The iPhone is known for strong security, but that doesn’t stop apps from sending information to advertisers. With these three tips, you can put an end to iPhone ad tracking.
This is how you put a stop to iPhone ad tracking
From research of The Washington Post It has been found that a large amount of iOS apps send unsolicited user data to advertisers, often at times when you are not even using the iPhone. Preventing this completely is difficult if you want to continue to use all apps, but we can significantly limit the amount of data that is shared.
1. Put a limit on ad tracking
Apple has a built-in function that prevents advertisers from sending ads based on your data. As a result, you will still receive advertisements on websites, but they are no longer tailored to you personally with regard to this data. Advertisers still have other methods of doing this, but following the steps below is a good start to reduce the amount of iPhone ad tracking.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to Privacy;
- Scroll down and tap on ‘advertising’;
- Set the switch behind ‘Limit ad tracking’ to green.
2. Block cookies in Safari
If Safari is the browser you use on your iPhone, there are two settings you can adjust to block cookies. These cookies contain a lot of information about you, such as how you use a website and what data you enter there.
By blocking this, you prevent this data from being collected. You can also disable advertisers from tracking you from one website to another. After all, this also reveals a lot of information. You do this as follows.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘Safari’;
- Set the switch behind ‘Follow Prevention’ to green;
- Set the switch behind ‘Block all cookies’ to green.
Activating these settings will make the internet less accessible. Some websites require the use of cookies, while other websites use them to store a previous order, for example. You have to enter all that data manually over and over again.
3. Turn off background app refresh
In addition to blocking cookies and other measures in your browser, many iOS apps are also guilty of collecting and sending personal information. The research shows that many apps secretly remain active in the background, so that they can collect and send data.
We therefore recommend that you take a critical look at the apps that are allowed to remain active in the background. You do this by following the steps below.
- Open the Settings app;
- Go to ‘General’;
- Tap ‘refresh in the background;
- Turn off the switch behind apps to deny them access.
Pay attention to which apps you block with this. Apps like Google Photos and Google Maps use this to work while you don’t have the app active on your screen. Keep that in mind as you go through this list.
Do you want to do more to improve privacy on your iPhone? Check out the video below and our guide to iPhone privacy tips.