iOS 18 and macOS Sequoia Add 'Rotate Wi-Fi Address' Option to Cut Down on Tracking

With iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia, Apple has replaced the Private Wi-Fi Address option for Wi-Fi networks with a new Rotate Wi-Fi Address option that's aimed at better minimizing tracking.

rotate wifi address ios 18
Available when accessing the settings of any Wi-Fi network, Apple says the opt-in Rotate Wi-Fi Address feature changes your Wi-Fi address at random times.

A rotating Wi-Fi address helps reduce tracking by changing your Wi-Fi address at various times. Tracking can happen when your address always appears the same to other devices and people using the same network as you.

The prior Private Wi-Fi Address setting assigned a different MAC address to a device for each Wi-Fi network it connected to.

Rotate Wi-Fi Address, like Private Wi-Fi Address, is separate from the additional Limit IP Address Tracking option that can be turned on for Mail and Safari.

Related Roundups: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia
Related Forums: iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia

Popular Stories

Apple Watch Ultra 2 Complications

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Just Weeks Away: Eight Reasons to Upgrade

Wednesday August 20, 2025 6:44 am PDT by
We're only weeks away from Apple's annual iPhone event – rumored to take place on September 9 – and along with the new iPhone 17 series, we're going to get a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra for the first time since 2023. By the time the Ultra 3 is unveiled, it will have been two years since the previous model arrived. The intervening period has left plenty of room for enhancements,...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

iPhone Driver's Licenses in Apple Wallet Now Available in 10 U.S. States

Wednesday August 20, 2025 12:00 pm PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. This week, Apple announced the 10th U.S. state that has implemented the feature: Montana. Below, we have recapped key details about...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Next Month With These 12 New Features

Wednesday August 20, 2025 1:23 pm PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max should be unveiled in a few more weeks, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone X through iPhone 14 Pro...
airpods pro 2 green

Apple Releases New Beta Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday August 19, 2025 11:25 am PDT by
Apple today provided developers with updated beta firmware for the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4, allowing them to test the new AirPods features in iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS Tahoe. The firmware is only available to developers at the current time, and a device running iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 is required to install the update. The firmware has a build number of 8A5343a, up from 8A5324b. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

When Is iPhone 17 Coming Out?

Wednesday August 20, 2025 5:00 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 series is expected to debut in September 2025. This release follows Apple's recent trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. To unveil the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple is expected to hold its annual iPhone announcement event during the week of September 8, 2025, with September 9 or 10 emerging as the most likely...
TechWoven

Apple Rumored to Launch 'TechWoven' Cases for iPhone 17 With 'Crossbody Strap' Option

Wednesday August 20, 2025 8:21 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a new "TechWoven" line of cases for the iPhone 17 series, according to a leaker known as "Majin Bu." Two years ago, Apple stopped selling leather iPhone cases, as part of the company's efforts to reduce its carbon emissions. As an alternative, Apple introduced a new "FineWoven" line of fabric iPhone cases made from 68% post-consumer recycled content, but they were ...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.6.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Tuesday August 19, 2025 9:29 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers are testing iOS 18.6.2, according to the MacRumors visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. Yesterday, an anonymous source with a proven track record said iOS 18.6.2 was incoming, but the update was not present in our logs at that time. Last year, the same anonymous source claimed that iOS 17.5.2 was in the pipeline, but Apple ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Update Now: iOS 18.6.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerability

Wednesday August 20, 2025 10:58 am PDT by
Apple today released new iOS 18.6.2, iPadOS 18.6.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.6.1 updates, and the software addresses a security vulnerability that is known to have been actively exploited. According to Apple's security support documents, memory corruption could result from devices that were sent a malicious image file. Apple says that it is aware of a report that the issue "may have been...

Top Rated Comments

jimsong Avatar
16 months ago
This is great for being on a public network but it makes identifying which devices are connected to my home network much more challenging. It would be nice if you could specify private networks where this rotation would not happen.

EDIT: never mind, it looks like this is configurable on a per-network basis, which would be great news!
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
16 months ago
Shouldn't the address be upside down when it is rotated?
And maybe they could add a setting where you can choose the rotation angle.
Though I'm sure that trackers will catch on pretty quickly.

Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redheeler Avatar
16 months ago

I just use a VPN
A VPN doesn't hide your MAC address to computers on the same local network, it hides your public IP address to whatever remote website/server you're connecting to.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dcjames Avatar
16 months ago
Users will really need to be careful when using this feature on metered/temporary access networks where one purchases wifi access per-device (I have been on ferries around Greece that do this). If a user enables this feature for such a network, and iOS changes the MAC Address seen by the network during the middle of the session, the device will no longer be recognized and the user would have to re-purchase access every time the MAC is rotated.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jgreg00 Avatar
16 months ago

This isn’t new. It’s just renamed. It used to say “Private Wi-Fi Address”.
So you're telling us all that you only read the headline?
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
16 months ago
Pick your fandom time:


* “I’ll try spinning! That’s a good trick!”
* “Rotate the shield frequencies.”
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)