It is impossible to become completely untrackable, but you can reduce each tracking channel separately. Block third-party trackers, restrict cookies, limit saved account activity, turn off email images and hide your IP with a VPN.
Start with your browser and your account. Changing your IP alone will not remove your advertising profile and will not make websites forget you.
Tracking is the collection and linking of your actions on the internet. Websites themselves, Google and advertising networks all do it. When a page loads, the browser may contact dozens of third-party services: loading adverts, analytics scripts and social media buttons. You do not have to click on them for data to be transmitted.
A tracker is code or a resource used to gather such information. It may use several methods to recognise a visitor.
You do not have to click on them for data to be transmitted.
A tracker blocker stops requests to known tracking resources.
But it does not cover every data collection method.
| Channel | What it can reveal | What helps | What the measure does not do | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cookies: records a website stores in your browser | Repeat visits and cross-site movement with the involvement of third-party services | Blocking third-party cookies and a tracker blocker | Does not hide your browser fingerprint | Browser settings |
| Fingerprinting: a combination of browser and device characteristics | That different visits probably belong to the same browser | Built-in anti-fingerprinting protection | Does not stop recognition via your account | Fingerprint protection |
| Account and saved activity | Searches, views and other actions after signing in | Restricting activity saving and separately disabling ad personalisation | Does not remove the adverts themselves | Google settings |
| IP address: the network address of your connection | Approximate geography, used for local adverts and other purposes | A VPN to hide your original IP | Does not remove cookies or account history | Hiding your IP |
| Pixels and remote content in emails | That the content was loaded, sometimes when the email was opened, and your IP | Disabling automatic loading or protecting your mail client | Does not protect against link clicks | Email protection |
A fingerprint includes, for example, your time zone and software versions. It can identify your browser without cookies and even when your IP changes. Clearing your history will not help. Choose a browser and settings against trackers and fingerprinting. Do not tweak individual settings to disguise your browser: an unusual combination may make you more noticeable.
Work through four stages in order. Allow 15 minutes for the first pass. The settings options in the instructions were checked against sources on 23 October 2026.
In your browser, decline non-essential cookies. A tracker blocker stops requests to known tracking resources. But it does not cover every data collection method. If signing in or payment breaks, check the permissions for that particular site. Do not switch off protection everywhere at once.
In Google, separate ad selection from activity storage. Turning off personalisation does not delete saved searches. Device location, addresses in your account and past activity can reveal your location regardless of your IP.
In your email, find the setting for external content. A pixel is a small, often invisible image loaded from the sender's server. Protection depends on your client: Gmail protects information about your computer and location when images load; Protect Mail Activity in Apple Mail on Mac hides your IP and loads content in the background. But clicking a link still opens the website separately.
A VPN is an encrypted connection through an intermediary server. The website sees that server's address instead of your connection's original address. This reduces the linking of visits to your home IP and changes the signal used for geotargeting, that is, selecting adverts based on location.
But your profile may persist. Cookies remain, and signing into an existing account links the new visit to you. Your old IP does not vanish from other people's records. If you are concerned about a specific person, fraudster or website, start with checking how your IP can be obtained.
For this networking task, use CitadelVPN: connect it before visiting a website that you do not want to see your original IP. Bear in mind that the VPN operator becomes an intermediary with access to information about your connections. According to CitadelVPN's policy dated 29 July 2026, the service promises not to store browsing history, DNS queries (requests used to look up website addresses), original and exit IPs, or connection timestamps. This is the operator's own statement, not an independent audit. Email, account data and payment confirmations are handled separately.
Run the EFF test via the Cover Your Tracks page before changing any settings. Repeat it afterwards, in the same browser. Compare the tracker blocking and the fingerprint assessment. A single disappearing advert banner is not enough to verify anything.
| Test result | How to read it |
|---|---|
| Unique fingerprint | Within the test sample, your browser stands out. This is a measure of distinguishability. It does not prove that a website knows your name |
| Randomised fingerprint | The browser varies the characteristics it reports, making them harder to link between visits |
| Trackers blocked | Protection stopped the trackers being tested. The result does not confirm that every existing tracking method is blocked |
Even a changing fingerprint can look rare in an individual measurement. Compare repeated results. Do not install new extensions just to improve a test score.
For personalisation, Google uses activity saved in your account from any device where you are signed in. A matching home IP is not required for this. This mechanism is described in the help page on personalised advertising.
Yes, on some websites. Along with the tracking records, sign-in and preference details may also be deleted. To avoid wiping everything at once, use the option to delete data for individual sites.
Enable it if the setting is available. Global Privacy Control is a signal to websites that you object to the sale or sharing of your personal data. However, technically it does not block tracker requests. According to the project's description, under the CCPA — California's consumer privacy law — the signal expresses an objection to the sale or sharing of data; under the GDPR — the European data protection regulation — it is a general request to restrict its sale or sharing with other organisations. Its legal effect depends on the applicable rules.
Block third-party cookies and known trackers. Restrict account activity and advertising personalisation separately. Configure how email content loads. To hide your original IP address, add a VPN: your account and browser fingerprint will require measures of their own. Compare your EFF test results before and after the changes. You will not disappear from observation entirely, but every channel you close reduces the information available to trackers.