Google Silently Tracks iPhones, Safari Setting Can Stop It
Is your iPhone listening to you? Not exactly, though many people believe it is. What’s actually happening is a new kind of tracking that works silently in the background. It identifies your phone across every website you visit, and you likely don’t realize it’s happening.
This method is called digital fingerprinting. One privacy advocate warned, “this subverts user choice and is wrong.” They added, “unlike cookies, users cannot clear their fingerprint, and therefore cannot control how their information is collected.” Despite such concerns, the practice has quietly returned this year.
Unlike cookies, fingerprinting extends beyond browsers. It now includes smart devices, forming a vast tracking system built around your daily life. Since browsing reflects your habits, work, shopping, and leisure, exposing such history would feel invasive to anyone.
How It Tracks You
Digital fingerprinting gathers multiple data points: your IP address, phone model, operating system, time zone, and more. Individually these details may seem trivial, yet when combined, they create a unique identifier.
Even if you avoid Chrome and stick with Safari, your device still leaves fingerprints during interactions. This makes the technique particularly concerning, because you cannot simply opt out. Regulators have already stated it is “not a fair means of tracking” and may “reduce people’s choice and control over how their information is collected.”
Apple, however, has started pushing back. With iOS 26, users gain a new safeguard against fingerprinting. The feature is already available and can be turned on today.
How To Protect Yourself
In Safari’s settings, under “Advanced,” you’ll find “Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection.” Right now, the option defaults to “Private Browsing.” In iOS 26, it will apply to “All Browsing.”
Once enabled, Safari deliberately sends out misleading data. This masks your true details and makes it difficult for trackers to separate your device from millions of others. While the protection is not perfect, it provides a valuable layer of defense.
You might expect odd browsing behavior after activating it, but so far none has been observed. That said, fingerprinting goes beyond Safari, it also affects apps, platforms, and even devices like smart TVs and game consoles. Staying aware of these risks helps you reclaim some privacy in a world increasingly shaped by hidden tracking.
