You Should Enable This iOS 26 Feature ASAP If You Value Your Privacy

First-time users of Apple products might not appreciate the closed walls of the ecosystem at first — there's a lot more you can do on Windows and Android compared to macOS and iOS, after all. However, some argue that it's a small price to pay for the kind of privacy and security that Apple's devices bring. The company continues to strengthen its portfolio of privacy-centered features with every software iteration that follows.

Apple unveiled iOS 26 in 2025, and although the fresh new Liquid Glass design language took the centre stage — the update brings a considerable amount of under-the-hood improvements as well. iOS 26 features you need to try include a new iMessage experience, call screening, and Visual Intelligence. Another useful addition that falls in the privacy department is better control over how websites track your internet activity.

When you're browsing the web, your search history isn't the only variable being recorded. Things like your IP address, device model, and location are all bits of information that a website may collect. Though primarily used to improve targeted advertising, not every service has the best intentions at heart and may misuse this information collected from its visitors.

iOS 26 introduces a toggle that lets you enable better tracking and fingerprinting protection — even when you're not using the incognito mode. Therefore, it's best to keep your iPhone updated to be in line to receive important security updates like this one.

The process of collecting information about a device, such as its model number, MAC address, IP address, operating system, and more, is what's known as digital fingerprinting. Websites and services can collect this data to improve the user experience, feed the visitors with ads they are likely to be interested in, or as a preventive measure against bots and suspicious network activity.

Ultimately, the choice to refuse to provide a digital fingerprint to a website should fall upon the user — and that's exactly what this new feature in iOS 26 is designed to address. Before you begin, head to Settings > General > Software Update, and make sure you're sitting on the latest available version of iOS 26. Also be sure to head to the App Store and ensure Safari is updated. Next, follow these steps:

1. On your iPhone, navigate to Settings > Apps > Safari. Alternatively, you can use the search box at the top to get here quicker.
2. Scroll all the way down and tap on "Advanced."
3. Tap on "Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection." This should be set to "Private Browsing" by default, which is the incognito mode.
4. Change this to "All Browsing" and head back.

Since this is an app-specific feature, you can only reap its advantages if you primarily use Safari to browse the internet on your iPhone. If you do use Chrome, there are some recommended Google privacy settings you should change.