iOS and Android: How to turn off tracking

Apple is encouraging its smartphone and tablet users to use data sparingly in the future. But this is also possible - hidden - on Android devices.

Advertising has been tracking smartphone users for years, often unnoticed, across many apps. An individual number enables advertising companies to play personalized ads across websites and apps. This "tracking" is the technology behind the much-lamented phenomenon of once-searched goods showing up again and again in different ad formats.

Apple's current decision to actively inform users of its iPhones about this in the future is only now making many users aware of the generous use of data on their smartphones. The iOS system now automatically asks users whether they want to allow advertising tracking for new apps. Apple is thus sharpening its image as a data protector.

However, data collection has been prevented for years - not only on Apple's iPhones, but also on the more widespread devices with the Android operating system. These are the devices of almost all other manufacturers such as Samsung, Nokia, LG, Sony or Motorola.

How to turn off tracking on Apple's iOS

Even with older versions of the iOS software before the new version 14.5, you can completely turn off tracking for all apps. To do this, select the Settings app - that is, the icon with the gear. Swipe down to the Privacy section. There you will find the menu item "Advertising". Depending on the version, you can select "Restrict ad tracking" or "Allow apps to request tracking".

So, for older devices, you need to enable "Restrict ad tracking" to prevent tracking. For newer ones, disable "Allow apps to request tracking".

You can also reset the ad ID there. This will start the data collection from zero again. This way, you get rid of annoying ads that track you without having to completely give up personalized ads.

How to turn off tracking on Android

The Android operating system also offers to do without tracking. Here, too, you first open the "Settings" menu, for example via the gear icon in the notification area.

The function is hidden in the menu item "Google". There you will find the item "Advertising". At this point, there is the selection "Disable personalized advertising" or "Disable interest-based advertising". In addition, you can also reset your advertising ID here. In the "Google Ads" menu item, Google explains its view of the technology it uses to select ads not only in its own products, but also on two million websites and third-party apps.

What are the benefits of tracking?

Advertising companies like Google argue that personalized advertising helps not only advertisers, but also users. They would see more useful content in the ads. In addition, targeted advertising finances many free offers on the web and in apps.

To do this, the advertising networks determine, among other things, the type of websites visited and apps installed, cookies in the browser, activities on other devices, and interactions with advertisements during tracking. Advertising providers such as Google promise not to link potentially sensitive data such as religious affiliation, health and sexual orientation with the identifiers.

What are the downsides of tracking?

Data protection experts believe that the sparing use of data is the best way to prevent possible misuse. There is also another reason: less suitable advertising is less likely to tempt you to make impulse purchases that you may later regret.

Where else can data be saved?

The newer versions of both operating systems actively offer to restrict permissions like location tracking with every new app. Almost all apps can be used without any problems if the permission is only allowed for the active use of an app, but not in the background. This means that apps can no longer track entire location histories.

The popular Google services, such as the Maps service, also store a lot of data by default. They can be viewed online via the "Google Dashboard". The easiest way to find the function is to enter the search term "Google Dashboard" in the search engine.

Here you will also find links to privacy settings for the Google account, such as location history and searches. A few years ago, Google still strictly offered to use the functions - or not. Those who lived a data-saving life were thus unable to use many helpful functions. In the meantime, Google offers a compromise between data protection and user experience: Almost all data can be set so that Google automatically deletes it after three months.

Otherwise, the location data of Android users in the Google account, for example, can be tracked in extreme detail for years - even by security authorities if the corresponding decision is made.

This does not happen so rarely: Worldwide, Google disclosed the data of more than 235,000 user accounts to the authorities in the first half of 2020 alone, according to the transparency report. In Germany, the authorities requested access to 20,763 accounts during the period. In three quarters of the German cases, Google allowed the insight.