iOS 13 & iPadOS Privacy Settings: Full Guide

iOS 13 and iPadOS give you more control over your privacy than any earlier iPhone or iPad system, with new tools for location tracking, background app refresh, and sign-in options. This guide walks you through the key privacy settings, explains what each one does, and shows you how to lock down your device step by step.

What Changed in iOS 13 and iPadOS

Apple introduced several privacy-focused features in 2019’s iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 releases. The most visible were Sign in with Apple, which lets you create accounts without sharing your email, and new location permission options that limit how often an app can see where you are. The system also began showing a blue arrow or dot in the status bar whenever an app accesses your location, and a yellow dot when your microphone is in use. These indicators still exist in later versions, so learning them on iOS 13 helps you understand newer iPhones and iPads too.

Location Services: How to Control Them

Location Services is the biggest privacy battleground on any iPhone. In iOS 13, Apple added the “Allow Once” option, so an app can get your location a single time and then must ask again. To change these settings:

1. Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
2. Toggle off Location Services entirely if you want no app to see your location, or leave it on and manage each app individually.
3. Tap an app and choose Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App, or Always. Only choose Always for apps that truly need background location, like a navigation app.
4. Scroll to System Services at the bottom to disable things like Location-Based Suggestions and Significant Locations.

Significant Locations is a hidden feature that learns places you visit frequently. It powers features like “Look Back” in Photos, but it stores that history on your device. If you’d rather not keep a log of your movements, turn it off and tap Clear History.

Tracking and Advertising

Under Settings > Privacy > Advertising, you’ll find Limit Ad Tracking. Turning this on sends a signal to advertisers that you don’t want your data used for targeted ads. It doesn’t stop ads entirely, but it reduces how much they know about you. iOS 13 also introduced Sign in with Apple on many apps and websites. When you see that button, you can hide your email address by choosing “Hide My Email.” Apple will generate a random relay address that forwards messages to your real inbox, so the app never learns your actual email. This is far better than using “Sign in with Facebook” or “Sign in with Google,” which can share data with those companies.

App Permissions: Photos, Contacts, and More

iOS 13 gives you granular control over what each app can access. Go to Settings > Privacy and review each category:

• Photos: Instead of allowing full access, choose “Selected Photos” so the app only sees the pictures you pick.
• Contacts, Calendars, Reminders: If an app doesn’t need this data, set it to Never. Many apps request contacts for “social features” that you can live without.
• Microphone and Camera: Only allow apps that genuinely need them. The yellow and green dots in the status bar alert you when they’re in use.
• Bluetooth: In iOS 13, apps must ask before using Bluetooth, even if they don’t need it. Deny apps that want it for advertising or tracking.

If you’re unsure what an app does with a permission, the safest choice is Never and then re-enable it only if the app stops working as you expect.

Background App Refresh and Notifications

Background App Refresh lets apps check for updates even when you’re not using them, which can drain battery and share data in the background. To limit it:

1. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
2. Turn it off entirely, or disable it for individual apps that don’t need real-time updates.
3. For notifications, go to Settings > Notifications and turn off banners, sounds, or badges for apps that are just distractions. Notifications themselves aren’t a privacy leak, but they can reveal sensitive info on your lock screen. In Settings > Notifications > Show Previews, choose “When Unlocked” to hide message contents on the lock screen.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

One common misconception is that turning off Location Services completely kills “Find My iPhone.” In iOS 13, Find My still works if you turn off Location Services for other apps, but the phone itself needs location access for the feature to work. If you turn off Location Services entirely, Find My will not be able to locate your device. Another issue is that some apps re-request permissions after you deny them, but you can always change your choice in Settings. If you see the blue arrow next to an app in Settings, it means that app has used your location recently. Tap the app to see whether it’s set to Always; if so, change it to While Using or Never unless you have a strong reason.

Privacy vs. Convenience: How to Choose

There’s no single “right” privacy setup. It depends on how you use your device. For most people, a balanced approach works:

• Keep Location Services on for maps, weather, and Find My, but set everything else to Ask Next Time.
• Use Sign in with Apple whenever it’s offered, and always choose “Hide My Email.”
• Set Photos access to Selected Photos for social media and messaging apps.
• Turn off Background App Refresh for apps you rarely use.

If you’re concerned about extreme privacy, you can disable Location Services entirely and rely on manual location entry for apps that need it. That will break some features, but it maximizes privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off Limit Ad Tracking stop all ads?
No. It only tells advertisers not to use your data for targeted ads. You’ll still see ads, but they’ll be less personalized.

What does “Allow Once” mean for location?
It grants the app access to your location for that one session. The next time the app tries to access your location, iOS will ask again.

Can I hide my email with Sign in with Apple on any app?
Yes, as long as the app supports Sign in with Apple. You’ll see the option to hide your email on the sign-in screen. If you don’t see it, the app may have chosen not to offer it, but most do.

Why does the yellow dot appear even when I’m not using an app?
The yellow dot appears when an app is using your microphone in the background. Check your recent apps or go to Control Center to see which app is active. If you don’t recognize it, force quit the app.

Does iOS 13 have a Privacy Report like newer versions?
No. The App Privacy Report that shows how often apps access your data came later with iOS 15. On iOS 13, you can check per-app permissions manually in Settings.

Will turning off Background App Refresh stop email from arriving?
No, but it may delay push notifications. If you use a mail app that relies on background refresh, you might need to open the app to fetch new messages. For most apps, notifications still arrive because they use a separate push service.

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