Take Control of Personalized Ads and Tracking on iPhone
Your iPhone includes privacy controls that affect how Apple and third-party apps use information for advertising. These settings can reduce ad personalization, stop apps from asking to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites, and limit advertising-related location data.
The controls are separate, which is why changing one setting may not change everything. Turning off Apple’s personalized ads affects ads shown in Apple services. App Tracking Transparency controls whether apps can request permission to track you across other companies’ apps and websites. Location, analytics, and Safari settings provide additional layers of control.
The steps below apply to recent iOS versions, although the wording and menu layout may vary slightly by iPhone model or software release. You do not need to install an additional privacy app or pay for a service to make these changes.
What Apple Personalized Ads Actually Use
Apple can use activity within services such as the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks to make advertisements more relevant when personalized ads are enabled. It may also consider information such as your device type, language, region, and general interests inferred from activity within Apple’s services.
This setting does not mean that every piece of information on your iPhone is used to select ads. Apple says personalized advertising does not use sensitive information from areas such as Apple Pay transactions, Messages, or Health data for ad targeting. That distinction matters because disabling personalized ads is aimed at advertising relevance, rather than acting as a universal privacy switch.
Apple may still show advertisements after personalization is disabled. The ads can be based on contextual information, such as the page or App Store category you are viewing, instead of a profile built from your activity. Turning the feature off usually changes ad selection rather than removing advertisements altogether.
Turn Off Personalized Ads From Settings
To disable Apple’s personalized advertising, open Settings and follow these steps:
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Select Apple Advertising.
- Turn off Personalized Ads.
- Confirm the change if iOS displays a message.
On some iOS versions, the setting may appear under a slightly different privacy menu or use wording that refers to Apple advertising preferences. The quickest way to find it is to open Settings and use the search field for “Apple Advertising” or “Personalized Ads.”
This setting applies to Apple advertising systems, including ads that may appear in services such as the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks. It does not automatically change the tracking permissions requested by social media, shopping, gaming, or other third-party apps.
If the option is unavailable or appears restricted, check whether the iPhone is managed by a school, employer, or family configuration. Screen Time restrictions and mobile device management profiles can affect which privacy settings are editable. Updating iOS can also restore the expected menu if the device is running an older release.
Stop Apps From Requesting Cross-App Tracking
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency system controls whether apps can ask to track your activity across apps and websites owned by other companies. Tracking can be used to connect actions, such as viewing a product in one app and later seeing a related advertisement in another app or website.
To block tracking requests across the iPhone:
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Choose Tracking.
- Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.
When this switch is disabled, apps generally cannot display the permission prompt asking for tracking access. Apps that previously received permission should also lose that access, although each app may handle the change differently. You can review individual permissions on the same screen before switching off access for particular apps.
This control is separate from Apple’s personalized advertising option. You can disable Apple’s ad personalization while still allowing selected third-party apps to request tracking, or block app tracking while leaving Apple’s own ad personalization enabled. For a stricter default, disable both settings and then review other privacy permissions.
| Setting | What it controls | What changes after disabling it |
|---|---|---|
| Personalized Ads | Apple’s use of activity and context to select more relevant ads in Apple services | Apple ads may become less tailored, but advertisements can still appear |
| Allow Apps to Request to Track | Permission prompts for cross-company tracking by third-party apps | Apps cannot ask for tracking permission through the standard system prompt |
| Location-Based Apple Ads | Use of location information for Apple advertising relevance | Apple ads are less likely to use location for targeting |
| Location Services | Location access for apps and system features | Apps and services lose location access according to your choices |
| Analytics & Improvements | Sharing diagnostic and usage information with Apple | Fewer analytics reports are sent from the iPhone |
Limit Location-Based Advertising
Location can make advertisements more relevant to a nearby area, but you can turn off location use for Apple advertising without disabling GPS access everywhere on the device.
Open Settings, go to Privacy & Security, and tap Location Services. Scroll to System Services, then look for Location-Based Apple Ads. Turn that option off if it is available. The exact wording can vary by iOS version and region.
This setting is narrower than the main Location Services switch. Maps, weather, ride-sharing, camera geotagging, and other apps can continue using location if you leave their individual permissions enabled. If you want to review the wider location picture, return to the Location Services screen and check which apps are set to Always, While Using the App, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, or Never.
Avoid turning off every location permission automatically. Some features depend on location for legitimate functions, including navigation, local weather alerts, and finding a lost device. A more practical approach is to remove access from apps that do not need it and leave essential services set to “While Using.”
Review Safari and Website Tracking Controls
App privacy settings do not cover every form of online advertising. Websites opened in Safari can use cookies, scripts, and other technologies to recognize activity within their own services. Safari includes separate options that limit cross-site tracking and reduce browser-based profiling.
Go to Settings > Apps > Safari on newer iOS versions, or Settings > Safari on some earlier releases. Turn on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking. You can also enable Hide IP Address if your iCloud+ plan and privacy preferences support the available option. Private Browsing provides an additional session-level safeguard, though it does not make you anonymous online.
Safari’s privacy report can show examples of trackers that the browser prevented from profiling you across websites. To view it, open Safari, start a new tab, and look for the privacy report area if it is available in your version of iOS. The report is useful for understanding website behavior, but it should not be treated as a complete audit of every company receiving data.
Clearing browsing history and website data can remove locally stored cookies and sessions, but it may sign you out of websites. It also does not erase information that a company has already stored in its own account system. For stronger control, review privacy settings inside accounts such as shopping, social media, and advertising platforms.
Reduce Diagnostics and Unwanted Data Sharing
Analytics settings are different from advertising settings, but they are worth reviewing when you are trying to reduce information sent from an iPhone. Diagnostic data can help Apple understand crashes, performance issues, and feature usage. Depending on your choices, some reports may include details about how the device and system features are being used.
Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements. You can turn off Share iPhone & Watch Analytics, Share iCloud Analytics, and other available options. The names can vary depending on whether you use an Apple Watch or other Apple products.
You can also review Apple’s Privacy settings for app permissions involving contacts, photos, Bluetooth, local network access, microphones, cameras, and calendars. An app does not need advertising access to create a privacy concern; excessive permissions can reveal information that is unrelated to the app’s main purpose.
The App Store’s privacy labels can help you evaluate an app before downloading it. These labels are based on developer disclosures and group information into categories such as data linked to you, data used to track you, and data not linked to you. They are useful context, although they are not a substitute for reading the app’s privacy policy or checking its permissions after installation.
Make the Settings Stick After an iOS Update
Major iOS updates can add, rename, or relocate privacy controls. After updating, use Settings search for terms such as Tracking, Personalized Ads, Location Services, and Analytics. This is often faster than assuming the menus remain in exactly the same place.
Check the Tracking screen occasionally because newly installed apps may request permission later. If you previously allowed an app to track you, its permission can remain enabled until you change it manually. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and review the app list rather than relying only on the global switch.
Family Sharing and Screen Time can also influence privacy choices. A child’s iPhone may have restrictions configured by a parent or guardian, while a work phone may be governed by an organization’s management profile. In those cases, some options may be unavailable or controlled by someone else.
A privacy change may not take effect in every service instantly. Apps can retain information collected before permission was withdrawn, and an account may continue using data stored on its own servers. Disabling tracking reduces future access through Apple’s permission system, but it cannot retroactively delete every record created by an app or website.
A Practical Privacy Checklist
Use the following settings as a starting point, then adjust them around the features you actually use:
- Turn off Personalized Ads under Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising.
- Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track under Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.
- Disable Location-Based Apple Ads under Location Services > System Services.
- Enable Prevent Cross-Site Tracking in Safari’s settings.
- Review analytics, location, camera, microphone, Bluetooth, and local network permissions for individual apps.
These changes should not prevent ordinary phone functions such as calling, texting, downloading apps, or browsing the web. You may see less relevant advertising, lose certain app features that depend on location or permissions, or need to sign in again after clearing Safari data.
If an app stops working properly, revisit its individual permission rather than undoing every privacy change. For example, a navigation app may need location access while a simple calculator should not. Privacy controls work best when they match the app’s actual purpose.
You can also use App Privacy Report, found under Settings > Privacy & Security, to review how often apps access sensitive permissions and which domains they contact. The report needs to be enabled before it can collect a useful history, so check it after using the iPhone normally for several days.
Apple’s advertising controls give you meaningful choices, but they are part of a broader privacy system. Disable personalized ads, block cross-app tracking requests, review location access, and monitor app behavior through the built-in reports. Open your iPhone’s Privacy & Security settings today and apply the controls that fit the way you use your device.