Digital Marketing

Device bid adjustments in Google Ads in 2026: what still works

8 min readBy Sandeep Mahajan

A phone, a tablet and a laptop on a dark desk, with a hand holding an orange pencil

Device bid adjustments still exist in Google Ads, but with Smart Bidding most of them no longer change your bids. Under Maximize conversions, Maximize conversion value and Target ROAS, the only device adjustment that takes effect is -100%, which stops ads on that device. Under Target CPA, a device adjustment changes the CPA target for that device instead of the bid. If phone and desktop conversions are worth different amounts to you, tell Google through conversion values or value rules, not through bid percentages.

Key takeaways

  • Device adjustments range from -100% to +900%; most other adjustment types range from -90% to +900%.
  • Google's help centre says manual bid adjustments made to a Smart Bidding strategy "won't be supported". Device -100% still works as an exclusion.
  • With Target CPA, a +40% mobile adjustment on a 10 target makes the mobile target 14; it moves the goal, not the bid.
  • Smart Bidding already uses device, location, time of day, browser, operating system and the actual search query in every auction.
  • Conversion value rules can raise or lower the value of conversions by device, and Target ROAS and Maximize conversion value bid to those adjusted values.

What has changed since 2016?

When this post was first published in 2016, Google had just let advertisers set separate bid adjustments for mobile, desktop and tablet again, and the advice was to split budgets and bids by device. Much of that advice still applies to the people behind the clicks: phone searchers act quickly, research-heavy purchases often start on one device and finish on another, and the landing page has to match the device.

What has changed is who sets the bid. Most campaigns now use Smart Bidding, which Google describes as bidding strategies that use Google AI "to optimize for conversions or conversion value in every auction". Enhanced CPC, the old halfway house, was removed from Search and Display campaigns in 2025, and campaigns still on it were moved to Manual CPC. So the useful question is no longer "what device percentage should I set?" but "which bidding strategy am I on, and what does it do with a device adjustment?"

How do device adjustments work with each bidding strategy?

Google's bid adjustments help page has a chart for this. As of October 2026 it reads:

Bidding strategy What a device adjustment does
Manual CPC Raises or lowers the bid on that device, from -100% to +900%
Target CPA Changes the CPA target on that device ("treated as a target adjustment"); -100% excludes the device
Target ROAS Only -100% (exclude the device)
Maximize conversions Only -100%
Maximize conversion value Only -100%
Performance Max No bid adjustments listed

Other adjustment types (location, audience, demographics, calls) are not used by Smart Bidding: Google's Target CPA page says non-device bid adjustments are ignored on the Search and Display Network. Ad schedules are different. They are a setting rather than an adjustment, and Smart Bidding respects them, so ads only run in the hours you allow.

What does Smart Bidding already do with devices?

Smart Bidding sets a bid for each auction using signals that a manual adjustment cannot see. Google's Smart Bidding page lists, among others: device, physical location and location intent, local time of day and day of week, remarketing list membership, ad characteristics, interface language, browser and operating system, the actual search query and, for Display, site behaviour.

That is why a blanket "+20% on mobile" no longer helps. The system already bids higher on the phone searches that are likely to convert and lower on the ones that are not. What it cannot know is anything you have not told it: that a phone lead is worth less to your sales team, or that desktop orders have larger baskets. That information goes in through conversion tracking and values.

When does a device adjustment still make sense?

To exclude a device (-100%). If a device cannot complete the conversion at all, for example a lead form that only works on desktop while it is being rebuilt, a -100% adjustment stops spend there. Treat it as temporary and fix the page.

To set a different CPA target by device on Target CPA. Google's example: with a target CPA of 10 and a +40% mobile adjustment, the mobile target becomes 14. Use this only when you have evidence, from your CRM or sales data, that a conversion on one device is worth more or less than on another. Remember that you are changing the goal; volume and cost will move with it.

On Manual CPC campaigns. If a campaign is deliberately on Manual CPC, for example a small brand campaign or a test, device adjustments work as they always did: they raise or lower the bid.

Not for "mobile is more important" hunches. Without conversion data showing a difference, a device change on Smart Bidding either does nothing or moves a target in a direction you cannot justify.

How do you tell Google that devices are worth different amounts?

Use conversion value rules. Google's help page says they "let you adjust your conversion value reporting and Smart Bidding optimization" by audience, geographic location or device, without changing the tracking code. Target ROAS and Maximize conversion value then bid to the adjusted values in real time, and the adjusted values appear in the conversion value column.

A practical order:

  1. Measure first. Check that every important action is tracked, including calls and form submissions, and that offline outcomes (qualified lead, sale) are imported where you can. Our GA4 event plan for lead generation lists what to track.
  2. Compare devices on value, not clicks. Segment conversions and conversion value by device over a period with enough data. Look at lead quality from your CRM, not just the count.
  3. Encode a real difference. If phone leads close at a lower rate, use a device value rule (for value-based bidding) or a device target adjustment (for Target CPA) that reflects the measured difference.
  4. Review after one or two conversion cycles, not after a few days.

Google also notes that if a segment already converts better and that shows in your reporting, Smart Bidding already takes it into account. A rule is for value Google cannot see, such as lead quality or margin.

What else changed for target-based bidding in 2026?

From 17 August 2026, Google changed how budget-limited Search, Shopping, Performance Max, Demand Gen and Travel campaigns with Target CPA or Target ROAS behave: they now aim more consistently at the target you set. Google says it will not change your targets automatically, and a campaign that was beating its target may move closer to it. If you rely on a device target adjustment, review it together with the main target, because both now matter more. Google added a Bid Target Adjustment Tool, available from 6 July 2026, to help prepare.

How should landing pages differ by device?

The ad is only half the job. A phone visitor needs a short page, a tap-to-call or WhatsApp option, a short form and fast loading; a desktop visitor researching a complex purchase may want detail, comparisons and specifications. Use call assets where phone calls convert, and check the landing page on a real phone before blaming the bid. Our guides on landing page design and how PPC works with SEO cover the page and the account.

How can Impinge help?

We run Google Ads alongside SEO and set up the tracking first, so each month you can see which channel brought enquiries, calls and bookings, and what it cost. See digital marketing and SEO to talk through your account.

FAQ

Do device bid adjustments work with Maximize conversions?

Only -100%, which stops ads on that device. Google's help centre says other manual bid adjustments made to Smart Bidding strategies are not supported.

What does a device adjustment do with Target CPA?

It changes the CPA target for that device instead of the bid. With a target of 10 and +40% on mobile, the mobile target becomes 14. A -100% adjustment excludes the device.

Can I stop my ads showing on tablets?

Yes. Set the device bid adjustment for tablets to -100%. This works on Manual CPC and on Smart Bidding strategies.

Is it worth splitting campaigns by device?

Usually not with Smart Bidding, because it already adjusts each bid by device and splitting divides the conversion data each campaign learns from. Give it accurate conversion values instead.

What are conversion value rules?

A setting that multiplies or adds to the value of conversions by audience, location or device, without changing your tags. Target ROAS and Maximize conversion value bid to the adjusted values.

Does Performance Max allow device bid adjustments?

Google's bid adjustments chart lists no bid adjustment types for Performance Max campaigns. Check the campaign settings in your account for the controls currently available.

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