The minute you get an iPhone, your privacy is no longer guaranteed. Although we’ve long suspected that our phones were listening in on our conversations — how else to explain why you’re suddenly getting millions of ads for the shoes you were just talking to a friend about? — we now have more of a handle on why this is happening. Better still: we are more in tune with the settings we can adjust to keep our phones from invading our privacy.
According to one tech expert, here are some iPhone tricks to “stay safe” and secure your privacy. They’ll take just minutes to put into place and changing these settings can keep your phone from listening in on your conversations and alerting its third-party advertisers to your needs.
1. Disable Microphone
Your iPhone comes equipped with a built-in microphone that can record your voice. To disable microphone access for apps, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone. Here you’ll see a list of apps that have requested and been granted permission to use your microphone. Disable these to keep your conversations private.
2. Turn Off Tracking
Some apps could be tracking your every move, even when you aren’t on that specific app. To keep them from doing this, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking. Toggle off the switch for Allow Apps to Request to Track.
3. Turn Off Personalized Ads
Personalized ads on your iPhone are those ads that are tailor-made for you. They use information like your location and personal preferences to deliver ads that might be relevant to you. But there’s a way to turn this setting off. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising > toggle off Personalized Ads.
