Google is dedicated to advertising, and that is what makes it such a giant company today. Therefore, we were not surprised at all to know that it could soon include advertising in its application of Gmail for Android, as I had included some lines of code related to this function. Some users are already seeing the first ads in the app.
When those lines of code that could refer to a new advertising feature in the Android email app were detected, gmail, it was said that it was not known if it would be one of the new functions that would be implemented in the future, if it would start to appear advertising soon, or if it was simply tests that would not get anywhere. However, far from having to wait to see the first ads, these are already available on the smartphones of some users.
Just as we initially thought, advertisements appear as if they were a conventional email in our inbox. However, instead of telling us the category of the email, it tells us that it's an advertisement. Furthermore, instead of having a white background, it has a yellowish color, very similar to the one used until now by the ads that appeared in the search engine when we used the web version.
We have the possibility to highlight this announcement, which will allow us to save it to review it later, a function that we already knew was going to exist, since it is precisely what was indicated by means of the lines of code that had been included in the new version of the application. What is clear is that Google is not going to wait to implement advertising in the app. Although some have said that it could arrive in future updates of gmail, those from Mountain View have decided that it should be right now, so we already know that, from now on, it is possible that advertising will appear in the form of emails in our Gmail email manager for Android.
How they appear and why you see them in Gmail for Android
Gmail puts ads in your inbox when you use it. filtered by categories (Main, Social, Promotions, etc.). In the Promotions tab they can appear as emails or as visual cards with image. According to Google, the ads are automatically selected based on your online activity on Google services after you sign in, and they don't read your messages from Gmail to decide what to display.
You'll also see a three-dot menu on each ad to access “Stop seeing this ad” y “Why this announcement?”, useful options to adjust relevance without leaving the app.
How to reduce or remove ads from Gmail
If you prefer to minimize advertising, you can disable categories so that everything comes to Home (Gmail will not insert ads when filtering by a single inbox):
- Open Gmail on Android > Menu (three lines) > Settings > choose your account.
- Sign in Inbox Categories and let only "Major".
This makes the tray less segmented, but avoids ads in Promotions. Additionally, you can use tags and filters to maintain order and unsubscribe from newsletters that you don't need.
Privacy, transparency and personalization
Google indicates that does not sell your personal data nor does it share them with advertisers unless you request it, and it does not segment by sensitive categories (health, religion, etc.). In Ad Settings can disable personalization; you'll still see ads, but not based on your personal information associated with your account. You can also review who shows you ads from the Transparency Center and adjust preferences in My ad center.
Cookies, identifiers and Privacy Sandbox
The advertising cookies help limit repetitions, measure clicks and prevent fraud. Google records requests (IP, browser, time, identifiers) for limited periods to improve services and security. On mobile phones the Advertising ID; on Android you can go to Settings > Privacy > My Listings to change o delete that ID. In addition, Chrome and Android are rolling out privacy sandbox (Topics and Protected Audience) to deliver relevant ads and measure attribution with more privacy protection. The systems also use technologies such as HTML5 and may consider approximate location for relevance.
Advanced Blocking: Pi-hole, AdGuard and Limits
- Keep Android, Gmail and AdGuard updated and without battery restrictions; active Watchdog on AdGuard.
- Deactivate Personalized Ads in the Google app.
- Force arrest of Gmail and clear cache if ads persist.
- Activate filters ads, privacy, social, annoyances y to maximise security and your enjoyment., more language filters, and Userscripts as AdGuard Extra.
- Enable the HTTPS filtering and Protection from AdGuard.
- Add custom rules:
||google.com/pagead/y||google.com/mail/adsfe/; activates the automatic update of filters.
Location of ads in Promotions
In addition to headings, Google may display ads interleaved among Promotions emails. They are still marked with the label "Advertisement" and the three-dot menu to manage its display.
If you see strange pop-ups or redirects
If you see persistent pop-ups, browser changes, or unwanted extensions, it could be unwanted software. Check your computer: uninstall suspicious programs, consider reset settings Chrome (Settings > Reset), keep connections HTTPS and avoid dubious downloads. On Android, scan with a antivirus, check permissions and remove unknown apps.
Advertising in Gmail for Android is integrated into the experience with clear controls: organizing categories increases your ad count; removing categories reduces your ad count. With Google's privacy tools, third-party filters, and best security practices, you can maintain a useful, organized, and organized inbox. less advertising noise.