Many iPhone apps ask for permission to track your activity across websites and apps owned by other companies. This tracking may be used for personalized advertising, advertising measurement or sharing information with data brokers. Apple’s App Tracking Transparency feature allows you to approve or deny these requests. (Apple Support)

You can stop apps from displaying these tracking requests by turning off a single setting on your iPhone.

How to Turn Off App Tracking Requests

Follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Tracking.
4. Turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.
5. Confirm your choice if your iPhone displays an additional prompt.

The Tracking screen also lists apps that have previously requested permission. You can use the switch beside each app to allow or deny tracking individually. (Apple Support)

What Happens When You Turn It Off?

After you turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, apps will no longer display pop-up messages asking whether they may track your activity.

Any app that requests tracking permission while the setting is disabled will be treated as though you selected Ask App Not to Track. The app will not receive access to Apple’s system advertising identifier, commonly called the IDFA, and is not permitted to track you using other identifying information. (Apple Support)

Turning this setting off does not prevent you from using the app. Apple states that an app’s full capabilities should remain available whether you allow tracking or choose not to allow it. (Apple Support)

What About Apps You Previously Allowed?

When you disable the main tracking setting, your iPhone may ask how it should handle apps that already have permission.

You may be given the choice to:

• Ask previously approved apps to stop tracking.
• Allow previously approved apps to continue tracking.

To reduce tracking as much as possible, select the option that asks previously approved apps to stop. You can also review the switches underneath the main setting and manually turn off permission for each app.

How to Disable Tracking for Only One App

You do not have to disable tracking requests for every app. To change the permission for one specific app:

1. Open Settings.
2. Select Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Tracking.
4. Find the app in the list.
5. Turn off the switch beside its name.

You can return to this screen whenever you want to change the permission again. (Apple Support)

Why Is the Tracking Option Greyed Out?

In some situations, the Allow Apps to Request to Track switch cannot be enabled. According to Apple, this may happen when:

• The Apple Account belongs to a child or someone under the applicable age requirement.
• The Apple Account is managed by a school or business.
• The iPhone has a management profile that restricts tracking.
• The Apple Account was created within the previous three days.

While the option remains disabled, apps requesting permission are unable to access the advertising identifier. (Apple Support)

Does This Stop Every Form of Data Collection?

Turning off tracking requests specifically limits tracking across apps, websites and services owned by other companies. It does not remove every privacy permission an app may have.

Apps may still have separate access to features such as:

• Your approximate or precise location
• Photos and videos
• Contacts
• Camera and microphone
• Bluetooth
• Local network devices

You can review these permissions by opening Settings and selecting Privacy & Security. Each privacy category allows you to see which apps currently have access.

Should You Turn Off App Tracking Requests?

Turning off the setting may be helpful when you want fewer tracking prompts and do not want apps linking your activity across services for targeted advertising.

Some advertisements may become less personalized, but disabling tracking should not prevent you from using the apps themselves. You can always return to the Tracking screen later and change the setting for all apps or for an individual app.

Final Steps

The complete path is:

Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking > Allow Apps to Request to Track

Once the switch is off, new tracking requests will automatically be denied, and you will no longer receive permission prompts from apps that want to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites.