With a heightened focus on privacy, tech companies like Apple have introduced new features to help you protect your personal information online. In that vein, Apple introduced a new Tracking section to Settings when they released iOS 14.5. In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about the new Allow Apps To Request To Track setting on your iPhone.
What Is Ad Tracking?
Have you ever found the ads you see while browsing the web or social media on your iPhone eerily personal? Perhaps you booked a hotel stay, then started seeing ads for hotel rooms in the exact city you just booked a trip to.
Ad tracking is one of the reasons the ads you see are so personally relevant to you. Until very recently, large companies like Facebook had the ability to track you when you used other apps on your iPhone. This allows those large companies to target you with more relevant ads.
How Do I Allow Apps To Request To Track On My iPhone?
One of the biggest changes Apple introduced with iOS 14.5 is that apps like Facebook now need iPhone users’ permission to track them while using other apps. If your iPhone is currently running iOS 14.5 or newer, and you download a new app, you may see a pop-up asking if you would like to allow this app to track your iPhone usage.
Not only can you now decide whether or not app companies can track you on your iPhone, you can also decide whether apps can ask to track you at all! On your iPhone, open Settings and tap Privacy -> Tracking.
On the Tracking page, you’ll see a switch labelled Allow Apps To Request To Track. By turning this switch off, you deny every app on your iPhone the ability to track you. Once this setting is turned off, you should never receive pop-ups asking for permission to track your activity.
If the switch is turned, you’ll see a list of apps that have requested to track you across other apps and website. Tap the switch to the right of the app to turn off tracking. You’ll know the app doesn’t have permission to track you when the switch is positioned to the left.
Should I Allow App Developers To Track Me?
We recommend turning the Allow Apps To Request To Track switch off. Doing this will increase your personal privacy and save you from constantly receiving pop-ups requesting permission to track you.
The only parties this App Tracking feature really helps are major app developers like Facebook. For more details about how to protect your personal privacy on your iPhone, check out our our article or our video about iPhone Privacy Settings to change now!
Aren’t Targeted Ads A Good Thing?
We’ve received a lot of comments from people saying they’d rather see personalized ads, if they have to see ads at all.
You will not stop seeing relevant ads after you turn off ad tracking. Instead, you’ll start seeing more contextual advertising. Contextual advertising generates ads that are more relevant to the content you view online, rather than your personal activity.
It’s also possible you’ll see fewer ads when you restrict the amount of data advertisers can collect about you. When advertisers don’t have data about you, you become less valuable to them, and they may be less willing to pay to advertise to you.
Now You’re On The Right Track!
We hope this article helped you get a better understanding this new setting and how companies track and deliver ads to you. Make sure to share this article on social media to teach your family and friends about the new Allow Apps To Request To Track setting on the iPhone! Leave a comment below if you have any other questions.
