10 Best Privacy Settings for iPhone: Protect Your Personal Data

User privacy and security are essential considerations when choosing a smartphone, and iPhone has always been known for its robust privacy features. With the latest iOS 15 update, Apple has further strengthened its lead over Android in terms of privacy. The new update introduces a range of privacy settings and features that allow users to secure their identity and protect their personal data from advertisers and trackers. In this article, we will explore the ten best privacy settings for iPhone that will help you safeguard your privacy.

1. Use App Privacy Report

One of the standout features of iOS 15 is the App Privacy Report. This feature provides users with a detailed breakdown of which apps are accessing their data and sensors, app network activity, website network activity, and more. To access the App Privacy Report:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to the Privacy menu.
  3. Scroll down to the bottom and open App Privacy Report.

2. Enable iCloud Private Relay

Available for iCloud+ users, iCloud Private Relay is a powerful privacy feature that reroutes your Safari browsing data through an Apple server. This helps protect your location and only shares an approximate location with website administrators. To enable iCloud Private Relay:

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Go to Profile > iCloud > Private Relay.
  3. Enable the Private Relay toggle.

3. Use Sign in With Apple

To protect your personal email ID, make use of the “Sign in With Apple” function whenever it's available. This feature allows you to sign up for apps or services without sharing your email ID. Apple creates a random email address and forwards all incoming emails to your personal inbox.

4. Create New Temporary Email Address

For iCloud+ subscribers, Apple's “Hide My Email” feature allows you to create temporary email addresses with a single tap. These temporary email addresses can be used for various purposes, and you can delete them at any time.

5. Enable Two-Factor Authentication

With iOS 15, Apple has integrated two-factor authentication (2FA) into the iCloud Keychain password manager. You no longer need a separate app to generate authentication codes. Simply go to Settings, scroll down to Passwords, select a service that supports 2FA, and set it up.

6. Disable Ad Tracking

To prevent apps from tracking your online activities and serving you personalized ads, you can disable the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” toggle in the Privacy settings. This will automatically deny any new app tracking requests on your iPhone.

7. Modify Location Settings

You have the option to share your approximate location when using apps on your iPhone. To make changes to your location settings:

  1. Go to iPhone Settings > Privacy > Location.
  2. Open an app and disable the Precise Location toggle.
  3. Select the “While Using the App” option from the same menu.

8. Change Default Search Engine

If you have concerns about privacy when using Google as your default search engine, you can easily change it to Yahoo, Bing, or DuckDuckGo. Open the Settings app, go to Safari > Search Engine, and select your preferred alternative.

9. Block Apps from Accessing Bluetooth

Some apps can use Bluetooth to track your physical location. To prevent this, you can disable Bluetooth access permission for unnecessary apps by going to iPhone Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth.

10. Enable Protect Mail Activity

Mail Privacy Protection is a feature that hides your IP address and loads remote content privately in the background, even without opening the message. This makes it harder for senders to track your Mail activity. To enable Protect Mail Activity:

  1. Open iPhone Settings.
  2. Navigate to Mail > Privacy Protection.
  3. Enable the Protect Mail Activity toggle.

By following these ten privacy settings, you can enhance your privacy and protect your personal information on your iPhone. Apple's commitment to user privacy remains unwavering, and with iOS 15, they have provided even more reasons to choose an iPhone over Android for security reasons.