Monday, October 19, 2026
Tech

How to Stop Apps From Tracking You Across Websites

Rive News Research Desk

Published · 10 min read

Key takeaways

  • On iPhone, turn off "Allow Apps to Request to Track" and revoke tracking for apps you already approved.
  • On Android, delete the advertising ID and opt out of personalised ads.
  • Denying tracking requests reduces data collection, but it does not erase it entirely.
A hand holding a phone as app data spills out as liquid
A hand holding a phone as app icons spill out as liquid, a visual image of data leaking from appsPhotograph: Stefan Nürnberger / Wikimedia CommonsImage: Wikimedia Commons

You search for shoes in one app and see shoe ads in another five minutes later. That is cross-app tracking at work. Apps collect data about you, then share it with third parties who build a profile of your interests, your location, and your habits.

The good news is that both iPhone and Android now give you controls that cut most of it back. The steps take about ten minutes, and they do not break your apps. This article explains how to stop apps from tracking you across websites, on both platforms, and what the settings cannot do.

What app tracking actually collects

App tracking involves collecting user and device data from apps, according to Cape. That data can include personal identifiers such as your name, email address, and phone number, plus your location, online activity, app usage, content interactions, and purchase history.

Apps share this information with third parties for purposes ranging from targeted advertising to measuring ad effectiveness. The scope goes further than many people expect. Apps often track your data even when you are not actively using them, and your data can be sold to data brokers and other companies.

Tracking also leaks through identifiers you cannot see. Every phone carries an advertising identifier: IDFA on iPhone and AAID on Android.

Ad networks tie activity to that identifier across apps and websites. Turning off tracking requests stops new permission grants, but it does not erase the identifier that networks may already have tied to your device, as Cape explains.

That is why this article covers both halves: the permission switch and the identifier reset. Either one alone leaves a gap.

iPhone: turn off tracking requests

Apple introduced the App Tracking Transparency framework in iOS 14.5, according to Cape. Since then, every app must ask permission before tracking you or your device across websites or apps owned by other companies. You can answer each prompt, or you can shut the prompts off entirely.

Open Settings, then go to Privacy and Security, then tap Tracking. You will see a list of every app that has requested permission to track you.

Turn off tracking for any app on the list that does not need it. For maximum effect, turn them all off.

Then turn off the master switch at the top of the screen: "Allow Apps to Request to Track." This stops apps from asking you in future, which prevents accidental grants. Note one catch from Cape: disabling this option does not affect apps you already gave permission to.

You still have to revoke those individually in the same list. Do the list first, then the master switch.

Decline future prompts the same way. When an app asks to track you across other companies' apps and websites, decline unless you have a clear reason to allow it. Wiperts gives the same advice: decline unless you have a reason, and review the list of apps that have asked.

iPhone: check the App Privacy Report

Apple's App Privacy Report shows a seven-day log of which apps accessed your location, camera, microphone, contacts, and photos, plus the network domains they contacted, according to Cape. It is the best tool for verifying that your changes worked.

Open Settings, tap Privacy and Security, then tap App Privacy Report. Turn it on if it is not already enabled. After a week, review the log.

Look for apps that contacted advertising or analytics domains while idle, and for apps that accessed sensors at odd times. Those are candidates for permission removal or deletion.

Review the report weekly for a month. That builds a picture of what normal looks like for your phone. An app that suddenly starts contacting new domains after an update deserves a second look.

Android: delete the advertising ID

Android does not offer a single system-wide tracking switch like iPhone, so the fix has two parts: the advertising ID and per-app permissions. Start with the ID, because it is the key that ties your activity together across apps.

Open Settings, then go to Privacy, then Ads, then tap Delete Advertising ID and confirm Delete. Deleting the ID is stronger than resetting it.

A reset gives you a new random ID, which still lets networks build a fresh profile. A delete removes the ID, so apps receive a string of zeros instead.

Next, opt out of personalised ads in the same menu. This does not stop ads entirely, but it limits how much they are based on your personal data.

Then open your Google Account settings and review the activity controls: web and app activity, location history, and ad personalisation. Pause or set auto-delete for the ones you do not want kept, as Wiperts recommends.

Steps vary by Android version and phone maker. On some phones the path is Settings, then Google, then Ads.

On others it sits under Security and Privacy. Use the Settings search bar and type "Ads" if the menu names differ.

A person looking at a smartphone in the dark
A person looking at a smartphone in the darkPhotograph: Japanexperterna.se / Wikimedia CommonsImage: Wikimedia Commons

Android: audit permissions app by app

Since Android lacks a global tracking switch, per-app permissions do the heavy lifting. Open Settings, then Apps, then pick an app.

Tap Permissions and review what it can access. Focus on location, contacts, calendar, call logs, camera, and microphone.

Set location to "Allow only while using the app" or "Don't allow" for anything that does not need it. Wiperts advises avoiding "always" for location except for apps that truly need it, and switching off precise location for apps that work fine with an approximate position.

A weather app does not need your exact street address. A flashlight app does not need location at all.

Use the system view too. Under Security and Privacy, open "Permissions used in the last 24 hours" to see which apps used sensitive permissions recently, as Cape describes.

Review the last seven days as well. Revoke anything you do not recognise or cannot justify.

Deny contacts, calendar, and call logs for most apps. Those three permissions hand over your relationships and your schedule, and very few apps need them. Choose "selected photos" where the option exists instead of granting access to your whole library.

Both platforms: browser, permissions, and clean-up

Your browser is a second tracking channel. Set it to block cross-site tracking and third-party cookies.

Wiperts recommends exactly that, plus a search engine and browser that match your privacy preferences. If you stay signed in to a major account in your main browser, consider a separate browser or profile for casual browsing.

Turn off background app refresh for apps you rarely use. On iPhone, go to Settings, then General, then Background App Refresh.

On Android, open each app's battery settings and set it to Restricted. Apps that cannot run in the background cannot phone home as often.

Uninstall apps you do not use. Unused apps present potential security risks, especially if they have not been updated, and they can track your data even when you never open them, as Cape notes. Go through your phone every few months and remove anything you no longer benefit from.

Review the privacy dashboard on either platform. Both systems offer one: Android's Privacy Dashboard and Apple's App Privacy Report. Check which apps accessed your location, camera, and microphone recently.

Apps that access sensors at odd times deserve scrutiny, as Wiperts advises. Before you enter card details anywhere, the same audit mindset applies, and our guide on checking a website is safe before entering card details covers the checkout side.

Two people taking photos with their phones outdoors
Two people taking photos with their phones outdoorsPhotograph: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Wikimedia CommonsImage: Wikimedia Commons

What these settings cannot do

Be honest about the limits. Denying tracking requests reduces but does not eliminate collection, as Wiperts states. Apps still collect data they need to function.

A maps app still sees your location when you navigate. A shop app still sees your purchases.

A VPN helps with part of the problem and not the rest. It encrypts your traffic and hides your IP address, but it does not stop third-party tracking code already inside apps from reaching its own servers, according to PC Build Advisor. Use a VPN as one layer, not as the whole answer.

Fingerprinting is the other gap. Even without an advertising ID, a combination of device model, screen size, fonts, and settings can form a rough fingerprint. Browser settings that block third-party cookies and cross-site tracking reduce this, but they do not remove it completely.

After a major operating system update, revisit the privacy menu. Updates sometimes add new privacy options and sometimes reset choices to defaults. Ten minutes of re-checking after each major release keeps your configuration current.

Frequently asked questions

Will turning off tracking stop all ads?

No. You will still see ads, but they will be less based on your personal history.

Turning off personalisation changes the targeting, not the volume. Fewer creepy coincidences, same number of ad slots.

Does a VPN stop apps from tracking me?

Not on its own. A VPN hides your IP address and encrypts traffic, but it does not block tracking code inside apps or erase your advertising ID. Combine a VPN with the tracking switches and permission audit for real effect.

Why do apps still ask to track me after I turned the setting off?

On iPhone, turning off the master switch stops new prompts, but it does not revoke permissions you already granted. Go back to the Tracking list and turn those off individually. On Android, there is no master switch, so each app and each Google setting must be handled separately.

Is it safe to deny location to every app?

Mostly, but keep it for apps that need it. Maps, ride-hailing, and delivery apps need location while in use.

Set those to "While using" and everything else to "Never" or approximate. Nothing breaks if a shopping app loses your exact position.

How often should I review these settings?

Every quarter, and after every major OS update. Permissions creep back through updates and reinstalls. A short quarterly review keeps the settings aligned with how you actually use the phone.

The bottom line

Stopping apps from tracking you across websites takes ten minutes and two moves: cut the permission and cut the identifier. On iPhone, revoke tracking per app, then switch off "Allow Apps to Request to Track." On Android, delete the advertising ID, opt out of personalised ads, and audit permissions app by app.

Then verify with the privacy report, prune unused apps, and repeat the check each quarter. Tracking will not drop to zero, but it will drop to a level you chose.

Tags: privacy, tracking, smartphone, iPhone, Android

Latest in Tech

  • How to Check a Website Is Safe Before Entering Card Details
  • How to Delete Old Accounts You No Longer Use
  • How to Back Up Your Photos So You Never Lose Them
  • How to Stop Your Phone Overheating While Charging

Subscribe for one practical tech habit each week, written in plain English.

TaggedprivacytrackingsmartphoneiPhoneAndroid

Related stories