iOS 14 comes with a number of new security and privacy features, and one of those is forcing apps to request permission before they can track you across the web and other apps. Along with that, you can totally block iPhone app tracking, read on for how it works.
Apps building in the ability to track you across the web and other apps is very common and in many cases, they can be harmless. However, there are examples where app tracking is abused. In a report from the Washington Post last year, 5,400 iPhone apps were found to be using trackers and, in some examples, were sending personal data like phone numbers and users’ locations to third-party research and marketing firms.
Last summer, Apple tightened its guidelines for kids’ apps, and with iOS 14, Apple will force apps to get user approval to use trackers. They will show up iOS permission requests for apps to use your iPhone‘s camera, microphone, etc. However, Apple is also giving customers total control with the latest operating system to even fully block requests to be tracked (and that’s created contention with advertisers).
Note: iOS 14 is available as a free public beta as well as a developer beta. Read more here on how to install them. Keep in mind it’s not a good idea to run beta software on a primary device as performance issues, bugs, and more are worked out.
How to allow/block iPhone app tracking in iOS 14
Some apps won’t function properly without the ability to use trackers but here’s how to allow or block apps from tracking you.
- On your iPhone head to Settings
- Swipe down and tap Privacy
- Choose Tracking at the top
- The default setting is to allow apps to ask for permission to track you
- Toggle it off to block apps from being able to even ask to track you
- If/when you do give permission for an app to track you, you’ll see a list of them under the Privacy > Tracking setting
Here’s how these steps look:
Here’s what an app tracking request will look like:
Read more 9to5Mac tutorials:
- Hands-on with 250+ iOS 14 beta features and changes [Video]
- iOS 14: Here’s how to use the new iPhone home screen widgets
- iOS 14: How to do Picture in Picture video multitasking on iPhone
- iOS 14: How to use iPhone Sound Recognition that listens for doorbells, smoke alarms, more
- Beta regrets? Here’s how to downgrade from iOS 14 to iOS 13
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