Apple stresses that its advertising platform doesn’t track users, nor does it follow them across apps and websites. Moreover, the Cupertino tech giant also states that the Apple advertising platform doesn’t share personally identifiable user information with third parties. However, the company does use “Contextual Information” (more on this later) to serve personalized ads on your iOS device. So if you no longer want Apple to gather your personal information for targeted ads, let me show you how to block ad tracking on iPhone and iPad.
Before getting into the settings to block ad tracking, let’s first understand how it works, and more significantly, what sort of personal information does Apple collect to serve personalized ads to iPhone and iPad users.
- Where do Ads Delivered by Apple’s Advertising Platform Appear?
- What All Information Does Apple’s Ad Platform Collect?
- What are Segments and How does Apple Use Them to Deliver Targeted Ads?
- Block Apple Ad Tracking on iOS/ iPadOS Devices
- Block Personalized Ads on iPhone and iPad
Where do Ads Delivered by Apple’s Advertising Platform Appear?
The ads delivered by Apple’s advertising platform appear at three main places on your iOS device. This includes,
So, if you see personalized ads in these apps, you should know that Apple ad tracking is enabled on your iOS device.
Apple states that its advertising platform may use Contextual Information to serve ads. If you are wondering what all information the company has access to, then let me tell you that it includes your device information, device location, and search queries.
- Device Information: OS version, network provider and connection type, your keyboard language settings, and device type.
- Device Location: If you have granted App Store or Apple News access to your location, the Apple advertising platform may use your location to serve geographically relevant ads.
Note: Apple asserts that your precise location is not stored. Besides, it also mentions that profiles are not constructed from the device location information.
What are Segments and How does Apple Use Them to Deliver Targeted Ads?
Apple says that its advertising platform creates segments that are groups of people that share similar characteristics. It uses information about you to determine your specific segment and delivers targeted ads accordingly.
- Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, tap on Screen Time.
Block Personalized Ads on iPhone and iPad
Apple also allows you to disable targeted ads on your iOS/ iPadOS device. Bear in mind that turning off personalized ads will only limit Apple’s ability to deliver relevant ads to you. Furthermore, disabling personalized ads won’t reduce the number of ads you receive.
That’s pretty much it! Now that you know how Apple’s ad platform works, what all information it collects, and how to disable ad tracking on iOS, you should do the needful to safeguard your personal information. Even though Apple is quite reliable in terms of offering the needed security and privacy to your data, you should go by your own instinct.
