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Freedom251 › Blog › advertising tracking

How to Stop Apps From Sharing Your Personal Data With Advertisers

By Freedom251 Team · · 12 min read

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There is no universal switch that stops every app from collecting or sharing personal information. You can, however, reduce cross-company tracking and ad-related data use by changing your phone’s tracking controls, removing unnecessary permissions, checking each app’s privacy settings, and requesting deletion from the provider. These steps limit defined forms of access and advertising use; they do not automatically erase information an app already holds or control every processing activity inside the provider’s service.

What you can actually stop

“Sharing data with advertisers” can describe several different activities. An app might use a device identifier for advertising measurement, combine information with another company’s records, suggest advertising topics based on app activity, transmit contacts or location to its own service, or retain information after you revoke a permission. Phone controls address some of these mechanisms, while app-account controls address others.

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  • System advertising and tracking controls limit platform-supported identifiers, topics, measurement, or cross-company tracking.
  • App permissions limit future access to categories such as contacts, photos, calendars, microphones, or location.
  • App privacy and account settings control choices made inside the provider’s service, such as personalized advertising or data-deletion requests.
  • Uninstalling an app stops its access from that device, but it does not by itself delete information previously uploaded to the provider.

Use all four layers when the goal is to reduce exposure. A denied permission is not the same as deletion, and an advertising setting is not a guarantee that an app cannot collect information needed to operate its service.

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iPhone and iPad: turn off tracking requests and inspect access

1. Change App Tracking Transparency choices

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Privacy & Security, then Tracking.
  3. Review the list of apps and turn tracking off for any app that does not need this permission.
  4. To stop apps from asking in the future, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.

Apple says that when this global option is off, an app that requests tracking is treated as though you selected Ask App Not to Track. You can return to the same screen later to change individual decisions or the global setting.

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Apple Support describes the rule this way: “All apps are required to ask your permission before tracking you or your iPhone across websites or apps owned by other companies for advertising or to share your information with data brokers.” The permission applies to Apple’s defined tracking framework, not to every form of data collection by every app.

2. Use App Privacy Report

  1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > App Privacy Report.
  2. Turn on App Privacy Report.
  3. Use your apps normally and return to the report after activity has accumulated.

The report begins gathering information only after you enable it. Apple’s guide shows access activity for the previous 7 days, so an empty report immediately after activation does not demonstrate that an app has no network activity. Use the report to identify unexpected permission access and domains contacted by apps, then investigate the app’s stated purpose and privacy policy.

3. Remove permissions an app does not need

From Settings > Privacy & Security, open each relevant category and review the apps listed there. Revoke access to contacts, photos, calendars, microphone, camera, Bluetooth, local network, location, or other sensitive information when the feature you use does not require it. For location, choose a less precise option when that is sufficient for the feature.

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For example, a photo-editing app may need selected photos but not your entire library; a calendar utility may need calendar access but not contacts. Recheck permissions after major app updates because a new feature can introduce a new request.

Android: manage ad topics, measurement, and the advertising ID

1. Turn off Android’s Ads privacy controls

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Tap Google, then All services.
  3. Under privacy and security, tap Ads, then Ads privacy.
  4. Review and disable Ad topics, App-suggested ads, and Ad measurement as desired.
  5. Remove individual topics or block an app from suggesting ads when those controls are offered.

These controls govern Android’s documented ad-topics, app-suggested-ads, and ad-measurement mechanisms. They do not turn advertising off. Google notes that ads may remain personalized depending on the settings you choose, the advertising-ID state, and the policies of the apps you use. You may still see an ad related to a removed topic or an app you blocked.

2. Delete the advertising ID when the option is available

On devices that expose the control, open Settings > Privacy > Ads and choose the option to delete the advertising ID. Menu names and behavior vary by Android release, manufacturer, and Google Play services configuration.

Google Play’s developer guidance says that, on applicable implementations, attempts to access the deleted identifier return zeros. Deleting this identifier affects future access to that platform identifier; it does not erase account records, purchase history, information an app collected under another identifier, or data already held by an advertising partner.

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3. Review Android app permissions

Open Settings > Privacy > Permission manager (the exact label can differ) and inspect sensitive categories. Select an app to change its access to contacts, files and media, camera, microphone, location, phone, SMS, or other categories shown on your device.

  • Choose Don’t allow when the permission is unnecessary.
  • Use a one-time or “only while using” choice when Android offers it and that fits the feature.
  • Enable unused-app permission removal if your phone provides it, so permissions are reviewed or revoked for apps you stop using.
  • Uninstall an app when you do not want its collection to continue from that device.

Removing a permission prevents the app from using that category through the operating system’s permission system. It does not delete copies the app already uploaded.

iPhone and Android controls compared

Question iPhone or iPad Android
Primary path Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking Settings > Google > All services > Privacy & security > Ads > Ads privacy
Main mechanism App Tracking Transparency for Apple’s defined cross-company tracking framework Ad topics, app-suggested ads, and ad measurement; advertising-ID management may also be available
Inspection tool App Privacy Report, which records access and network activity after activation and shows a seven-day window Per-app permissions and the Ads privacy controls; exact tools depend on device and software
Important limit Denying tracking does not stop all personal-data collection or erase provider-held records Turning off the listed controls does not guarantee nonpersonalized ads or prevent an app’s own advertising systems

On both platforms, system controls are only one layer. Permission review and provider-account settings address different data flows. Android menu wording and available options can vary more visibly across manufacturers, while an iPhone’s tracking choice still does not replace an app’s own deletion process.

Change settings inside the app and its account

Platform settings cannot control every decision made on a provider’s servers. Open the app’s privacy, advertising, or account section and look for controls such as personalized ads, activity-based recommendations, data sharing, or marketing communications. The names and availability of these controls differ by service.

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Apple distinguishes device privacy settings from third-party account settings: to change a third-party service’s choices, sign in to that account. Google Play likewise advises contacting the developer when an in-app deletion request is not available.

Request deletion of data already collected

  1. Read the app’s privacy section to find its deletion or privacy-request procedure.
  2. Submit the request through the in-app form or the provider’s documented privacy contact.
  3. Specify the account, email address, device identifier, or other information needed to locate your records, but provide no extra data that is not required.
  4. Save the confirmation and any stated completion date.
  5. After the request is completed, uninstall the app if you no longer need it and revoke any remaining permissions.

Deleting an app, turning off tracking, or deleting an advertising ID is not a substitute for an account-level deletion request. A provider may also retain some records where required for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, billing, or dispute handling; the provider’s privacy notice should explain those exceptions.

What Apple’s tracking permission does and does not block

Apple defines tracking for its permission system as linking identifying information from an app with information from other companies’ apps, websites, or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement, or sharing that information with data brokers.

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When you deny tracking permission, Apple says the app is restricted from accessing the system advertising identifier and from tracking you using other identifying information, such as an email address, under that framework. This is a platform rule, not a promise that the app cannot collect personal information needed to provide its own service, keep an account, process a transaction, or operate security features.

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App Tracking Transparency also does not retroactively remove records already associated with your account. Use the provider’s deletion process for that purpose.

What Android’s Ads privacy controls do and do not block

Android’s controls are narrower and are organized around specific ad mechanisms: ad topics, app-suggested ads, and ad measurement. Turning them off limits those mechanisms on supported devices, but it does not prevent an app from running its own advertising or analytics system under its own policies.

Google’s guidance explicitly warns that you may continue to see ads, including ads related to a topic you removed or an app whose suggestions you blocked. The practical outcome is reduced use of the listed Android ad features, not an ad-free phone or a guarantee of zero data sharing.

Use app-store disclosures as evidence, not proof

Apple App Store privacy information

Before installing an app, scroll to its App Store privacy section and examine the data categories, purposes, and whether information is linked to you or used for tracking. Apple says these disclosures are self-reported by developers. They are useful for comparing an app’s stated practices, but they are not an independent audit and cannot establish that an app never shares data.

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Google Play Data safety

On Google Play, review the app’s Data safety section and then read the linked privacy policy or documentation for context. Google describes Data safety information as developer-provided and advises readers to consult the policy as well. Check whether data is collected, shared, encrypted, deleted on request, or required for the app’s core features.

Compare the disclosure with the permissions the app requests. A calculator that requests contacts, precise location, and microphone access deserves closer scrutiny than one that needs none of them, even if both show similar advertising statements.

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A practical review routine

  1. Start with the operating system. On iPhone or iPad, review Privacy & Security > Tracking and enable App Privacy Report. On Android, review Google > All services > Privacy & security > Ads > Ads privacy and the advertising-ID option if present.
  2. Audit sensitive permissions. Remove access that is not required for a feature you actually use.
  3. Inspect the app’s account controls. Disable personalized advertising or data-sharing choices offered by the provider.
  4. Check disclosures before installing replacements. Read the App Store privacy section or Google Play Data safety information and the privacy policy.
  5. Delete what you no longer need. Uninstall abandoned apps and submit a separate deletion request for data already stored in the provider’s account.
  6. Repeat periodically. Operating-system updates, app updates, new devices, and account changes can alter available menus and permissions.
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Questions to ask before installing or keeping an app

First, identify the feature you actually intend to use. If an app’s core feature does not need contacts, a full photo library, precise location, a microphone, or a calendar, deny that request or choose a narrower option. Next, compare the requested access with the App Store privacy section or Google Play Data safety disclosure. A mismatch is a reason to read the provider’s policy or choose another app, not proof by itself of misconduct.

After installation, do not treat the first permission prompt as the only review. Revisit permissions after an update, inspect the iPhone App Privacy Report after it has collected activity, and check Android’s Ads privacy page and advertising-ID setting. If you stop using the app, revoke its permissions and uninstall it; then decide separately whether the provider’s account records should be deleted.

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Why a setting may appear different or fail to produce the expected result

The menu is missing

Labels and paths vary by operating-system release, phone manufacturer, region, managed-device policy, and account configuration. Use the Settings search field for terms such as Tracking, App Privacy Report, Ads privacy, or advertising ID. A work or school administrator may hide or lock a control.

An app keeps asking

On iPhone or iPad, confirm that Allow Apps to Request to Track is off and that the individual app’s choice is disabled. A conventional permission prompt, such as camera or contacts access, is separate from the tracking prompt and must be changed in its own privacy category.

You still see targeted-looking ads

Seeing an ad does not prove that the operating-system control failed. Advertising can be based on contextual content, an account’s own activity, information retained by a provider, or mechanisms outside the specific platform setting. Check the app’s account controls and request deletion when your objective is to remove previously held information.

The App Privacy Report shows little information

The report records activity only after it is enabled. Use the apps for a while, then review the available seven-day window. A quiet report means that little activity was recorded during that period; it is not a certification of an app’s complete behavior.

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Can a VPN or privacy screen solve the problem?

No. A privacy screen limits what people nearby can see on your display; it does not control an app’s collection or sharing. A VPN is not a documented substitute for the platform settings, permission review, provider controls, or deletion request described here.

Limits worth keeping in mind

  • Device controls generally affect future access or future use of a specified identifier; they do not automatically erase historical records.
  • Permission controls govern the operating system’s access to protected categories, not every piece of information an app can receive from an account, a server, or another device.
  • Store disclosures describe developer-reported practices and should be checked against the provider’s policy and the permissions requested.
  • Android menu wording and advertising-ID behavior depend on the Android version, device maker, and applicable Google Play services implementation.
  • Apple’s tracking permission framework concerns cross-company tracking, targeted advertising, advertising measurement, and data-broker sharing as defined by Apple; it is not a blanket ban on personal-data processing.

The strongest approach is layered: limit platform tracking, minimize permissions, change provider-level advertising choices, and submit a deletion request when you want old records removed. That combination reduces the pathways covered by the controls while leaving you with a clear understanding of what remains outside their reach.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off tracking on an iPhone stop an app from collecting all personal information?

No. App Tracking Transparency addresses Apple’s defined cross-company tracking for targeted advertising, measurement, and data-broker sharing. An app may still collect information needed for its own account, transactions, features, or security.

Will deleting my Android advertising ID erase data an app already has?

No. On applicable Google Play services implementations, access to the deleted identifier returns zeros, but deletion does not erase account records, other identifiers, or information already held by the app or an advertising partner.

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Why do I still see personalized-looking ads after changing these settings?

The controls limit particular platform mechanisms, not every advertising system. Ads may reflect contextual content, activity within an account, information already retained by a provider, or an app’s own policies.

Should I deny an app access to contacts or photos?

Deny access when the feature you use does not require it. Use selected photos, one-time access, or while-using location choices when available. Remember that revoking permission does not delete copies already uploaded.

Does uninstalling an app delete my account data?

Usually, no. Uninstalling stops access from that device. Use the app’s deletion feature or contact its developer to request removal of data already stored by the provider.

Can I trust App Store privacy labels and Google Play Data safety disclosures?

Treat them as useful, developer-reported information rather than independent audits or guarantees. Compare the disclosure with the permissions requested and read the linked privacy policy.

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What if I cannot find one of these settings?

Search Settings for Tracking, App Privacy Report, Ads privacy, or advertising ID. Paths and availability vary by operating-system release, manufacturer, region, managed-device policy, and account configuration.

The Bottom Line

To reduce app data sharing with advertisers, turn off the relevant iPhone or Android ad controls, deny unnecessary permissions, adjust the app’s own privacy settings, and submit a separate deletion request for old records. These steps limit specific tracking and advertising pathways; they do not promise zero data collection, zero ads, or automatic deletion.

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