iOS 14.5 - How to find the app tracking setting

With iOS 14.5, Apple introduced a feature for more data protection and privacy on the iPhone. App providers such as Facebook, Google and others now have to actively ask whether they can track you beyond the app. This opt-in feature ensures that you can actively take action against app providers spying on you on your iPhone and adapting their advertisements to your usage behavior. If you want to allow the apps to ask you about tracking, you will find the relevant step-by-step instructions here. You then decide individually in each app whether you allow tracking.

Data protection and tracking opt-in under iOS 14.5 on the iPhone

"Allow apps to request your permission to track your activity in apps and on other company websites“, Is the explanation for the setting that you will find on the Apple iPhone from iOS 14.5 onwards. This means that you do not generally allow all apps to track you. You just first agree that the programs and their developers ask you for tracking permission. 

Of course, you can do without it completely and leave the option deactivated. But to see whether it is activated for you, whether it is deactivated or which apps ask at all when permission is activated, you can find the corresponding on / off control in the iPhone settings:

1. Opens the Settings on the iPhone
2. Scrolls down taps Privacy an
3. Select the second point there named Tracking from

This brings you to the iPhone operating system option described above. You can activate and deactivate a slider here. Initially, this does not lead to any directly visible change. However, some apps may ask you for a tracking opt-in at some point when they recognize an option.

iOS 14.5 tracking opt-in option - instructions with screenshots

Here you can find the above instructions again in the form of screenshots. A little help if you don't immediately find the entries in the settings that you have to tap. Do you have any questions or comments? Then please leave a comment.

If you don't have this function on your iPhone yet, check whether the update to iOS 14.5 has not yet been carried out. That goes over Settings -> General -> software update. Or you look in Settings -> General -> Info in the second line called "software version";)

Johannes Domke

After graduating from high school, Johannes completed an apprenticeship as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which resulted in his independence. For several years he has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others. His articles include product introductions, news, manuals, video games, consoles, and more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.