Tech

How to keep your iPhone from tracking you

Tim Stenovec

2015-12-28T21:24:00Z

When it comes to tracking your online activities for the sake of serving relevant ads, Google is probably the company that comes to mind.

But Apple actually tracks some of what you do on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac, in order to serve you ads through its iAd platform.

Apple can use information like where you live, what you've downloaded (apps, movies, books, music, etc.), what music you listen to in Apple Music, and what you read and subscribe to in Apple News, in order to target advertising to you.

Apple says it clusters people in groups of at least 5,000 other people "who share similar characteristics" in order to protect privacy, and that it "does not know or make available to advertisers information regarding your sexual orientation, religious beliefs or political affiliations.

By default, your iPhone is tracking some of these things, so unless you've turned the setting off, you're likely getting targeted ads based on some of this information.

The good news is that it's simple to limit tracking and turn off location-based ads.

Here's how to do it.

First, go to Privacy in your device's settings

Then, tap Advertising.

Toggle the switch on for "Limit Ad Tracking."

To turn off location-based ads, go to Location Services, which is found in Settings—> Privacy.

Then, scroll all the way down and tap "System Services."

Finally, turn off "Location-Based iAds."

If you limit ad tracking and turn off location-based ads, you'll still see ads, but Apple says they may be less relevant. That is, they won't be as highly targeted before or be based on your location.

Apple has a detailed but clear explanation of its advertising policy, so be sure to check it out to get more information.

Data Tracking is the subject of the latest episode of Marketplace and Tech Insider's new Codebreaker podcast. You can listen to it here and subscribe to all the episodes in iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.