Android
New Android Phone: Settings to Change First
Android is powerful but chatty by default. These changes cut the tracking without giving up Gmail, Maps, or the Play Store.
The First Changes to Make
1
Delete your advertising IDSettings → Privacy → Ads → Delete advertising ID. Stops apps sharing one ad profile of you.
2
Turn off Google account trackingSettings → Google → Manage your Google Account → Data & privacy → turn off Web & App Activity and Location History. See our Google guide below.
3
Fix locationSettings → Location: set app permissions to While in use; turn off Google Location Accuracy and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth scanning.
4
Stop usage & diagnosticsSettings → Google → (menu) Usage & diagnostics → off.
5
Review permissionsSettings → Privacy → Permission manager: revoke Microphone, Camera, and Location from apps that do not need them.
6
Hide lock-screen contentSettings → Notifications → turn off sensitive content on the lock screen.
7
Turn on Private DNSSettings → Network & internet → Private DNS. Encrypts your lookups so your carrier cannot read them.
8
Samsung extrasOn Samsung, also turn off Customization Service and ad personalization under Settings → Privacy.
Don't Skip the Google Account Part
Most Android tracking flows through your Google account, not the phone. Turning off Web & App Activity and Location History is the single biggest win. Full walkthrough in our Stop Google tracking guide.
Common Questions
Do I have to ditch Google to use the phone?
No. Keep your account and still turn off the tracking switches. Gmail, Maps, and the Play Store keep working.
The menus look different on my phone.
Names match across brands, but paths shift by version. Use the Settings search bar if a menu has moved.
What is the advertising ID?
A unique code apps use to build a cross-app ad profile. Deleting it resets that profile.
WANT THIS DONE FOR YOU?
Harbor Privacy blocks tracking and ad domains at the DNS level for every device on your home network, automatically. Get started here.