iPhone privacy settings worth changing
A short list of settings with real effect on your photos and personal data: passcode, Lock Screen, photo access, location, iCloud and Stolen Device Protection.
Start with a long passcode and Stolen Device Protection. Then limit Lock Screen access, review photo and location permissions, remove location from shared photos, and consider Advanced Data Protection. Safety Check under Privacy & Security runs through who and what has access. All of this takes about 20 minutes.
Most lists of this kind pad things out with settings that barely matter. These all change what someone, or some app, can reach.
Your lock
- Longer passcode. Settings, Face ID & Passcode, Change Passcode, Passcode Options.
- Auto-Lock. Settings, Display & Brightness, Auto-Lock.
- Stolen Device Protection. Settings, Face ID & Passcode. What it covers.
Your Lock Screen
Under Face ID & Passcode, review Allow Access When Locked. Apple says turning off a feature stops someone holding your phone from viewing what it might show, like a calendar event. Also check Show Previews in Notifications, which decides whether message text appears.
Your photos
- Which apps can see them. Settings, Privacy & Security, Photos. Full guide.
- Lock on Hidden and Recently Deleted. Settings, Apps, Photos.
- Location in new photos. Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, Camera.
- Location when you share. Share, Options, turn off Location.
- Featured content. In Photos, Collections, your account, Show Featured Content.
Your cloud
- Advanced Data Protection. Settings, your name, iCloud.
- Devices on your account. Settings, your name. Remove what you no longer use.
Who you share with
Safety Check, in Privacy & Security, reviews people and apps in one place. App Privacy Report on the same screen shows how apps use the permissions you granted.
Frequently asked questions
Should I turn off Location Services altogether?
Apple warns that many important features stop working. A better approach is to review each app, and turn off Camera location if you share a lot of photos.
Is Lockdown Mode for me?
Apple says most people are never targeted by the attacks it addresses, and it limits features. See our page on it.
Where did the Privacy setting go?
It is called Privacy & Security in Settings on recent iOS. Search Settings if you cannot find it.
Related pages
Sources
- Apple Support: Set a passcode on iPhone
- Apple Support: Turn on Lock Screen features on iPhone
- Apple Support: Control the location information you share
- Apple Support: Control access to information in apps
- Apple Support: Use Stolen Device Protection
- Apple Support: Manage information sharing with Safety Check