Apple Shares Video Explaining How App Tracking Transparency Works

Now that iOS 14.5 is available to the public, App Tracking Transparency is being enforced by Apple. Developers are no longer able to access the advertising identifier of your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV without your express permission, which will prevent developers from tracking you across apps and websites for ad targeting preferences.


If that sounds confusing, Apple has created an App Tracking Transparency video that's now available on YouTube, walking through what the changes mean. "It's a feature that gives you a choice," says the voiceover in the video. "A choice on how apps use and share your data."

The video goes on to describe the kinds of data that apps have access to like location, age, health information, spending habits, and browsing history. Apple says that data collection can be useful for tracking a run or letting a local shop advertise discounts when you're nearby, but "some apps are taking more data than they need," sharing it with advertisers and data brokers.

Apple explains that some apps collect "thousands of pieces of information about you" to create a digital profile that's then sold to others for ad targeting purposes and to "predict and influence behaviors and decisions."

"Your information is for sale, you have become the product," Apple says in the ad, explaining why the App Tracking Transparency feature exists. "Whatever you choose is up to you."

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

New Leak Reveals iPhone 18 Pro Display Sizes, Under-Screen Face ID, and More

Wednesday January 14, 2026 7:09 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro models are still around eight months away, a leaker has shared some alleged details about the devices. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo this week, the account Digital Chat Station said the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max will have the same 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes as the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max. Consistent with previous...
2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Adjusts Trade-In Values for iPhones, Macs, and More

Thursday January 15, 2026 11:19 am PST by
Apple today updated its trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models. Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website, or at an Apple Store. The charts below provide an overview of Apple's current and previous trade-in values in the United States, according to the company's website. Most of the values declined slightly, but some of the Mac values increased. iPhone ...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm 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...

Top Rated Comments

_Spinn_ Avatar
62 months ago
I’m glad Apple didn’t back down on this.
Score: 38 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
62 months ago
Bad day for Facebook. Good job Apple. Really impressed.

Apple Nailed it. Other companies should learn from this.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
innovationwho Avatar
62 months ago
I absolutely love this ad.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imlynxy Avatar
62 months ago
Cannot agree more with Apple. Really support this feature.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ninethirty Avatar
62 months ago

Apple believes we should have a choice according to the ad above ... so can I choose to download apps from a browser like I can on a Mac?
Of course you have that choice. You can choose to use a different ecosystem/platform. You've always had that choice.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheSuperE Avatar
62 months ago

And so it begins, 100% FREE Ad-based apps will soon go the way of the DoDo Bird !

NO ONE, & I mean NO ONE, including those INSIDE Apple, have ANY clue as to how this will play out !

ALL I can say is that 100% FREE Ad-based apps will (soon) completely disappear from the App Store !
Good I pay for quality. The free **** is trash 99% of the time. No one wants to work for free. If it’s free you are the product.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)