iPhone & iOS
Just Got an iPhone? Top 10 Settings to Turn Off
A new iPhone is private-ish out of the box, but several tracking and ad switches are on by default. Change these ten and you have covered almost everything.
The 10 Settings to Change First
1
Ask apps not to trackSettings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track. Blocks the cross-app advertising ID.
2
Turn off Apple's own ad targetingSettings → Privacy & Security → Apple Advertising → turn off Personalized Ads.
3
Kill Significant LocationsLocation Services → System Services → Significant Locations → off. This is a hidden log of everywhere you go.
4
Tighten per-app locationSettings → Privacy & Security → Location Services. Set apps to While Using and turn off Precise Location where it is not needed.
5
Stop sharing analyticsSettings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → turn off Share iPhone Analytics and Improve Siri & Dictation.
6
Lock down SafariSettings → Apps → Safari: turn on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking and Hide IP Address, and set the search engine to DuckDuckGo.
7
Hide lock-screen previewsSettings → Notifications → Show Previews → When Unlocked, so texts and login codes do not show on a locked screen.
8
Review app permissionsSettings → Privacy & Security: check Microphone, Camera, Contacts, and Photos. Use Limited/Selected Photos instead of full access.
9
Turn off App Store & News ad trackingThe same Apple Advertising switch from step 2 also covers targeted ads in the App Store and Apple News.
10
Turn on Advanced Data ProtectionSettings → your name → iCloud → Advanced Data Protection → on. End-to-end encrypts your iCloud backup so not even Apple can read it.
One More Thing: Your Whole Network
These settings stop what your iPhone logs. They do not stop the thousands of trackers sitting on the websites and apps you visit. Encrypted, filtered DNS blocks those for every device at once, including the iPhone, on Wi-Fi and cellular.
Common Questions
Will any of this break my apps?
No. Maps, weather, and ride apps all work with location set to While Using. You are only turning off background tracking and ad profiling.
Do I still get Find My if I change location settings?
Yes. Find My is separate. Leave it on so you can locate a lost or stolen phone.
Is it different on an iPad?
No. The same settings apply on iPadOS in the same place.
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.