Minutes 1 to 4: switch off ad tracking
Start with advertising controls, because one change reaches every app on the phone. On an iPhone, open Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Tracking, and turn off “Allow Apps to Request to Track”. Back in Privacy & Security, scroll to Apple Advertising and turn off Personalized Ads. On Android, open Settings, then Privacy, then Ads (some phones tuck it under Google, then All services, then Ads). Tap Delete advertising ID if you see it. If you only get a reset option, reset the ID and also turn off ad personalization.
Be realistic about what this does. These switches stop apps from using the standard advertising identifier to follow you between apps. They do not stop an app from recording what you tap inside it, and you will still see ads. They will just be less tailored to you.
Minutes 5 to 9: rein in background activity
An app you closed yesterday may still be fetching data, checking your location or refreshing itself. On iPhone, go to Settings, General, Background App Refresh. Set the top option to Wi-Fi or Off, then scroll the list and turn off every app that has no reason to update while you are not looking at it. Games, shopping apps and airline apps you opened once are the usual candidates.
On Android, open Settings, Apps, pick an app, then tap Mobile data and Wi-Fi and turn off Background data. You can also open the app’s Battery page and choose Restricted. The trade-off is that restricted apps may load fresh content more slowly, and a messaging app that is restricted can deliver messages late, so leave your chat apps alone. This same cleanup also helps with phone battery drain overnight, so you get a second benefit for the same taps.
Minutes 10 to 15: notifications and permissions, app by app
Notifications are both a nuisance and a small exposure. On iPhone, open Settings, Notifications, Show Previews, and choose When Unlocked or Never, so a message cannot be read by anyone glancing at a phone on your desk. On Android, open Settings, Notifications, then the lock screen option, and choose to hide sensitive content. Then scroll through the per-app list and turn off alerts for anything that only advertises to you.
Next, open the permission list (Settings, Privacy & Security on iPhone; Settings, Privacy, Permission manager on Android) and ask one question for each entry: does the app’s main job need this? Here is a practical guide.
- Location: choose “While Using the App” for maps, rideshare and delivery. Turn off Precise Location for weather and shopping, since a city-level fix is enough for them.
- Camera: grant it to camera, video call and document scanning apps. Deny it to anything else until it explains itself.
- Microphone: grant it to calls, voice notes and recorders. A game or a coupon app has no obvious need.
- Photos: on iPhone, pick Selected Photos so an app sees only what you hand over. Android has a similar picker on recent versions.
- Contacts: deny by default. Grant it only to messaging apps where finding friends is the point.
If an app stops working after you deny something, the phone will ask again at the moment it matters, and you can then grant it deliberately. Our guide to Android privacy settings you should change today goes deeper on the Android-only menus.
Minutes 16 to 20: learn the indicators and read the reports
Your phone already tells you when the camera or microphone is live. On iPhone, an orange dot in the status bar means the microphone is in use, and a green dot means the camera is. Swipe down to open Control Center and the phone names the app that used it most recently. Recent Android versions show a green dot in the top corner, and Quick Settings has Camera access and Microphone access toggles that cut off every app at once. If you see a dot while the phone is sitting idle, open the app switcher and check what is running.
Now turn on the history. On iPhone, open Settings, Privacy & Security, App Privacy Report, and tap Turn On App Privacy Report. It starts empty, so check back after several days to see which apps touched your location, photos, camera or microphone, and which web domains they contacted. On Android, the Privacy dashboard under Settings, Privacy shows recent permission use by app, which gives you an answer on the spot.
Know the limits. A report shows that access happened, not what the app did with the data. Still, an app that reached for your location a dozen times when you never opened it has given you a clear reason to revoke the permission or delete it.
Finish with your account and set a repeat date
Phone settings only cover the device. The account behind it also holds what apps have collected, so spend a final minute on a Google Security Checkup if you use Android or Gmail. It lists signed-in devices and third-party apps with account access, and you can remove anything you do not recognize. iPhone users can find the matching list under Settings, their name, then Sign-In & Security.
Last, put a reminder in your calendar a few months out and repeat the permission screens. New apps and updates quietly add requests, and a ten-minute recheck is much easier than another full cleanup.