Exploring alternatives to ad tracking in iOS

Lock down your iPhone first

Apple’s App Tracking Transparency gives you a single on/off switch for cross-app tracking. It arrived with iOS 14.5 in April 2021 and changed how apps ask for consent. If ATT gets limited or removed in Europe, the phone needs more than one setting changed.

These are the checks I would make on an iPhone now:

1. Check the ATT toggle and per-app prompts

   • Open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Tracking.
   • Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track to stop new prompts.
   • Look through the app list to see which apps asked to track and whether you allowed them. That gives you a place to revoke permission.

2. Reduce cross-site and cross-app leakage in Safari

   • Open Settings, Safari. Switch on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking.
   • Turn on Block All Cookies only if you can live with some breakage. I would leave cookies on and block trackers first.

3. Tidy app permissions

   • In Settings, go to Privacy & Security and review Location Services, Photos, Microphone and Camera.
   • Set Location to While Using App or Never unless the app really needs background location.
   • For Photos, use Selected Photos where you can.

4. Stop data leaking via mail and device identifiers

   • In Settings, Mail, switch on Mail Privacy Protection. That stops invisible pixels from confirming you opened emails.
   • In Settings, Privacy & Security, Advertising, turn on Limit Ad Tracking if it is there and reset your Advertising Identifier from time to time.

5. Cut down background activity

   • Settings, General, Background App Refresh: turn it off for apps that do not need background access. Fewer background checks means fewer chances to feed a profile.

6. Check the changes

   • After each set of changes, force close an app and open it again. If it still asks for tracking permission, deny it.
   • Go back to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and confirm the app no longer has permission.

Why it matters is fairly simple: ATT gave users visible consent controls. If that changes, the phone will still leak plenty of passive signals unless you do the boring work above.

For background on ATT and the iOS 14.5 rollout, see Apple Support guide and launch reporting from The Guardian.

Use network and browser controls too

If ATT gets weaker in the EU, ads and measurement will move around it. You can do the same by using a mix of device controls and privacy-aware services.

Device and network-level blockers

• Pi-hole or AdGuard Home on a small server at home blocks known ad and tracker domains across the whole network. I run Pi-hole on a Raspberry Pi; it cuts tracking calls and does speed things up a bit. Expect false positives and whitelist the sites that break.
• DNS-over-HTTPS or DNS-over-TLS through a privacy DNS provider reduces DNS eavesdropping. Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 or nextDNS with custom block lists are both sensible options.

Browser and app choices

• Use a privacy-first browser for sensitive browsing. Firefox and Brave are practical on iPhone. Brave blocks a lot of trackers by default.
• Use content blockers in Safari, such as uBlock Origin through the iOS content-blocking extension, if you want more control.

Privacy-preserving measurement

• Advertisers have moved to aggregated or device-level systems such as Apple’s SKAdNetwork and other server-side aggregated measurement. That reduces per-person tracking but still allows campaign measurement. There is no clean opt-out here; the best you can do is reduce signals and block third-party calls.

App-level choices

• Replace apps that ask for broad tracking with lighter alternatives. A dedicated news or weather app without a pile of ad SDKs is usually less noisy. Check App Store privacy labels before installing.

UK data protection

• The UK still works from GDPR-derived data protection rules and the Information Commissioner’s Office enforces them. Consent needs to be informed and specific. If an app claims a lawful basis without consent, treat that as a red flag and report it to the ICO if you need to.

The routine I would actually keep up

• Monthly: open Settings > Privacy & Security and scan each section for new app access.
• Quarterly: reset your Advertising Identifier and rotate passwords for accounts that tie services together.
• Keep iOS updated. Apple does patch privacy issues and changes settings in system updates.

Trade-offs

• Blocking trackers cuts personalised ads, but it also brings more irrelevant ads or paywalls in some places. Private browsing and blocking can break site features. Pick the trade you can live with.

Short checklist

• Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track if you do not want prompts.
• Block cross-site tracking in Safari.
• Run Pi-hole or AdGuard Home if you want network-wide blocking.
• Use Mail Privacy Protection and review app permissions monthly.
• Check App Store privacy labels before installing new apps.