Apple has been working extra hard to ensure the security and privacy of its users. However, since the rise of AirTag and other Find My Network accessories, there has been a demand to enhance the security of iOS users. And thus, comes the Tracking Notification feature.
For most iPhone users of versions 14 and onwards, there is a Tracking Notification option on the Settings menu. When enabled, it alerts you if someone or an app is stalking your phone. You will learn more about the Tracking notifications on iOS and how you can turn them off.
What are Tracking notifications on iPhone for?
Tracking Notification is a feature from Find My that notifies you if a device like AirTag is tracking you. So, what is AirTag? This is a device designed by Apple to enable you to locate lost items. For example, you can place it in your bag, attach it to your keys, or slip it into your wallet. You can easily locate any item with an AirTag just by checking on your phone through Find My.
Read: 3 simple ways to track an iPhone’s location
While the device was designed with good intentions, others may want to use it for the wrong purpose. For example, someone may use an AirTag to know your home or destination. Human traffickers can also use it to track young girls and women in their homes discreetly. All they need to do is slip the tag in someone’s bag or attach it to their car.
It is for this reason that Apple designed the Tracking notifications feature. This software lets you know if there’s a foreign AirTag in your car, bag, or house, among other places. The company also enables a Precise Finding feature that detects unknown Air Tags near you. If your iPhone is UWB-enabled, you can know exactly where the Air Tag has been placed.
How to turn on Tracking Notifications
If you don’t know where the Tracking Notification feature is, below are steps on where to find it:
- Tap on Settings with the gear icon.
- Tap on Find My.
- Select the Me option.
- Next, tap on Customize Notifications to find the settings of the Tracking Notifications feature.
Note that when you enable Tracking Notification, you’ll be required to permit it to access your device’s data. This includes your email for sending notifications.
When the tracking feature is enabled, you will also see the list of apps requesting to track your device’s activities. You can enable or disable each app of your choice from that list.
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How to turn off the tracking notifications feature on iOS
The advantage of enabling the feature is that it will notify you of potential stalkers. However, if you wish to disable tracking notifications, you can do so using the following steps:
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap on Notifications and then Tracking Notifications.
- Turn off the toggle next to Tracking Notifications to disable the feature.
When you turn off this feature, apps will not request you when tracking your activities on your iPhone. So despite these anti-stalking measures not being a guarantee to stop stalkers and human traffickers, it is harder for them to use software for malicious purposes.
Wrapping up
The Tracking Notification feature has been released on iPhone running iOS version 14 and above. Its purpose is to generate alerts notifying you of any app or software tracking your or the device’s activities. You should enable this feature to prevent a breach of privacy from hackers and stalkers.
When the feature is enabled, every app on your device will request access to your data. You can also disable the tracking feature if you do not want the request to bother your browsing activities. Otherwise, if you don’t wish to share your actual location with apps, you can use NordVPN.
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Alex is an IT technician who shares his experiences with Apple devices occasionally. He has a collection of Apple devices (from iPhone 4) and has recently started trying out Android.
IG: @I M_Alex