What tracking means on your iPhone and why you might want to stop it
Your iPhone collects data about where you go, what apps you use, and what you do in those apps. Some of this tracking happens because you turned it on yourself — location services for maps, for example. Other tracking happens in the background without a clear on-off switch in one place. Disabling tracking means changing settings across several parts of your phone to limit what data gets collected and who can see it.
You do not have to disable all tracking. Location services are genuinely useful for navigation and finding nearby restaurants. The point is knowing what is happening and choosing what you are comfortable with. This guide walks through the main places where tracking happens and how to turn each one off if you want to.
Key Takeaways
- Location tracking happens in Settings > Privacy > Location Services, where you can turn it off entirely or control which apps can see your location.
- App tracking for advertising is controlled in Settings > Privacy > Tracking, where you can prevent apps from following your activity across other apps and websites.
- Siri and search history are stored on your device and sent to Apple unless you turn off Siri history in Settings > Siri & Search.
- Safari tracking prevention is on by default, but you can strengthen it by enabling "Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement" to block cross-site tracking.
- iCloud syncing sends copies of your data to Apple's servers; you can turn off specific synced items in Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud.
Turn off location services entirely or per app
Location tracking is the most visible form of tracking on an iPhone. Your phone knows where you are because apps ask for permission, and you grant it. Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services. At the top, you will see a toggle for Location Services itself. Turning this off stops all apps from accessing your location, but it also breaks navigation, weather, and other location-based features you might actually want.
A better approach is to keep Location Services on but control which apps can use it. Scroll down the list in Location Services and tap each app. You will see three options: Never, While Using, or Always. Set apps to Never if you do not want them to know your location at all. Set them to While Using if they need your location only when you are actively using them — maps, for example. Avoid Always unless an app genuinely needs your location in the background, like a fitness app that tracks runs while the screen is off.
At the bottom of the Location Services screen, you will also see System Services. Tap that to see what Apple's own services are tracking. Turn off anything you do not recognize or do not need — things like "Significant Locations" and "Location-Based Suggestions" are convenience features, not requirements.
Stop apps from tracking your activity across the web and other apps
App tracking for advertising is separate from location. It means apps following what you do in other apps and on websites, then using that data to show you targeted ads. Go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking. You will see a toggle labeled "Allow Apps to Request to Track." Turn this off. When it is off, apps cannot ask permission to track you, and most will stop trying.
Below that toggle, you will see a list of apps that have already asked for tracking permission. If any are turned on, you can turn them off individually. This list only shows apps that asked; many apps track without asking, and turning off the main toggle prevents that from happening going forward.
This setting does not stop all data collection — apps still know what you do inside their own app. It stops them from following you to other apps and websites and building a profile of your interests across the internet.
Disable Siri history and search suggestions
Every time you use Siri or search on your iPhone, Apple stores a record of what you asked. This history is used to improve Siri and to show you search suggestions. If you do not want Apple keeping this record, go to Settings > Siri & Search. Scroll down and turn off "Siri & Dictation History." This stops new searches and Siri requests from being saved.
You can also turn off "Suggestions" in the same screen if you do not want search suggestions based on your past activity. Note that turning off Siri history does not delete the history that is already stored — it only stops new data from being added. If you want to delete what is already there, you have to do that separately in Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Siri & Suggestions, then tap Edit and Delete.
Strengthen Safari tracking prevention
Safari has built-in tracking prevention that is on by default. It blocks many ads and trackers from following you across websites. To see what it is doing, open Safari, tap the address bar, then tap the privacy icon (it looks like a shield or an eye with a line through it). This shows you how many trackers Safari blocked on that page.
To make Safari's protection stronger, go to Settings > Safari > Privacy Preserving Ad Measurement and turn it off. This setting lets websites measure whether ads work without tracking you individually — it is a compromise between privacy and letting websites see if their ads are effective. Turning it off means websites cannot measure ad performance at all, which is more private but may not matter to most people.
You can also enable "Block All Cookies" in Settings > Safari, but this breaks many websites. A middle ground is to leave the default setting, which blocks third-party cookies (cookies from advertisers) while allowing first-party cookies (cookies from the website you are visiting).
Control what syncs to iCloud
iCloud is Apple's cloud storage service. By default, your iPhone backs up photos, messages, contacts, calendar events, and other data to iCloud servers. This means copies of your data exist on Apple's computers, not just on your phone. If you want to limit what gets backed up, go to Settings > [Your Name] > iCloud. You will see a list of apps and services with toggles next to them.
Turn off the toggle for anything you do not want synced to iCloud. For example, you might turn off Photos if you do not want your photos stored on Apple's servers, or turn off Mail if you want to keep your email only on your device. Keep in mind that turning off iCloud sync for something also means you will not be able to access it from other devices — if you turn off Photos, your photos will not appear on your iPad or Mac.
If you want to stop all iCloud syncing, you can turn off iCloud entirely, but this also disables Find My iPhone and other security features that rely on iCloud. A safer approach is to keep iCloud on but turn off specific items you do not want synced.
Turn off ad personalization
Apple shows you ads in the App Store, Apple News, and Stocks. These ads can be personalized based on your activity, or they can be generic. Go to Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising. Turn off "Personalized Ads." This does not stop ads from appearing — it just means they will not be tailored to your interests based on what you do on your iPhone.
You can also reset your advertising identifier in the same screen by tapping "Reset Advertising Identifier." This gives you a new random ID, which breaks the connection between your old ID and the profile advertisers built about you. You can do this periodically if you want to reset your advertising history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off tracking break my iPhone or make apps stop working?
No. Turning off tracking makes some features less convenient — you will not get location-based suggestions, and Siri will not remember your past requests — but your phone and apps will work normally. Navigation, messaging, and everything else will function the same way.
If I turn off tracking, will apps stop working?
Most apps will work fine. Some apps genuinely need location access to function — a maps app needs to know where you are, a fitness app needs to track your movement. You can allow those apps to access location while denying it to apps that do not need it. Apps that cannot get the data they want will usually just work without that feature rather than refusing to open.
Does turning off tracking stop all data collection?
No. Apps still collect data about what you do inside their own app — how long you use them, what features you use, what you search for. Turning off tracking stops apps from following you to other apps and websites and from sharing that data with advertisers. It also stops Apple from storing some of your activity, like Siri history.
Can I turn off tracking for some apps but not others?
Yes. In Settings > Privacy > Tracking, you can see which apps have asked for tracking permission and turn each one on or off individually. For location, you can set each app to Never, While Using, or Always. This lets you be selective — allowing tracking for apps you trust while blocking it for others.
What happens to data Apple already collected before I turned off tracking?
Data that is already stored stays stored unless you delete it manually. Turning off Siri history stops new searches from being saved, but old searches remain until you delete them. The same is true for location history and other data. If you want to delete existing data, you usually have to go into the specific setting and look for a delete or clear option.