Why Does My Smart Display Show Ads And Can You Turn Them Off

Smart displays have become a central part of modern homes—offering voice assistance, video calls, weather updates, recipe guidance, and even entertainment. But many users are surprised to find that their devices occasionally show ads, sometimes interrupting the experience. If you’ve asked yourself, “Why does my smart display show ads?” and “Can I turn them off?” you’re not alone. This article explains the business logic behind these ads, identifies which devices serve them, and provides actionable methods to reduce or eliminate unwanted promotional content.

How Smart Displays Generate Revenue Through Ads

Manufacturers and tech companies don’t sell smart displays purely out of goodwill. While some models are sold at a profit, others are priced competitively—or even at a loss—to gain market share. To offset hardware costs and sustain ongoing software development, companies rely on data-driven monetization strategies. One of the most common is advertising.

Ads appear in various forms: as sponsored responses during voice queries, banner promotions on the home screen, or product recommendations when using shopping features. For example, asking, “Play jazz music,” might trigger a response like, “I’ll play jazz on Spotify. Would you like to try YouTube Music Premium for ad-free listening?” That’s a soft ad—a subtle nudge toward a paid service.

Google and Amazon, the two dominant players in the smart display market, both use targeted advertising models. These are powered by user interaction data: what you ask, when you ask it, and how you respond. While this data is anonymized and aggregated, it still enables personalized ad delivery.

“Advertising allows companies to offer advanced AI assistants and smart home integration at lower price points. It’s a trade-off between convenience and privacy.” — Dr. Lena Patel, Digital Ethics Researcher at MIT Media Lab

Which Smart Displays Show Ads?

Not all smart displays behave the same way. The presence and frequency of ads depend largely on the manufacturer, operating system, and subscription status. Below is a comparison of major devices and their ad policies.

Device	Ad Type	Can Ads Be Disabled?	Notes
Amazon Echo Show (all models)	Home screen banners, sponsored skills, voice suggestions	Limited	Banners can't be fully removed without third-party tools
Google Nest Hub (1st & 2nd gen)	Sponsored app prompts, YouTube ads, shopping suggestions	Partially	YouTube ads persist unless Premium is active
Facebook Portal	Minimal (discontinued; legacy units may show old content)	Yes	No new ads served due to product discontinuation
Lenovo Smart Display	Google-served ads (same as Nest Hub)	Partially	Uses Google Assistant ecosystem
Apple HomePod (with external screen via AirPlay)	None from Siri	Yes	Apple does not serve ads through Siri or HomePod

As shown, Amazon and Google devices are the primary sources of smart display advertising. Apple remains an outlier with a privacy-first approach, avoiding ads entirely in its ecosystem. However, Apple’s lack of a native smart display limits its reach in this space.

Step-by-Step: How to Reduce or Remove Ads on Major Platforms

If you're uncomfortable with ads appearing on your device, several options exist to limit their visibility. While complete removal isn't always possible due to platform restrictions, meaningful reductions are achievable.

For Google Nest Hub Devices

1. Disable Personalized Ads: Go to your Google Account settings > Data & Privacy > Ad Settings. Toggle off “Ad personalization.” This won’t stop all ads but reduces targeting.
2. Use YouTube Premium: Subscribe to YouTube Premium ($13.99/month) to eliminate video ads, including those that appear when watching content on your Nest Hub.
3. Avoid Shopping Queries: Phrases like “Where can I buy…” or “Best deals on…” trigger commercial responses. Rephrase questions to focus on information only.
4. Turn Off Web Results: In the Google Home app, go to Assistant Settings > Responses and Actions > Web Results. Disable this to prevent ad-laden search results.

For Amazon Echo Show Devices

1. Remove Sponsored Widgets: On the home screen, long-press any ad widget and select “Remove.” Note: New ones may reappear over time.
2. Disable Skills Suggestions: Open Alexa app > More > Settings > Voice Purchasing & Suggestions > Turn off “Suggested Skills.”
3. Opt Out of Interest-Based Ads: Visit Amazon’s Ad Preferences page and uncheck categories or opt out entirely.
4. Use Do Not Disturb Mode: Schedule DND hours to block non-essential notifications and visual interruptions.

Tip: Resetting your smart display to factory settings can temporarily clear persistent ads—but they often return after a few days as default services reactivate.

Real Example: Managing Ads in a Busy Household

The Rivera family owns two Echo Show 5 devices—one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom. After noticing frequent ads for weight loss teas and budgeting apps, Maria Rivera, a freelance designer, grew concerned about inappropriate content appearing around her children.

She began by removing all visible widgets from the home screens and disabling skill suggestions. Then, she visited Amazon’s ad preference center and deselected sensitive categories like health and finance. She also enabled parental controls through the Alexa app, restricting voice purchasing and explicit content.

While ads didn’t vanish completely, their frequency dropped by over 70%. Maria now schedules daily “quiet hours” using routines, during which the display dims and stops showing promotional content. Her experience highlights that while full ad elimination isn’t feasible on Amazon devices, strategic configuration significantly improves user control.

Checklist: Minimize Smart Display Ads in 7 Steps

• ✅ Review and disable ad personalization in your Google or Amazon account
• ✅ Remove promotional widgets from the home screen
• ✅ Subscribe to premium services (e.g., YouTube Premium) if applicable
• ✅ Disable web search results in assistant settings
• ✅ Opt out of interest-based advertising via company ad preference pages
• ✅ Use Do Not Disturb or sleep modes during inactive hours
• ✅ Consider switching to ad-free ecosystems like Apple HomeKit where possible

Alternatives: Can You Truly Escape Ads?

For users who prioritize privacy and uninterrupted experiences, alternatives do exist—though they come with trade-offs.

Jailbreaking or rooting smart displays is technically possible but voids warranties and introduces security risks. Some tech-savvy users install custom firmware like LineageOS on compatible Lenovo displays, effectively removing Google services—and ads. However, this disables core functionality like Google Assistant and YouTube.

Another option is using open-source smart home hubs such as Home Assistant on a tablet. While this requires setup effort, it offers total control over what appears on screen—with zero ads. You can customize dashboards for weather, lighting, media, and calendars without any commercial interference.

Still, for most consumers, the convenience of integrated ecosystems outweighs the annoyance of occasional ads. The key is understanding what you’re accepting and adjusting settings accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do smart displays listen to me to target ads?

No—not in the way many fear. Devices like the Echo Show and Nest Hub only begin recording after detecting a wake word (e.g., “Hey Google”). Prior audio is not stored or used for ads. Targeting is based on search history, app usage, and purchase behavior, not ambient conversations.

Will turning off ads affect my device’s performance?

No. Disabling ad personalization or removing widgets does not impact voice recognition, smart home control, or core functionality. In fact, fewer background processes may slightly improve responsiveness.

Are there any legal rights to stop smart display ads?

In regions like the EU, GDPR grants users the right to opt out of personalized advertising. California residents have similar rights under CCPA. You can request data deletion and disable profiling through your account settings, which indirectly reduces ad targeting.

Conclusion: Take Control of Your Smart Display Experience

Smart displays show ads because they’re part of a broader digital economy where free or low-cost services are subsidized by advertising revenue. While you may not be able to eliminate every promotion, especially on Google and Amazon devices, you have more control than you think. By adjusting privacy settings, opting out of data sharing, removing widgets, and using premium subscriptions, you can drastically reduce unwanted content.

The goal isn’t to reject technology, but to shape it to fit your lifestyle. A smart home should enhance peace of mind—not disrupt it with unsolicited pitches. With a few minutes of configuration, you can enjoy the benefits of voice assistants and visual feedback without feeling marketed to every time you check the weather or play music.

🚀 Ready to reclaim your screen? Spend 10 minutes today reviewing your smart display settings and apply the steps outlined here. Share your experience or ask questions in the comments—your insights could help others build a quieter, smarter home.