Apple Shares Updated App Store Review Guidelines for App Tracking Transparency

Apple today published new App Store guideline updates for developers, tweaking many existing guidelines and adding a new rule pertaining to the App Tracking Transparency requirement in iOS 14.5.

app tracking transparency prompt ios 14
The new 5.1.2(i) rule related to App Tracking Transparency requires developers to ask for explicit permission before tracking user activity, something that Apple has been planning to implement since iOS 14's release. Apple last week said that its App Tracking rules would be enforced starting with the next iOS update, which will be iOS 14.5.

5.1.2(i): Added: "You must receive explicit permission from users via the App Tracking Transparency APIs to track their activity. Learn more about tracking."

Coinciding with the new rule around App Tracking Transparency, Apple today highlighted the SKAdNetwork 2.2 and Private Click Measurement APIs that are available to developers as alternatives to more invasive user tracking methods.

SKAdNetwork 2.2 allows developers to display and measure ad effectiveness while preserving user privacy, while Private Click Measurement, an iOS 14.5 feature, lets ad networks measure the effectiveness of advertisement clicks within iOS apps that navigate to a website, but in a privacy-focused way.

App Tracking Transparency will be enforced when iOS 14.5 is released, and Apple has said that it expects the new update to launch in the early spring.

Apple's ‌App Store‌ Guidelines update also clarifies several existing rules and includes minor wording changes and tweaks, with a full list of changes available on Apple's developer site.

Related Forum: iOS 14

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
14 inch MacBook Pro Keyboard

New MacBook Pros Could Now Arrive in March

Sunday February 8, 2026 6:02 am PST by
New MacBook Pro models with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips could arrive as soon as Monday, March 2, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In today's "Power On" newsletter, Gurman said that the release of new MacBook Pro models is tied to the release of macOS Tahoe 26.3. The launch is said to be slated for as early as the week of March 2. He added that the M4 Pro and M4 Max models on sale today...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
wwdc sans text feature

Apple Rumored to Announce New Product on February 19

Thursday February 5, 2026 12:22 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld. Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...

Top Rated Comments

icanhazmac Avatar
66 months ago
Can't wait to say no! Thanks again Apple for this small step towards education and choice when it comes to tracking!
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
EmotionalSnow Avatar
66 months ago
Honestly, I am kinda hoping that Facebook intentionally ignores the user’s choice. Because then Apple would finally have a good reason to kick them off the App Store.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scottishwildcat Avatar
66 months ago

Honestly, I am kinda hoping that Facebook intentionally ignores the user’s choice. Because then Apple would finally have a good reason to kick them off the App Store.
Apple have had numerous good reasons to kick them off before, such as when they did this ('https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/30/18203551/apple-facebook-blocked-internal-ios-apps') and this ('https://techcrunch.com/2018/08/22/apple-facebook-onavo/'). But they never have, because they know it would be terrible for business.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Davidglenn Avatar
66 months ago
Great news, it must be option if I want to be tracked. Life should be about choices.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
The_Gream Avatar
66 months ago

For many apps, People have the choice: be tracked and enjoy the app freely or pay.
Now people what to have the app free without giving anything back. It's kind of a robbery. It very clear on the UE pop-up what is done with their data. It's their choice they are tracked. They could pay 1$ but choose not tO.

Apple is all there about privacy. But this company has no moral... Not paying taxes, not respecting workers laws, treating Appstore employees as if they were thieves (even a watch "warehouse" where watches cost more than a car, more that a house is not treating their employees that way...). Using environment as a marketing, while they waste energy with the magsafe just for marketing, waste batteries resources for useless wireless devices...
I just want to say, I don’t always agree with Apple on some of the stuff they do, but they do a lot more for their employees and the people working in their supply chain than probably any other company in the world. Plus, they pay the taxes they are required to pay - there is a reason they have financial lawyers and supper smart accountants - stockholders would lose their **** if Apple didn’t make sure they paid only what they had to. Just because Apple is worth tons of money, everything they do gets shifted through a very fine tooth comb, and people who don’t seem to understand how the world works get all judgmental about stuff.
And this wasteful wireless charging that you seem to hate - sadly the consumers what it. BUT, to make it less wasteful Apple decided to use a magnetic system

consumer gets what consumer wants = money.
consumer DOESN’T get what consumer wants != money.

plus, that rant about how the people are treated - yeah it sucks for them right now - but their lives would be much worse without it. Also, if you want to go pointing fingers, then you need to be pointing at the massive consuming and wasteful Western culture that has been rampant since the post-second world war.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
InGen Avatar
66 months ago
Could someone clarify, does saying no inhibit an application from knowing what a phones ID is in the first place or does it only “prevent” them from using it for tracking purposes?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)