iOS 14’s privacy features: Here’s how to keep yourself and your data safe

The iOS 14 safety features range from better location options to tracking controls that require an app to be more transparent about the data it collects about you, and how the information is used.

DON’T LET APPS GET YOUR PRECISE LOCATION

When you enable location tracking in a mobile app it finds the geographical coordinates where your phone or tablet is located and incorporates them into whatever service that app performs.

In iOS 13, you have the choice of granting new types of location permissions, which allowed apps to only track you while you were using the app. If you let certain apps continue to use your location in the background, then you will get reminders of their presence.

If you now rather want an app to only track your general location, you can open Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle Precise Location on or off for each app.

iOS 14 CAMERA AND MICROPHONE ACCESS

The new amber and green indicators in your device’s status bar will signal when an app has used your camera or microphone. The amber light signifies an app has used your mic, while a green light signals access to your camera.

If there is no good reason for those recording functions to be used, those lights can be a reminder to remove app permissions where required.

DECIDE IF APPS CAN HAVE ACCESS TO YOUR STORED PHOTOS

You may want some apps to have access to your photos, but probably not every single one of them. When an app wants to access stored photos on your device it must ask permission, and with iOS 14, you can give conditional permission. You can allow access to all photos, no photos, or only selected photos.

You can further restrict access by specifying certain photos or folders in Settings > Privacy > Photos, where you can modify access for each app individually.

iOS 14 can HIDE HIDDEN FOLDERS

With iOS 14 you can now hide a Hidden folder. Go to Settings > Photos > Hidden Album and switch it off. You will need to turn the Hidden Album back on to see your photos again.

PASSWORD SECURITY RECOMMENDATIONS

It is likely you have set up your system so that your passwords autofill in your browser without you having to remember them.

In iOS 14, Apple has added a Security Recommendations feature via Settings > Passwords > Security Recommendations, which notifies you if your password has appeared in any known data leak or data breach. It will then suggest that you change your password.

APPS NEED PERMISSION TO TRACK YOU

We constantly see evidence of apps using tracking technology to follow you around the internet.

With iOS 14 apps, soon will need to receive permission to do that.

If you want to halt apps from tracking you across your phone, there is an option in Settings > Privacy > Apple Advertising that lets you switch off personalised ads in Apple services.

If you want to turn off all tracking and don’t ever want to be asked about it, go to Settings > Privacy > Tracking and disable Allow Apps to Request to Track.

iOS 14 CLIPBOARD NOTIFICATION

If you copy and paste text from Safari to Mail, that text is stored in the clipboard. Many apps are set up to access your clipboard, and some may do so without your knowledge or approval potentially storing private information like passwords.

With iOS 14, a small banner appears whenever you paste information, informing you which app used the clipboard.

APP STORE PRIVACY WITH iOS 14

The iOS 14 App Store requires all apps to report their privacy policies straight away so you can decide whether or not to install them. In the near future, apps will have to reveal how much data they collect, how much can personally identify you and which data can be used to follow you around other apps and sites.

SAFARI NEW PRIVACY REPORT

Apple is applying Safari privacy features on all platforms to prevent cross-site tracking and cookies.

The new Privacy Report in Safari 14 uses DuckDuckGo’s tracker to reveal which trackers have been flagged by the Intelligent Tracking Prevention algorithm. Safari’s privacy report shows you how many trackers the browser has blocked, which websites attract the most trackers, and which trackers are the most aggressive.

A variety of toggle switches in the Settings > Safari security section notifies you of online surveillance, and each website you visit lets you check this information by tapping the double-A in the URL bar.

LOCAL NETWORK PRIVACY

You can now control whether the apps installed on your Apple mobile device have permission to connect with devices on your local network via Settings > Privacy > Local Network.

You can toggle access for apps that request permission, and all communication with the local network is blocked until you grant permission. A pop-up is displayed the first time you open an app asking for permission.

PRIVATE ADDRESS ON WI-FI NETWORK

Private Address is a new iOS 14 feature that assigns a different media access control (MAC) address to each of your devices every time one connects to a Wi-Fi network. It is on by default and renders your network less trackable and less vulnerable.

You will receive a pop-up privacy warning in your Wi-Fi settings should it be switched off. To access the control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi Info Button > Private Address.