iPhone Privacy Setup

Disable ad & app tracking on your iPhone

Flip each switch as you go. By the end, you'll have shut down the main ways apps and advertisers follow you around.

Written for iOS 26.5

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🎯Stop apps from tracking you

Open the Tracking screen

Settings›Privacy & Security›Tracking

Turn OFF "Allow Apps to Request to Track"

This blocks every app from tracking you — and from even asking

When prompted, stop previously allowed apps too

Confirms the change for apps you'd already let through

🍏Turn off Apple's personalized ads

Open Apple Advertising

Settings›Privacy & Security›Apple Advertising

Turn OFF "Personalized Ads"

Stops Apple targeting ads in the App Store, News & Stocks

📊Stop sharing analytics with Apple

Open Analytics & Improvements

Settings›Privacy & Security›Analytics & Improvements

Turn OFF "Share iPhone Analytics"

Your device stops sending usage data to Apple

📍Review location access

Open Location Services

Settings›Privacy & Security›Location Services

Review each app — set the ones that don't need it to Never or Ask Next Time

Be wary of anything set to "Always" — few apps truly need it

Set App Store and Apple News to Never

In iOS 26 this is what stops Apple's location-based ads — there's no separate ad toggle anymore

Turn OFF "Precise Location" for apps that don't need your exact spot

Inside each app's location screen — gives them your area, not your address

📖 What each option means

Never: The app can't use your location at all.
Ask Next Time: No standing access — the app has to ask again the next time it wants your location.
While Using: Location only while the app is open and on screen. The right default for most apps.
Always: Access even in the background, when the app isn't open. Reserve this for the few that truly need it — navigation, weather, Find My.

🧭Lock down Safari

Open Safari settings

Settings›Apps›Safari

Turn ON "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking"

Blocks trackers from following you between sites

Set "Hide IP Address" to Trackers and Websites

Full option needs iCloud+

Turn OFF "Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement"Thorough

Found lower down the Safari settings list

Set "Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection" to All Browsing

Apps›Safari›Advanced›Advanced Tracking…

✉️Stop email open-tracking

Open Mail's Privacy Protection

Settings›Apps›Mail›Privacy Protection

Turn ON "Protect Mail Activity"

Hides your IP and whether you've opened a message — defeats the tracking pixels marketers hide in emails

🔒 Locked down

Every step is complete. The main ad and tracking pathways on your iPhone are now shut off.

ℹ️ Good to know

You'll still see ads — they'll just be generic instead of tailored to you.
This limits cross-app and cross-site profiling, but apps can still collect data on what you do inside their own app.
If the Tracking toggle is grayed out, that's usually a child account, a school-managed Apple ID, or an Apple ID created in the last three days.
If a menu doesn't match exactly, use the search bar at the top of Settings to jump straight to it.
Have iCloud+? Two extras worth turning on: Private Relay (Settings › your name › iCloud) hides your IP and browsing from your network provider and websites, and Hide My Email gives sites a throwaway address so they can't link your inbox across services.