Privacy is an extremely important concern for many smartphone users, and for good reason. Our phones contain data that paint an accurate and very personal picture of our lives. If you stop and think about all of the ways you use your device and how much data it has stored, you’ll realize that it contains: passwords to your banking accounts, information about your contacts, personal text messages and emails, possibility your social security number, and more.
This isn’t a device that you want in the wrong hands.
Luckily, Apple has placed several privacy settings on your phone that can act as a security department and work in your favor. These settings allow you to have more control over your data and to help ensure it doesn’t end up being used in nefarious ways. Here are some of the most important iPhone settings to check on your device so that you can stop your phone from spying on you.
App Tracking Transparency
Just because you’re curious about an app and download it doesn’t mean it should have the right to track your whereabouts and sell your data to third-party advertisers — both of which are not uncommon practices. Starting with iOS 14.5 and iPadOS 14.5 updates, apps are now requires to ask your permission before they track you across other apps and websites. And you can update and change those permissions at any point in your settings.
App Privacy Report
In an effort to gain even more privacy from apps, Apple has a setting called App Privacy Report that shows you how often your location, photos, camera, microphone, and contacts have been accessed within the last seven days. This allows you to gain a clearer picture of how all of your apps are using your data so that you can determine if they are worth keeping.
Third-Party Apps and Permissions
Apps often sell your data to third-party advertisers in order to turn a profit — be especially aware of this practice when you download a free app (apps have to make money somehow). This setting ensures that apps have to request access to your location, contacts, calendars, or photos before using them. The first time an app requests this information, you’ll receive a prompt that states their intention and you will then have the freedom to grant them access to your data or block them from it. And even if you give them access to your data one time, you will always have the ability to go back into your settings and adjust this if you change your mind.
Location Data
One of the most important settings for your privacy, Location Services relies on GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi hotspots to figure out your location. But you have control over whether your phone is privy to your location AND whether or not apps can know your exact location, your approximate location — or you can shut off access to them completely when it comes to your location.
Analytics
Apple would love to use your data to inform its future design. If you allow it to, Apple will collect analytics about your device and use it to help improve their products and prevent problems from popping up (Apple says one such problem could be apps crashing). But it’s entirely in your control whether you want to give Apple a helping hand. If you would rather disable it, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements, and turn off Share iPhone Analytics.
