Your smartphone defaults to sharing more personal data than most people realize—location history, browsing habits, even when apps can access your camera. These factory settings prioritize corporate data collection over your privacy, turning your device into a willing informant.
The good news? Eight specific settings can dramatically reduce this data hemorrhaging. Most users never touch these controls, but adjusting them takes minutes and immediately limits how much personal information flows to advertisers, app developers, and data brokers.
Kill the Ad Stalking Machine
Personalized advertising uses your data without reducing ad volume.
Both platforms let you disable targeted ads while keeping the same number of advertisements. On Android, navigate to Settings > Google > Ads > Delete advertising ID. For iOS users, hit Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and turn off Personalized Ads. You’ll still see ads—they just won’t follow you around with eerie precision.
Lock Down Location Leaks
Most apps don’t need constant access to where you are.
Review every app’s location permission and set non-essential ones to “Never.” Only apps like Maps genuinely need location access. Social media apps tracking your every movement? That’s surveillance, not service. Both iOS and Android offer granular controls—use them ruthlessly.
Stop the Cross-App Tracking Web
iOS users can block apps from requesting tracking permission entirely.
Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature lets you prevent apps from even asking to track you across other apps and websites. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and disable “Allow Apps to Request to Track.” This system-wide toggle strengthens privacy by default.
Shut Off the Digital Eavesdropping
Social media apps have faced scrutiny for misusing microphone and camera access.
Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok don’t need constant microphone or camera access. Review permissions in Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone/Camera and revoke access for apps that aren’t actively recording. Grant permission only when posting, then revoke it afterward.
Break Google’s Memory Palace
Google maintains separate location and activity logs beyond individual app permissions.
Even with app permissions locked down, Google may still log detailed location and activity timelines. Visit Google Account > Data & Privacy > History Settings and disable both Location History and Web & App Activity. This stops Google from building comprehensive behavioral profiles.
Turn Off Device Analytics Sharing
Both Apple and Google collect diagnostic data by default to “improve products.”
Your phone constantly reports usage patterns and app behavior back to headquarters. On iOS, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements and turn off all options. Android users should navigate to Settings > Google > Device Diagnostics and disable data sharing.
Disable Individual App Ad Settings
Most apps have internal privacy controls beyond system-level changes.
Don’t stop at operating system settings. Enter individual app privacy settings—Facebook, Instagram, Amazon, and others maintain separate ad personalization toggles. Disable data usage for ads, partner sharing, and third-party data selling wherever these options appear.
Stop Hidden Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Scanning
Devices continue scanning for networks even when radios are disabled.
Your phone provides persistent location information through background network scanning. On Android, go to Settings > Location > Location Services and turn off both Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning. iOS users should visit Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services and disable Networking & Wireless along with Analytics.
These settings represent your first line of defense against corporate data harvesting. Your phone should work for you, not against you—and these eight changes ensure it does exactly that.