Ever Had Ads Appear After Casual Conversations? Here’s Why Your Phone Is Tracking You

Have you ever talked about a product or service near your phone, only to see ads for it on your social media feed? Your phone may be listening, but it’s also tracking you in more ways than you realize. From built-in features to app permissions, your device continually logs your location and habits.

Luckily, there are ways to stop your phone from collecting all this data. In today’s article, we’ll cover why tracking is dangerous, the top six ways your phone tracks you, and how to limit it.

Why Phone Tracking Is a Risk

Personal data is valuable to marketers, who use it to target you with local and interest-based ads. But advertisers aren’t the only ones interested—hackers and cybercriminals can also exploit your data. Here’s why phone tracking poses a serious risk:

  1. Privacy Invasion: Apps and websites gather extensive data about your location and habits, often without full disclosure. This constant surveillance compromises your privacy and exposes you to risks like data harvesting or tracking by malicious actors.
  2. Identity Theft & Fraud: If hackers gain access to your tracking data, they can use it to steal your identity, commit fraud, or gain unauthorized access to your accounts, leading to financial losses and emotional stress.
  3. Physical Security Threats: Real-time location data can compromise your safety. Cybercriminals can exploit this information to follow your movements or predict your routines, putting you at physical risk.

How Your Phone Tracks You (And How to Stop It)

  1. Location Services: Your phone’s GPS logs your real-time location and “Frequent Locations” feature estimates your home and work locations. While useful for directions, constant tracking can compromise your privacy.

How to turn it off:


  • 
iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Toggle off Location Services or manage individual app permissions. Scroll down to System Services. Select Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off. You can also clear your history by clicking Clear History.
  • 
Android: Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions, and either disable location tracking for specific apps or turn off Use Location entirely. To delete your device’s location history, tap Delete Location History at the bottom of the screen under Location History.
  1. App Permissions: Many apps request access to your camera, contacts, or microphone, enabling them to track your activities even when not in use.

How to turn it off:

  • iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security. From there, check categories like Camera, Microphone and Contacts to review and adjust app permissions.
  • Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions. Here you can manage which apps have access to sensitive data like contacts, microphone and camera.
  1. Wi-Fi & Bluetooth Connections: Your phone scans for nearby Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, allowing third parties to track your location based on nearby networks and devices.

How to turn it off:

  • iPhone: Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen and toggle off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. For full control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth to disable scanning.
  • Android: Go to Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning. Disable these options to prevent your phone from constantly searching for networks and devices.
  1. Browsing Activity: Browsers and apps monitor your search history and site visits to personalize ads and sell data to third parties.

How to turn it off:

  • iPhone & Android: Use your browser’s private or incognito mode for safer browsing. In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and turn off Web & App Activity. Additionally, clear your browsing history and cookies regularly.
  1. Ad Tracking: Your phone assigns an advertising ID that follows your activity across apps and websites for targeted ads.

How to turn it off:

  • iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and toggle off Allow Apps to Request to Track. You can also go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising to disable personalized ads. *This does not mean you won’t still see ads; you just won’t see personalized ads.
  • Android: Go to Settings > Privacy > Ads, then toggle on opt out of Ads Personalization.
  1. Social Media & Search Engines: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google track your online interactions and searches, creating profiles based on your habits.
  • Social Media: Go to each platform’s settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review what data is being collected and manage ad preferences.
  • Google: Go to Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to control how Google tracks your search and activity history. You can also adjust Ad Settings to limit ad tracking.

Why This Matters for Business Owners

For business owners, safeguarding your personal privacy is as crucial as securing sensitive company data. The same tracking methods that follow your every move can expose your business to vulnerabilities. Competitors, cybercriminals, or even rogue actors can exploit tracking data to learn about your business activities, customer interactions, and confidential communications.

By controlling your phone’s tracking settings, you’re not only protecting yourself but also reducing risks to your business from potential data breaches and targeted attacks. In today’s world, cybersecurity is a critical strategy, and staying proactive is essential.

If you’re concerned about your business’s security, don’t wait until it’s too late. Schedule a Security Risk Assessment with our team today, and let’s ensure your entire network is protected from top to bottom. Our experts will identify vulnerabilities and recommend tailored solutions to keep your business safe. Click here or call us at 843-418-4792 to get started.