5 iPhone Features You Should Turn Off to Protect Your Privacy and Personal Data
iPhones are known for their security, but some default features can inadvertently leak your personal data. Here are five features you should turn off right away to increase your privacy and protect important information.
While the iPhone is known for its robust security, that doesn’t mean users can rest easy. From biometric data to sensitive login credentials, the phone you carry around with you every day is a personal repository that bad guys are always looking to exploit, sometimes through a few seemingly harmless default settings.
In fact, iOS comes with a series of pre-enabled options to enhance the user experience, but not everyone understands the permissions and data these features use. If not proactively controlled, they can become security vulnerabilities, especially when the device is stolen or remotely attacked.
Here are five iPhone settings you should consider turning off right away. Adjusting them will not only help protect your privacy, but also reduce the risk of exposing personal information in today's risky digital age.
1. Automatic Wi-Fi connection
The Auto Wi-Fi feature on iPhone is designed to provide the convenience of automatically connecting to networks you've used before or suggesting a public network when you're out and about. However, this convenience poses a security risk.
Specifically, your iPhone may accidentally connect to a fake Wi-Fi hotspot, created by a bad guy with the same name as the network you used before. This is a common tactic in cyber attacks, allowing hackers to intercept or steal data when you access the Internet over an unsecured network. Although the probability is low, the risk of losing privacy or personal information is still completely possible.
To reduce your risk, you should turn off Wi-Fi auto-connect when you're not using a trusted network. VisitSetting>Wi-Fi>Auto join, then change the option from “Ask” (default setting) to “Turn off”. This is a simple but necessary step to protect your device and personal data when traveling in public network environments.
2. Location services
Some apps, like Google Maps, clearly need access to your location to function properly. However, many other apps request this permission even though their functionality doesn’t really depend on location information. In these cases, users should think carefully before granting permission, as location data is one of the most sensitive forms of personal information.
On iPhone, users can control location access on a per-app basis. Options include “Never”, “Ask next time or when I share”, “While using the application" or "Always”.
You can also change these settings at any time by going toSetting>Privacy & Security>Location Services, then select the specific app and set the sharing level that suits your needs and trust level.
3. App tracking control features
One of the notable security features on the iPhone is App Tracking Transparency (ATT). This feature allows users to know which apps are tracking their activities on other platforms, as well as what kind of data the apps are allowed to access.
In the sectionSetting>Privacy & Security>Monitor, users can easily find the option “Allow apps to request tracking”. It may sound counterintuitive, but Apple also provides a clear explanation: “When this feature is turned off, any tracking requests from new apps will be automatically denied.”
Below that is a list of apps that have ever requested permission to track you via your device identifier (IDFA). Turning this option off completely means you're opting out of any future attempts to collect data from apps, an important step toward protecting your privacy in the digital age.
4. Personalized advertising
The “Personalized Ads” setting on your iPhone lets Apple collect data about your browsing behavior, app usage habits, and personal interests to show you more relevant ads. It sounds convenient, but it’s actually a legitimate form of user tracking.
Among the permissions users should consider revoking, allowing apps to collect data for advertising purposes should be at the top of the list. According to Apple, turning this feature off won’t reduce the number of ads, but it will limit the ability to personalize ad content.
To disable this feature, go toSetting>Privacy & Security>Apple Ads, then turn off the “Personalized advertising” at the bottom of the screen.
“Personalization” isn’t always a perk, sometimes it’s just an excuse to collect more data about you.
5. Bluetooth connection
Bluetooth is a convenient wireless technology that works well for devices like headphones, smartwatches, and home printers. But it's worth noting that many apps that have no obvious reason to use Bluetooth still request this access.
In the face of increasing data leaks and exploitation, limiting Bluetooth permissions is an important step toward protecting privacy. Unless an app truly needs Bluetooth to function, users should never grant permissions so easily, especially when it is so simple to turn on/off this access.
Come inSetting>Privacy & Security>Bluetooth, where you can check the list of apps that have been granted permissions, and easily revoke or re-allow them at any time.
In the digital age, controlling data gateways like Bluetooth is not only good tech practice, but also an act of self-protection.
