How to Make Your Phone Impossible to Track by Hackers

Apple’s iOS operating system has a number of built-in capabilities that aid in the protection of your iPhone against monitoring and other undesirable acts. While certain applications require tracking of specific actions and knowledge of your location in order to work properly, you should always investigate any requests for access to extra information. Tracking methods on an iPhone include:

Tracking across many websites

Tracking your location

Activity monitoring within the app

Cross-website tracking enables businesses to profile you by monitoring your behaviour across third-party sites and services. Businesses can then utilize the data for targeted advertising, marketing strategy development, or selling to another business.

When an app wishes to cross-site monitor you and your device is running iOS 14.5 or later, a pop-up will ask for permission. Allow “App” to follow your activities across other firms’ applications and websites will show as a notice, with the option to choose Ask App Not to follow or Allow. Cross-site tracking should not be required for an application to perform properly, and rejecting the request is frequently the safest alternative.

You can view which applications have authorization to track you in your iOS settings. You may also change any choices if necessary. Here’s how to prevent an app from cross-site monitoring you on your iPhone:

Navigate to Setting > Privacy > Tracking.
Turn off any applications that you don’t want tracking you.

You can also turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track from here to automatically block any tracking requests. If you disable this functionality, the permission request will no longer show.

Safari also has a cross-site tracking protection function, which can be found in Settings > Safari.

Many applications, like Google Maps, Find My, and Uber, rely on location monitoring. However, the functionality might be abused by any program or anyone. If someone wanted to follow your whereabouts, for example, they might install tracking software on your phone and use it to track your movements.

How to Stop Being Tracked on Your Android Phone

Cross-website, location, and in-app activity monitoring are all feasible with an Android phone. You can’t, however, depend as heavily on built-in security settings as you do with an iOS device. It takes a little more work to prevent someone from following your phone while using Android.

While Google is said to be working on a cross-site tracking protection tool, it isn’t currently accessible, so you’ll have to look into individual applications to see whether they have comparable options.

Android also makes use of location services. While many apps have legitimate reasons to track your location, you may not want some apps to receive that information. Fortunately, by following these steps, you can quickly examine permissions and deactivate location monitoring on your Android phone:

Navigate to Settings > Location.
Select App Permissions.
Tap the app you wish to view and modify the Location access for this app setting.

If any of the mentioned applications has no legitimate purpose to know your location, you should deny it access to that information. You may also utilize the list to assist in detecting any rogue apps that should never have been installed on your smartphone in the first place.