How to make your smartphone stop following you

For some time now, marketers have been using more and more sophisticated tricks to catch us from a distance and push us their best product in every possible way. For this purpose, various algorithms are used, e.g. Targeted advertising, and one of the latest trends in this area is information about the user’s location and habits. But what if you don’t want others to know where you are and what you are doing? Let’s try to find a solution.

No doubt smartphones know a lot about our preferences. This is not only location data, but also calendars with schedules, places we visit (and how often we do it), drinks and food that we like best, which vehicles we use and so on. Most often this data is impersonal, but we can not be 100% sure? Let’s make smartphone use more confidential.

1. Set up phone location tracking options

This feature (which is not surprising, because large companies earn good money by selling targeted advertising) is quite deeply hidden in the privacy settings, and if you do not turn it off, it will record your everyday life. With this feature, you can find out where you live and work, as well as travel routes, using your phone. If this bothers you, turn it off.

2. Restrict ad tracking

Mobile operating systems also provide built-in options to limit ad tracking. Despite the fact that these tools will not be turned off completely, the registration of your activities by phone will be limited, and you will receive less advertising on tape sites and social networks.

3. Don’t allow Google to track your travel routes.

We have recently discovered that many Google services still do not store your location data, even if you have changed your privacy settings.

To turn off location tracking, go to “Personal data and privacy”, then to “Manage Google activities”, “Go to activity control” and disable “Location history”.

4. Use a secure mobile browser.

To do this, you do not need to use alternative solutions, such as Mozilla or Microsoft Edge. The browser itself is not important here. It is important to work in it in incognito mode, and all modern applications for surfing the Internet perform such a function. It also deletes all passwords and browsing history after each session.

If you use a Samsung smartphone, you can also use your own web application from a South Korean company. It has a built-in ad blocking mechanism that prevents other websites from tracking your online activity.

5. Check your online accounts.

Sometimes, technology giants like Google, Microsoft and Facebook seem to know you personally. It’s almost true. Every time you use their products and services, they have algorithms that track what you want, what you see and what links you follow. Fortunately, most advertising companies offer tools to opt out of personalized ad tracking. Check all your profiles and make sure activity tracking is turned off.

7. Check your virtual assistants.

When you say words to use virtual assistants, the voice command sound file is unloaded and stored on the servers of the companies that developed it. Like other information, this data is most likely anonymous and goes through algorithms that look for behaviors and patterns that can be used to display ads.

But still, knowing that your smartphone or other smart device can remember what you say, it becomes a little uncomfortable. Disable the function of sending data from voice assistants, if it concerns you.

8. Check the permissions for the application.

Before installing the application, always check what you have allowed and what has not been allowed in this or in this program. Sometimes applications ask for more information than they really need. This information can then be sent to companies that can use it for their own purposes.

That is why it is important to check the application permissions regularly. This will not only give you more control and stop applications from potential espionage, but it can also eliminate programs that are still running in the background, which in turn can extend your smartphone’s battery life.