TCL TV: ACR and ad settings

Ad settings

Delete advertising IDAds continue, less personalised

Settings → Privacy → Ads → Delete advertising ID

Stops apps using the advertising ID for personalised ads. Apps can still show ads.

The same screen has Reset advertising ID.

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Apps only modeRelated setting

Settings → Accounts & Sign In → Your profile → Apps only mode → Turn on

Hides personalised recommendations. Google says sponsored content and teasers for popular movies and shows still appear, and Search, the Assistant and your Watchlist are turned off.

Some manufacturers label the account menu differently, e.g. "Accounts & Profiles" on Hisense or "Manage accounts" on TCL UK.

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Google: "You can't turn off ads, but you can control the use of your advertising ID for personalized ads across installed apps."

ACR settings

Automatic Content Recognition

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Automatic Content Recognition

Turn it off to stop ACR on content from connected devices such as cable boxes. Amazon says this doesn't change whether you see ads, though they may be more repetitive.

Documented on Amazon's US help pages only.

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Device Usage Data

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Device Usage Data

Turn it off to stop this data being used for marketing and product improvement. Collection needed for device features continues.

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Collect App Usage Data

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Collect App Usage Data

Turn it off to stop Amazon collecting usage data from third-party apps.

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Broadcast Live TV Data (UK)

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings

Amazon's UK FAQ says smart TVs with Fire TV can send Amazon information on your use of broadcast live TV received through the TV's aerial inputs, and that you can opt out here.

From Amazon's UK privacy FAQ (checked 19 Oct 2026). It doesn't give the switch's exact name.

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Ad settings

Interest-based AdsAds continue, less personalised

Settings → Preferences → Privacy Settings → Interest-based Ads

Tells apps that use the device's advertising ID not to use it to build ad profiles or show you interest-based ads. Ads continue.

Amazon's privacy FAQ covers Fire TV devices from other brands too. Same path in the UK and US.

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No setting to turn them off is documented. Amazon's Fire TV privacy FAQ describes Interest-based Ads as telling apps that use the device's advertising ID not to use it to build ad profiles or target interest-based ads; it doesn't say the ads stop.

ACR settings

Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)

Home → Settings → Privacy → Smart TV Experience → Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)

Uncheck it to turn ACR off. Roku says ACR is not enabled out of the box, and data already collected is kept.

Older Roku TVs label it "Use info from TV inputs" on the same screen. You can also turn it off at my.roku.com → Privacy Settings → Smart TV Experience.

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Content Viewing Disclosure (US)

Settings → Privacy → Smart TV Experience → Content Viewing Disclosure

De-select it to opt out of Content Viewing Disclosure. For titles already disclosed, Roku's privacy policy gives an email address to opt out.

Roku's support article calls the setup option "Viewing Information Disclosure".

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Roku documents ACR in its US guides and articles. The UK privacy policy describes the same setting, but the UK user guide has no Smart TV Experience section.

Ad settings

Personalized adsAds continue, less personalised

Settings → Privacy → Advertising → Personalized ads

Clear it to stop ads being personalised. Ads continue and can still be contextual.

Spelled "Personalised ads" on UK TVs. A factory reset turns it back on. The same screen has Reset advertising identifier.

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Auto-play videoRelated setting

Home → Settings → Accessibility → Auto-play video

Set to Off and videos on the home screen appear as still images instead.

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Roku's US privacy policy says that with personalised ads off, "You will still see ads".