Safari in iOS 11 introduces a new tracking prevention feature that's meant to protect your privacy and make it harder for companies to track your browsing habits across multiple websites.

Disabling Cross-Site Tracking isn't going to cut down on the number of ads that you see, but it will make it harder for advertisers to gather data about what you've been browsing to deliver targeted ads. Here's how to enable it:

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Scroll down to Safari and tap it.
  3. Scroll down to "Prevent Cross-Site Tracking."safariios11crosssitetracking
  4. Toggle it on so it's green.

This section of the Settings app also includes other Safari settings that are worth turning on if you haven't done so already, including "Ask Websites Not to Track Me," "Block Pop-ups," and "Fraudulent Website Warning." You can also restrict website access to cookies, the camera and microphone, and Apple Pay.

Tag: Safari
Related Forum: iOS 11

Top Rated Comments

dannyyankou Avatar
dannyyankou
86 months ago
I appreciate Macrumors for putting this info out. 9to5mac tried defending cross-site tracking, probably because they benefit from it.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BlazednSleepy Avatar
BlazednSleepy
86 months ago
Looks like it was enabled for me by default. You can cry and complain about "Tims" apple, but one things for sure, Apple is clearly a leader in respecting and protecting our privacy. No other giant corporation that I can think has made this more clear.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
colbertnation Avatar
colbertnation
86 months ago
I dislike a lot of things about Tim Cook's Apple, but their adherence to privacy is definitely appreciated!

Biggest drawback that is preventing me from switching to Android anytime soon is their lack of privacy and monetizing customer data.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iapplelove Avatar
iapplelove
86 months ago
Mine was already toggled to on.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gixxerfool Avatar
gixxerfool
86 months ago
I know I’m going against the grain here, but if we’re going to see ads anyway, I’d rather see ads about things that interest me or items that I’ve been shopping for lately. Isn’t that far better than seeing generic “Lose Your Belly Fat Using This 1 Weird Trick” garbage ads?!
I see your point. My problem is when gift shopping it seems to hang on those items and I have my wife or daughter shoulder riding it has almost been an issue.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gixxerfool Avatar
gixxerfool
86 months ago
This is such a welcomed feature. It’s crazy how these ads follow me all over.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Announces 'Let Loose' Event on May 7 Amid Rumors of New iPads

Tuesday April 23, 2024 7:11 am PDT by
Apple has announced it will be holding a special event on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 a.m. Pacific Time (10 a.m. Eastern Time), with a live stream to be available on Apple.com and on YouTube as usual. The event invitation has a tagline of "Let Loose" and shows an artistic render of an Apple Pencil, suggesting that iPads will be a focus of the event. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more ...
Read Full Article • 253 comments
iPhone 15 Pro FineWoven

Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories

Sunday April 21, 2024 6:03 am PDT by
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as "Kosutami." In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed...
Read Full Article • 444 comments
Apple Vision Pro Dual Loop Band Orange Feature 2

Apple Cuts Vision Pro Shipments as Demand Falls 'Sharply Beyond Expectations'

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:44 am PDT by
Apple has dropped the number of Vision Pro units that it plans to ship in 2024, going from an expected 700 to 800k units to just 400k to 450k units, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Orders have been scaled back before the Vision Pro has launched in markets outside of the United States, which Kuo says is a sign that demand in the U.S. has "fallen sharply beyond expectations." As a...
Read Full Article • 371 comments
iOS 17 All New Features Thumb

iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday April 21, 2024 3:00 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU...
Read Full Article
iPad And Calculator App Feature

Apple Finally Plans to Release a Calculator App for iPad Later This Year

Tuesday April 23, 2024 9:08 am PDT by
Apple is finally planning a Calculator app for the iPad, over 14 years after launching the device, according to a source familiar with the matter. iPadOS 18 will include a built-in Calculator app for all iPad models that are compatible with the software update, which is expected to be unveiled during the opening keynote of Apple's annual developers conference WWDC on June 10. AppleInsider...
Read Full Article • 198 comments
Provenance Emulator

PlayStation and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store [Updated]

Friday April 19, 2024 8:29 am PDT by
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, SEGA Genesis,...
Read Full Article • 181 comments