6 Ways Your Phone Tracks Your Every Move

Have you ever noticed ads for a product or service you casually mentioned in a conversation while your phone was nearby? That’s because your phone might be listening. If that’s unsettling, here’s something even more alarming: your devices are also keeping tabs on your location. Whether it’s the phone itself or the apps you use, there are numerous ways your device tracks where you are.

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to stop your phone from monitoring you. In this article, we’ll explain why this is a serious issue, explore six common methods phones use to track users, and provide tips to help you regain your privacy.

Why Is It a Risk?
Your data is highly valuable to internet marketers. They use the information gathered to deliver ads tailored to your location and interests, making you more likely to engage. While this type of digital "surveillance" is technically legal if they provide opt-in or opt-out options, it’s not just marketers who want access to your information. Cybercriminals are also eager to exploit it. Here’s why letting your phone track you can be a serious problem:

1. Loss of Privacy: Tracking features on your phone enable apps, websites, and third parties to gather detailed insights into your location, activities, and behavior—often without your explicit awareness. This ongoing monitoring poses a major privacy concern, leaving you exposed to targeted ads, data exploitation, or even malicious tracking for harmful purposes.
2. Risk of Identity Theft and Fraud: If tracking data from your phone ends up in the hands of hackers or cybercriminals, it can be used to piece together personal information and habits. Such data could pave the way for identity theft, financial scams, or unauthorized entry into sensitive accounts, leading to serious financial and emotional distress.
3. Threats to Physical Safety: Sharing real-time location data can put your personal security at risk. Stalkers or other malicious individuals may use this information to monitor your movements, potentially endangering your safety. Moreover, making your routines predictable can make it easier for criminals to plan and strike when you’re least prepared.

How Your Phone Tracks You

1. Location Services:
   Your phone’s GPS and location services continuously monitor your position in real-time, keeping a record of where you go and how long you stay. Through features like “Frequent Locations,” your phone can deduce where you live and work based on recurring visits and durations. While this can be useful for navigating or finding nearby amenities, constant tracking also exposes your movement patterns, making you more susceptible to privacy breaches.
   
   Thankfully, both Apple and Android devices allow you to disable this feature. While exact steps may differ by device and operating system, here are general instructions:
   
   How to Turn It Off:
   
   
   • On iPhone:
     
     1. Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security > Location Services.
     2. Turn off Location Services entirely or adjust permissions for specific apps.
     3. Scroll down to System Services and select Significant Locations.
     4. Review your location history and toggle off Significant Locations.
     5. Clear the stored data by tapping Clear History.
   • On Android:
     1. Go to Settings > Location > App Permissions.
     2. Disable location access for specific apps or turn off Use Location completely.
     3. To erase your location history, scroll to Location History and tap Delete Location History.
2. App Permissions:
   Many apps request access to your contacts, photos, microphone, and camera, enabling them to monitor your activity—even when you’re not actively using the app—and often gather more data than necessary. Regularly reviewing and managing these permissions is crucial to protect your privacy.
   
   How to Manage App Permissions:
   
   
   • On iPhone:
     
     1. Navigate to Settings > Privacy & Security.
     2. Review categories like Camera, Microphone, and Contacts to check and adjust permissions for individual apps.
   • On Android:
     1. Go to Settings > Apps > Permissions.
     2. Manage which apps can access sensitive data such as your microphone, camera, and contacts.


3. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Connections:
   Your phone continually scans for nearby Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, which can inadvertently allow third parties to pinpoint your location based on networks and devices you’ve interacted with.
   
   How to Disable Scanning:
   
   
   • On iPhone:
     1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of the screen to access the Control Center.
     2. Toggle off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
     3. For more control, go to Settings > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth and disable scanning entirely.
   • On Android:
     1. Open Settings > Location > Wi-Fi & Bluetooth.
     2. Turn off scanning options to stop your phone from constantly searching for nearby connections.


4. Browsing Activity:
   Web browsers and certain apps actively track your search history and the websites you visit. This information is used to create detailed profiles of your preferences, which are then utilized to deliver targeted advertisements or sold to third parties for further data exploitation.
   
   How to Limit Tracking:
   
   
   • On iPhone & Android
     1. Switch to your browser’s private or incognito mode for a more secure browsing experience.
     2. In Google Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy & Security and disable Web & App Activity.
     3. Clear your browsing history and cookies on a regular basis to reduce the amount of stored data.


5. Ad Tracking:
   Your device generates a unique advertising ID, which tracks your activity across apps and websites. Advertisers use this ID to gain insights into your interests, enabling them to deliver tailored ads.
   
   How to Disable Ad Tracking:
   
   
   • On iPhone:
     1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track.
     2. Additionally, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and disable Personalized Ads. (Note: You’ll still see ads, but they won’t be based on your preferences.)
   • On Android:
     1. Navigate to Settings > Privacy > Ads.
     2. Enable the Opt Out of Ads Personalization feature to prevent advertisers from building a detailed profile based on your behavior.


6. Social Media and Search Engines:
   Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google closely monitor your searches, interactions, and even your location to build comprehensive profiles of your preferences and habits. This data is used to personalize ads and recommend content, which can feel intrusive.
   
   How to Manage Tracking:
   
   
   • Social Media:
     1. Visit each platform’s settings (e.g., Facebook > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Shortcuts) to review data collection practices.
     2. Adjust Ad Preferences to limit how your activity influences the ads you see.
   • Google:
     1. Navigate to your Google Account > Data & Privacy > Web & App Activity to control how your search history and activity are tracked.
     2. Use Ad Settings to minimize ad personalization and prevent Google from tailoring ads based on your profile.

By customizing these settings, you can greatly reduce the amount of personal data your phone and apps collect, allowing you to take back control of your digital privacy.

Why This Is Important for Business Owners

As a business owner, safeguarding your personal privacy is just as vital as protecting your company’s sensitive information. The same tracking technologies that monitor your personal activity can also put your business at risk. Cybercriminals, hackers, and even competitors may exploit these vulnerabilities to access critical data about your operations, customer interactions, and confidential communications.

By limiting how your phone tracks you and adjusting your privacy settings, you’re not only protecting yourself but also reducing the likelihood of data breaches, identity theft, and targeted cyberattacks against your business. In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is more than just a technical challenge—it’s a strategic necessity. Staying informed and proactive is the first step to mitigating potential risks.

If you’re worried about the security of your business, don’t wait until an issue arises. Take action now by scheduling a FREE IT Systems Assessment with our team. We’ll help identify vulnerabilities in your systems and provide customized solutions to protect your business. Contact us at 704-470-9009 or click here to get started today.