Does Instagram really need access to your contacts?
Could you do just fine if you deny TikTok your location data?
If youve been granting these permissions without much thinking much, the leaks can add up.
Unsurprisingly, Facebook-owned apps are particularly egregious when it comes to asking for more permissions than they need.
But its still worth doingyour smartphone is loaded with private data no one should access without your explicit permission.
And with that, here’s how to give your iPhone a privacy audit.
Stop apps from tracking you
Your iPhone lets you stop apps from tracking you.
Go toSettings > Privacy & Security > Trackingand disableAllow Apps to Request to Track.
Fortunately, Apple has made this easier via a feature called Safety Check.
To use it, go toSettings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check > Manage Sharing & Access.
Now, go trough the on-screen instructions to conduct the privacy audit.
The first step mostly highlights your shared calendars and notes, so you might skip this for now.
Afterwards, tap theQuick Exitbutton in the top-right corner to exit Safety Check.
TapLocation Servicesand select any app that shows up.
This will tell you more about what the app can access.
Denying location access to Google Maps, on the other hand, will render it largely useless.
Another option to reduce the data you give to apps is to disablePrecise Locationon the same page.
Go toSettings > Privacy & Securityand scroll to the bottom of the page.
TapAnalytics & Improvementsand disableShare iPhone & Watch Analyticsto stop sending Apple diagnostics and usage data.
Go back to the privacy tweaks page and tapApple Advertising.
Here, disablePersonalized Adsto stop Apple from using your data to deliver relevant ads to you.
Finally, you canstop Apple from listening to your Siri commands,too.
Come back after a few hours to see your log’s progress.
What else can I do to limit tracking?
For most people, the steps mentioned above are good enough.
For starters, you might simply stop using apps that track you excessively.
Consider switching to an encrypted DNS such asNextDNSto limit how much your ISP can track you.
But its a good start.
