Privacy and security
Personalized Ads
Most people call this whether Apple targets its own ads at you.
This controls whether Apple uses what it knows about you to target ads in the App Store, Apple News and Stocks.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Apple Advertising
- Personalized Ads
What it does
Apple builds segments from your own activity in its services. Turning this off means you still see ads, but they are not targeted using that information. It is entirely separate from third party app tracking.
What changes
When it is on
Ads in Apple's apps are chosen using information about you.
When it is off
You see the same number of ads, chosen without that targeting.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Ads may be more relevant to you.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Less profiling, and no loss of function.
- Ad count does not change, only the targeting.
Battery
No real change
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Varies by region and by what you chose at setup.
Questions people actually ask
- Does turning off App Tracking stop Apple's ads?
- No. Apple's own advertising is controlled separately under Apple Advertising.
If it is not working
- It is in a different place from App Tracking Transparency.
- There is a separate control for Apple Advertising data on the same screen.