware IDs for advertising, or tying a reset ID back to the old one without your consent.
What is the advertising ID?
It’s an identifier for advertising that Google Play services provides and that you control. Google’s Play Console help describes it as “a unique, user-resettable, and user-deletable ID for advertising, provided by Google Play services” (Google Play: Advertising ID).
It is not your name, phone number or Google account. In a reward game, the ad networks behind each rewarded video use it to pick ads, limit repeats and measure results. That’s why it matters to these games more than to an app with no ads.
Reset, delete or opt out: what changes?
Each option changes something different. Google’s page on how its ads use advertising identifiers describes the first two:
| Action | What Google says happens | Effect in a reward game |
|---|---|---|
| Reset advertising ID | Replaces the current ID with a new one; ads “may not be as relevant” for a while | Ads keep loading; personalisation restarts |
| Delete advertising ID | Deletes the ID “and doesn’t assign a new one”; apps can still show ads | Rewarded videos still play, less tailored |
| Opt out of personalisation (older Android) | Apps must not use the ID for ad profiles or targeting | Ads still play; contextual ads continue |
On current Android versions, deletion means apps get nothing useful back. Google’s help says that once a user deletes the ID, “any attempts to access the identifier will receive a string of zeros instead of the identifier.”
Does resetting your ad ID affect your rewards?
Not by design, and it isn’t a loophole. Google’s description says apps can still show ads after a reset or delete. The rewarded videos that pay your coins are still ads, so the core loop keeps working.
What you can’t use it for is a fresh start. Google Play’s ads policy says that when you opt out, apps may still use the advertising ID for “contextual advertising, frequency capping, conversion tracking, reporting and security and fraud detection.” Google also points developers who need non-advertising identifiers for “analytics and fraud prevention” to a separate App Set ID. So resetting the ad ID doesn’t erase your account, unlock extra daily ads or hide a second account.
If rewarded ads stop loading after you change ad settings, tell the game’s support what you changed and when. That detail helps them rule the setting in or out.
What are reward games not allowed to do with it?
Google Play sets firm limits on how any app can use the advertising ID. Its ads policy requires that:
- It is used only for advertising and user analytics, with your opt-out setting checked every time the ID is accessed.
- It is not linked to hardware IDs such as the IMEI or MAC address “for any advertising purpose”.
- It is connected to personally identifiable information only “with the explicit consent of the user.”
- A reset ID is not tied back to the old one, or data from it, without your explicit consent.
- A deleted ID stays deleted. A device with no ID must not be linked to data from a previous one.
Apps targeting Android 13 or newer must also declare a specific permission, com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID, to read the ID, according to the same Play Console help page. Google notes that some ad SDKs, including its own Mobile Ads SDK, already declare it. If a reward game asks for unusual permissions beyond that, read its Data safety section carefully. Our guide to whether reward games sell your data explains what that section can and can’t tell you.
How do you reset or delete it?
Google gives the same short path for both on most Android phones:
- Open Settings on your Android device.
- Tap Privacy, then Ads.
- Tap Reset advertising ID or Delete advertising ID, and confirm.
Menu names vary a little by manufacturer and Android version. On very old Android versions (4.4 or older), Google lists Privacy > Advanced > Ads and an option to opt out of ads personalisation instead. Google adds that apps “may have their own settings using other types of identifiers”, so check a game’s own privacy options too.
FAQ
Will deleting my advertising ID stop ads in reward games? No. Google says apps can still show you ads. They may be less relevant, but rewarded videos still play.
Can resetting my ad ID get me more daily ads or a new account? No. Play policy lets apps keep using the ID for frequency capping and fraud detection, and reward games can use other signals to recognise devices.
Is it safe to reset my advertising ID? Yes. It’s a standard Android privacy setting and doesn’t touch your game balance or Google account. Ads may feel less tailored for a while.
Rewards depend on each game’s terms and region, and payouts are for adults (18+). For more on the ads behind the coins, see how reward game ads work, or pick a game from the reward games list.