Apple’s senior changes can shift how privacy is defended at product level. Legal and policy moves can change priorities and public positions. Jennifer Newstead is slated to become Apple’s general counsel in March 2026, Kate Adams will hand over later next year, and Lisa Jackson will retire, with some teams moved to Sabih Khan. That can affect advocacy on privacy and data protection. It matters to personal tech, and it matters to how features land in updates.
Start with the settings that matter most. Open Settings, then Privacy & Security. Turn on App Tracking Transparency for apps that ask to follow you across apps and websites. Check Location Services and set most apps to While Using or Never. Enable Mail Privacy Protection if you use Apple Mail. Review Camera and Microphone access and revoke any app that does not need them. Scroll to Analytics & Improvements and disable sharing if you want less diagnostic data sent to Apple. Use App Privacy Report to see what apps access and how often. I check these after every iOS update.
Lock down your account and device security. Turn on two-factor authentication for your Apple ID and use a strong, unique password. Use a password manager and generate long passwords for important accounts. On iPhone and iPad, set an alphanumeric passcode and enable Face ID or Touch ID. For Macs, enable FileVault to encrypt the disk. Prefer local encrypted backups when you can; on macOS use Finder to make an encrypted backup of an iPhone or iPad. For critical accounts, consider a hardware security key that supports passkeys or FIDO2. Those steps raise security without changing how you work.
Treat data minimisation as a habit. Audit which apps you signed in to with Apple ID and revoke those you no longer use. Limit iCloud Drive sharing and remove files you no longer need. Check Photos settings for Shared Albums and disable automatic sharing if you prefer manual control. Export any records you want to keep, then delete stale data. If you use HomeKit, audit who has access to your home hubs and smart devices. I do a quick export and tidy every six months. That reduces the data surface if corporate changes alter policy stances.
Keep an eye on policy shifts and product statements. Leadership changes can change how aggressively a company defends privacy in law and regulation. Track Apple’s newsroom and formal privacy pages for changes to data protection promises. Set alerts for phrases like “privacy” and “data protection” tied to Apple. Watch EU regulatory news, because regional rules can force feature changes or limits on privacy safeguards. If you rely on particular privacy features for work or sensitive accounts, test them after major iOS or macOS releases. I test core flows — sign-in, sync, and sharing — on a spare device before trusting an update.
If an app or service asks for broader permissions after an update, stop and review. Ask two questions: does the app need that permission for its main function, and what data will be sent off device? If the answer is unclear, deny the permission and look for something else. For any paid subscriptions, recheck the privacy policy and the App Store’s privacy label. Keep receipts of policy versions or screenshots if you need to argue later about what was promised.
Practical cadence: check privacy settings after every major OS update, audit apps quarterly, and rotate critical passwords annually. Log your changes so you can reverse them if a setting breaks functionality. Keep a separate Apple ID for test devices if you tinker a lot. I keep a checklist on my phone and run it when updates land.
Concrete takeaways: lock your Apple ID with 2FA, prune app permissions, prefer encrypted local backups, and watch Apple’s public policy signals. Those steps protect your security and personal tech even as corporate changes shift priorities. Keep the routine short and repeatable so it gets done.
