Most of us can’t part with our iPhones even for a second. We keep them in our pockets and bags, we carry them everywhere with us. This makes our phones ideal tracking devices. However, this can sometimes lead to an invasion of privacy. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent others from tracking our smartphones.
If you have an iPhone, you probably know that Apple products are considered more secure than others. There aren’t many viruses or malware designed for macOS and iOS, but your iPhone can still allow others to track you. Therefore, it is very important to learn how to make your iPhone untrackable.
What is phone tracking and why does it exist?
The location of the phone can be determined in several ways:
- Calculating it by the distance to the nearest cell towers,
- By identifying the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network it is connected to, or
- Just by checking the GPS data.
Some apps, like Maps, use iPhone location data to work properly, but some don’t need it and collect it anyway.
The fact that many apps use Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular data is a little confusing. While sometimes iPhones are tracked for a better purpose (such as by the authorities when they suspect the phone’s owner of criminal activity), more often than not, it’s about money.
Knowing your location is very important for marketers and advertisers in today’s information world. You may have noticed that sometimes the ads you see on the Internet are weirdly accurate to your location. Maybe you were on vacation and noticed an advertisement for local services? It happened to us too.
5 Best Ways to Make Your iPhone Hard to Track
Location-based targeted marketing can be creepy to many. Nobody likes to be followed and watched. So, here are the methods you can apply to make your iPhone more secure.
1. Check app permissions on iPhone
Apple policy requires app developers to tell you what types of data they collect and what they use it for. You can see which apps have access to your location. Also, when you install a new app, you may be asked to accept a tracking request.
Some apps need you to say yes in order to work properly. For example, Maps and parental control apps need to use your phone’s location. However, if you suspect that the app doesn’t need your location for anything, you don’t need to consent to being tracked.
Here’s how you can check which iPhone apps are using your location data.
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap “Privacy & Security”→ “Application Privacy Report”→ turn on “Application Privacy Report”.
If you know you don’t want to share your location with anyone in the near future, you can disable tracking requests:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Click Privacy → Tracking.
2. Use Third Party Security Software
The built-in iPhone features may not be enough to keep apps and companies from tracking you. You can turn off GPS and Bluetooth, but if you’re connected to the internet, you can still share your IP address.
An IP address is a numerical identifier that allows your device to be recognized by other network users. IP addresses are used for communication, but they also contain some data. If someone knows your IP address, they can estimate your location and guess which country or even city you are in.
So, how do I hide my IP, you ask? The best solution is to use a VPN. This software routes your data through a third party server and changes your IP address to one that may even be located in another country. The best VPNs also offer additional features such as blocking ads and trackers or scanning downloads for malware.
3. Prevent cross-site tracking in Safari on iPhone
Cross-site tracking is a technique used by advertisers to show you more personalized ads based on your browsing behavior and search history. Simply put, if you’re looking for a new coat on Amazon and then see ads for coats on other sites, it’s cross-site tracking.
While online tracking is independent of location, it is still worth knowing about. Ads that can track you online are quite intrusive. Safari allows you to disable this feature.
- Go to the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Safari.
- In the “Privacy and Security”section, enable the “Prevent cross-site tracking”option.
4. Turn off location services on iPhone.
You can completely turn off the GPS radio on your phone to prevent tracking.
However, remember that this will also disable all location-based features. For example, you won’t be able to plan accurate routes in Map apps.
Enabling Airplane Mode will also temporarily disable location services.
5. Avoid Connecting to Public Networks
Public Wi-Fi networks (such as in cafes and restaurants) may seem convenient, but you should only use them if you have no alternative.
Public networks sometimes lack adequate security. This makes them a great hunting ground for all sorts of cyber intruders who can infect your device with malware, steal your data, or track you for future gain.
Try using your own cellular data, and if you don’t have any, connect with a VPN that will encrypt your information.
Be vigilant, take care of yourself…
Location tracking is sometimes a threat. However, you can use the methods listed above to decide who is tracking you. To learn more about these privacy and security related solutions, we have provided some useful resources below.