The Privacy Setting You Need To Change On Your New iPad
Getting a brand new iPad is exciting. There is a lot of setting up to do when you initially receive it, including downloading new apps, setting your wallpaper and lock screen, and tweaking the settings so it works the way you want it to. These are all great things to do with your new device, but there are other tasks you may overlook that are important to take into consideration, one of which is changing your privacy settings.
Privacy and security are important, and it can be unclear when you first open your settings what exactly you need to change in this regard. What you'll want to keep in mind is that sharing your data with apps can be a dangerous ordeal. Data leaks happen, and can be used against you for nefarious purposes. Because of this, it's best to keep your data safe and refrain from allowing apps access unless it's absolutely necessary.
Why you should disable ad tracking
One setting on your iPad that allows apps to ask for your data is the "Ad Tracking" option. When this is turned on, as noted by the Washington Post, it allows companies to track your internet usage, location, and other information, in order to target you with relevant ads. However, this could be data that is in your best interest to keep out of stranger's hands. You can easily change this setting on your iPad and see which apps have these permissions. Here's how:
1. In your iPad Settings app, go to "Privacy" and tap on "Tracking."
2. Tap on the slider if it's green to turn it off. If it's already off, you don't have to worry.
3. If you find it is on, you can see a list of apps at the bottom which have either asked to track your information or are currently tracking you.
4. When you tap the slider to turn tracking off, you can opt to "Ask Apps to Stop Tracking," which will turn off tracking for all apps.
Another privacy setting you may want to look at is "Location Services." When this is turned on, apps you are using may be able to track your location using GPS, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi. Some apps do need this to be functional, but use your better judgement to decide if an app really needs your location information. You can see a list of apps on the "Location Services" screen which are currently allowed to track your location, either only while using the app, or always. You can tap on the app and set it to "Never" if you don't want it to track you. You can also turn Location Services off altogether by tapping the slider at the top so it turns grey.