While it’s possible to use your iPhone without an Apple ID that links it back to Apple, it significantly diminishes the experience and prevents you from getting automatic software updates, which is a serious security risk. As discussed in prior posts, protect your Apple ID account with a strong password. Use two-factor authentication to access your account in the cloud, and enable automatic updates for iOS and applications you downloaded from the App Store. You’re sharing data with Apple, but there’s little that can practically be done to prevent it.
One other bit of computer hygiene before we address privacy permissions. And over time, you may accumulate apps you installed to try out and then stopped using. I recommend you uninstall these apps. They’re clogging up your system and may pose a security risk. To remove an app, press on the app icon on the screen and the click “Remove App.” You should delete all associated data as well.
To tighten up your privacy permissions, do the following:
- Go to “Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.” Review which apps use this service and set to “Never” those which you believe do not require it. For those that do, change the settings to “While Using.”
- Under “Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services,” turn off “Significant Locations.”
- Go to “Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking.” Disable “Allow Apps to Request to Track.”
- Under “Settings > Privacy & Security,” review and limit which apps use your “Contacts,” “Photos,” “Microphone,” and “Camera.” Apps that use these services for surveillance can be particularly invasive.
- Under “Settings > Privacy & Security,” turn off all options under “Analytics & Improvements,” and “Apple Advertising.”
- Consider disabling Siri. It’s collecting more data about you than you know. If you choose to do so, go to “Settings > Siri & Search,” and turn off all options.
- Don’t jailbreak your phone. This creates significant security vulnerabilities.
Next will discuss privacy permissions for Android.
Information provided in this post is subject to the disclaimer in the first post of this series.