If you\u2019re a gamer, you\u2019ll know that many games identify active players\u2019 characters by hovering some sort of identifying \u201cflag\u201d over or alongside them. Even in a crowded city scene, you can always follow your specific character by watching for their flag. Which is great in a game, but not so much when it happens in the real world. Yet our smartphones often act in the same way, constantly announcing to the world at large where we are and what we\u2019re doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Everyone from advertisers to your phone carrier to Apple and Google get in on the action, as well as potentially \u2014 and more worryingly \u2014 stalkers and vengeful exes, or criminals and scammers. Escaping scrutiny altogether is an overwhelming task, but knowing how to turn off tracking on iPhones or Android phones (and a few similar tweaks) can make you less visible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s important to stress, right from the beginning, that your phone tracking you isn\u2019t always a bad thing. In fact, it\u2019s absolutely mandatory for some features you probably use most days, like using your GPS to go somewhere, tagging a photo with its location or \u201cchecking in\u201d from a specific location on one of your social media feeds<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply providing service means that your phone carrier automatically knows where you are and where you use your phone. The maker of your phone\u2019s OS (Apple or Google) also must monitor your usage to at least some extent, simply to understand which parts of the OS are working for you and which need improving. The apps you use and the sites you visit will usually want to know your location, at least in a general way, so they can offer services (and yes, ads) that are appropriate and useful to you. In the case of free-to-use apps or social media platforms it\u2019s what makes that platform viable. As long as your consent has been given, it\u2019s perfectly ethical (and yes, we\u2019ll come back to that momentarily). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tracking of phone users runs along a broad spectrum from unquestionably legitimate to outright malicious. Even if on the legitimate side, some advertisers are more intrusive than others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n And, on the malicious end of the spectrum, it\u2019s entirely possible that you may be personally targeted by a stalker or an abusive partner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Making yourself less easy to track can mitigate all of those risks, to some degree. The logical starting point is to turn off your phone\u2019s location services when they\u2019re not in use, because that\u2019s Ground Zero for tracking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Apple\u2019s iOS gives you a lot of control over your privacy<\/a>, should you choose to exercise it. The simplest starting point for telling your phone to not let tracking happen is to turn off location services entirely. To do that, you\u2019d go to Settings<\/strong>, then Privacy and Security<\/strong>, and then Location Services<\/strong>. Tap the toggle to turn them off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2026 except that if you do that, none of the apps that legitimately use location services will work (it\u2019s like using a hammer to swat a mosquito). So a better alternative is to leave the main Location Services toggle enabled, and then restrict how they\u2019re used<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you look at the list of apps on this screen, you\u2019ll see whether (and when) they\u2019re allowed to use your location settings. They\u2019ll say things like \u201cNever,\u201d \u201cWhile Using\u201d or \u201cAlways,\u201d all of which are pretty self-explanatory. If there\u2019s an app that you don\u2019t think ever needs your location, set it to Never<\/strong>. For just about everything else, While Using<\/strong> is your best option. It means an app that legitimately needs your location can access it while it\u2019s active, but only<\/em> then (so it can\u2019t get up to anything without you knowing<\/a>). Always<\/strong> should be reserved for apps that a) absolutely need location services; and b) you use constantly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll also see a Precise Location<\/strong> toggle among your Location Services settings. This uses extra information, like which Wi-Fi networks are within range, to pinpoint your location in much finer detail than GPS alone could muster. Turning that off will make you much, much harder to physically locate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s a similar set of controls for Android phones<\/a>, but you may find you need to do a little more work to find and use them. Unlike Apple, Google doesn\u2019t choose to exercise control over every aspect of an Android phone\u2019s interface. Instead, phone carriers or individual manufacturers have the option of providing alternative apps for some purposes, and alternative interfaces that can differ from the way things are done in stock, or \u201cvanilla\u201d Android. In short, if the instructions that follow don\u2019t seem to apply to your phone, visit the manufacturer\u2019s (or phone carrier\u2019s) site for instructions that are specific to your model. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To turn off Location Services entirely, go to Settings<\/strong> and then Privacy and Safety<\/strong>. On most phones you\u2019ll see a menu option labeled Location Settings<\/strong> (on your specific phone it might just say Location<\/strong>). Tap that, and then tap the toggle to turn Location<\/strong> off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Android\u2019s equivalent to iOS\u2019 Precise Location toggle is back in the Location Settings<\/strong> menu, where you\u2019ll see an option called Locating Method<\/strong>. The default is GPS, Wi-Fi and Mobile Networks<\/strong>, which is the most permissive and can often identify your location within a few yards. Tap that setting and then GPS Only<\/strong>, which is the least permissive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d like to leave the master Location Settings turned on, and manage access on an app-by-app basis<\/a>, go back to Privacy and Safety<\/strong> and choose App Permissions<\/strong>. Scroll down the list of apps and tap each one in turn to control its use of your location. The settings are wordier than those on iPhones, but essentially the same (\u201cAllowed all the time,\u201d \u201cAllowed only while in use\u201d and \u201cNever Allowed\u201d). Again, Allowed only while in use<\/strong> is the most appropriate setting for most apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Android, individual apps can also ask for your precise location, prompting you to turn on your Wi-Fi or \u201cImprove location accuracy.\u201d You can decide whether or not to do that on a case-by-case basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So far we\u2019ve talked about tracking that\u2019s involuntary or at best semi-voluntary, but you also choose to deliberately share your location with people, sometimes. These may be real-world friends and family or coworkers, but sometimes it might be everyone on your social-media friends list. It\u2019s worthwhile to periodically take a look at those settings, and periodically stop sharing with anybody who doesn\u2019t need to know where you are. It\u2019s essentially the human equivalent of reviewing your apps\u2019 permissions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In current versions of iOS it\u2019s easy to find out who you\u2019re sharing your location with<\/a>. Just go to Settings<\/strong>, then Privacy & Security<\/strong> and tap Safety Check<\/strong>. When the Safety Check opens up, tap Manage Sharing & Access<\/strong>. From there you\u2019ll just need to follow the on-screen instructions, and the app will walk you through a review of the people (and apps!) who get to track you. So yes, this is also an alternative to the manual location control we\u2019ve already described. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On Android the app you\u2019ll usually use to share your location<\/a> is Google Maps (other apps might do that on a one-off basis, but usually only Maps will do it ongoingly). Tap the icon to open Maps, and then tap your profile picture (if you don\u2019t have a profile picture, it will just show your initial in a circle). From that menu, tap Location Sharing<\/strong> and you\u2019ll be shown a list of everyone you\u2019re currently sharing your location with. If anyone on that list strikes you as problematic (or just doesn\u2019t need to know where you are), you can simply tap their profile and then tap Stop<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For any other app that shares your location, the steps should be approximately the same (Google apps will follow a similar layout, third-party apps will be more variable). <\/p>\n\n\n\n If advertising is your biggest phone-related beef, there are settings you can tweak to minimize your exposure to tracking from advertising companies. iPhone users definitely have an advantage here: Apple uses privacy as a marketing ploy and doesn\u2019t rely on advertising as a revenue stream, so it has an incentive to help you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If an app developer on the Apple platform wants to track your activity across other sites and apps, it has to explicitly ask permission. You can tap Allow<\/strong> or Ask App Not to Track<\/strong>, whichever you choose in that particular instance. You can also go to Settings<\/strong>, then Privacy & Security<\/strong>, and finally Tracking<\/strong>, in order to review what permissions apps already have and change them if necessary. If you want to nip the whole thing in the bud, you can turn off the Allow Apps to Request to Track<\/strong> option under Tracking<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In this case, you don\u2019t have to worry about your app magically losing most of its features if you don\u2019t allow tracking. Apple forbids developers from that kind of hanky-panky if they want to stay in the App Store, despite significant pushback from big players like Meta<\/a>, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Meta has been sued by users<\/a> for trying to finesse an end-run around Apple\u2019s policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tracking is more deeply embedded in the Android ecosystem, because advertising is how Google makes the bulk of its revenue, and Google\u2019s unmatched knowledge of its users is what drives those ad sales. That knowledge comes from \u2014 you guessed it! \u2014 monitoring everything you do on your Android device. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even so, you can turn off the personalizations in your Google Account settings. That removes one of Google\u2019s legal justifications for tracking and retaining data, and helps improve your personal privacy. To do this, tap Settings<\/strong> and then Google<\/strong> to view your Google Account settings. Next, tap Ads. <\/strong>You\u2019ll see a toggle labeled Opt Out of Ad Personalizations<\/strong>. Tap it to turn it off. That tells Google to stop profiling you in future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To wipe the slate clean of information the company has already gathered, scroll down and tap Reset Advertising ID<\/strong>. Each user has a personal Google advertising ID (don\u2019t you feel special, knowing that?) and this erases any existing tracking data associated with your account. To be clear, you\u2019ll still see ads. They won\u2019t be personalized for you (which, at least theoretically, is a benefit) but that personalization comes at a cost in privacy. How you draw that balance is entirely up to you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aside from these OS-specific measures, there are lots of other things you can do to tip the balance back in favor of privacy. A selection of them, in no particular order, includes: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every site you visit puts a small file called a \u201ccookie\u201d on your devices. One of the main uses for those cookies is to track your activities across the online world, so controlling how those are used is important to your online privacy. The same pop-up banners we\u2019ve just discussed will often give you some control over cookie use, but your browser also has cookie-management features that can improve your privacy (especially when a site doesn\u2019t let you opt-out). <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you search \u201cmanage cookies in [your mobile browser\u2019s name],\u201d you\u2019ll find a detailed description of how to selectively delete them or manage when and how they\u2019re accepted. These are the instructions for Chrome<\/a>, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, you could use a browser with a stronger up-front focus on privacy. That will never be Chrome, because of Google\u2019s reliance on advertising revenue, but Firefox and Brave are both good browsers with a privacy focus. The Tor browser is even more so, but is complicated to use and probably not worth the effort unless you seriously need to be incognito online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Very few of us use anything other than Google or Bing to search for things online (Russia\u2019s Yandex and China\u2019s Baidu are big in their own markets, but only in their own markets). Google and Microsoft are keenly interested in what you do online, of course, and harvest a lot of revenue from the data generated by your searches. If you\u2019d rather avoid that, consider using a non-tracking search alternative (there are several paid and free alternatives, of which DuckDuckGo is the best known). <\/p>\n\n\n\n To this point we\u2019ve talked about the legitimate kind of online tracking, but of course the illegitimate kind is a threat as well. Protect yourself against that by choosing and using a good antivirus\/antimalware app. Another key step is always applying OS updates as soon as they\u2019re released, because fixing newly-discovered vulnerabilities is one of the big reasons for those updates. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the very best ways to protect your privacy online is through the use of a Virtual Private Network, or VPN<\/a>, which conceals your online browsing (and even your geographic location) from the sites you visit and the broader internet, as a whole. Installing and using one requires a modest level of expertise, but most people can figure it out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Finally, if you find yourself in a scenario where you want to drop entirely off the grid for a little while, switching your phone to Airplane Mode is a pretty effective move. You won\u2019t be able to use your phone until you turn it off, but by disabling everything it makes you more or less untrackable for the short term. It\u2019s a handy defense against stalkers, abusive partners or anyone else who might be trying to locate you right this minute. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The only way to be really invisible and anonymous in our online society is \u2026 well, to stay offline. That\u2019s a solution that appeals to a small number of people, but it\u2019s very much a niche option. For the rest of us, privacy and convenience exist on a continuum: The more of one you want, the less of the other you\u2019ll get. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of our key goals here at the blog is to give you the information you need in order to make (and act on) those decisions. Each of the options we\u2019ve discussed here can help you move the needle toward privacy, but it\u2019s entirely up to you how much thought and effort you want to put into it (and what compromises you\u2019re willing to accept in exchange for more privacy). <\/p>\n\n\n\n The important thing is that you\u2019re informed, and helping you locate the information you need to lead a safe, confident online life is what Spokeo\u2019s all about. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Sources:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re a gamer, you\u2019ll know that many games identify active players\u2019 characters by hovering some sort of identifying \u201cflag\u201d over or alongside them. Even in a crowded city scene,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":26810,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[614],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-safety"],"yoast_head":"\n\u2026 Until It Isn\u2019t<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to Turn Off Tracking on iPhone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Turn Off Tracking on Android Phones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Control Who You Share Your Location With<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Location sharing on iOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Location sharing on Android<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tweak Your Advertising Settings as Well <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Advertiser tracking on iOS<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Advertiser tracking on Android<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Other Steps to Thwart Tracking and Improve Privacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Look at your browser\u2019s cookie settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use a privacy-oriented browser<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Use a non-tracking search engine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Protect yourself against malware<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Consider using a VPN<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s always Airplane Mode<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Privacy vs. Convenience: It\u2019s Your Call<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n