Instagram ads glitch? Users see pop-up ‘You have a say in ads you see’ - How to solve

Several Instagram users reported that they were seeing a glitch in the Meta application's personalized ads pop-up. Hundreds tweeted about seeing the ‘You have a say in ads you see’ pop-up come up repeatedly, even after they changed their setting. The platform’s parent company Meta is yet to address this alleged glitch.

Reporting the glitch on X, platform formerly known as Twitter, one person wrote: “I literally can’t use Instagram rn bc this keeps popping up & even when I make a choice, it closes & then automatically reopens again is going on.”

“What is going on with @meta? I have a say in the ads on @instagram and I cannot choose to not allow Meta to see my activity?!?!?!?” a second person asked.

What’s Causing the Glitch?

- Ad Preference Prompt Loop: Instagram users said that the pop-up, which asks users to confirm ad personalization settings, was neither confirming or declining their choice.

- App or Account Issue: As per social media comments, this problem persisted across devices.

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How to Solve the Alleged Glitch

Here are practical steps that can potentially solve your issue"

1. Force-Close and Restart the App

- Swipe Instagram out of your recent apps (iOS/Android) to fully close it. Reopen and check if the pop-up persists. This can reset temporary glitches.

2. Adjust Ad Settings in-App

- Go to your profile > three-bar menu > “Settings and privacy” > “Accounts Center” > “Ad preferences” > “Ad settings.”

- Under “Activity information from ad partners,” select “Review setting” and choose “No, don’t make my ads more relevant.” Save changes.

- If the pop-up reappears, repeat and confirm firmly.

3. Use an External Browser

- Open Instagram in a browser (eg Safari, Chrome) instead of the app. Log in, go to “Settings” > “Accounts Center” > “Ad preferences,” and disable personalized ads. Log out, then retry the app. Some X users report this bypasses the loop.

4. Clear App Cache

- On Android: Settings > Apps > Instagram > Storage > Clear Cache.

- On iOS: You’ll need to uninstall/reinstall (see below) since iOS doesn’t offer a direct cache clear.

- This removes corrupted data that might be triggering the glitch.

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5. Update Instagram

- Check the App Store (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android) for updates.

6. Uninstall and Reinstall

- Delete Instagram, restart your device, then reinstall from your app store. Log back in and test. This wipes local app data, potentially fixing the issue if it’s device-specific.