How to protect your internet privacy: Practical steps for Mac and iPhone
Posted on
by
Kamso Oguejiofor-Abugu
Every time you browse the web, use an app, or sign in to an online account, you share some information about yourself. A lot of that simply helps websites and services run properly, but you still have a say in how much extra you share and who gets to see it.
Protecting your internet privacy isn’t about disappearing from the web. It’s about making a few practical changes, from adjusting app settings and permissions to being more careful about the information you share online. Here’s how to protect your internet privacy on your Mac and iPhone without getting in the way of how you use them.
Secure your accounts first
Your main accounts hold much of your personal life, from emails and private photos to messages and shopping histories. If someone gains access to those, privacy controls elsewhere won’t offer much protection.
Give each account its own password
Reusing passwords means that if one site suffers a leak, other accounts using that same login become vulnerable too. Aim for a long, unique password or use a passkey where available. Strong passwords are harder to guess, while passkeys let you sign in using your fingerprint, facial recognition, or device password.
You don’t have to keep all these details in your head. Password managers like Apple’s Passwords app can create and save unique passwords for you, making them much easier to manage.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds another step when you sign in. This way, even if someone manages to learn your password, they’ll still need a second form of verification to access your account. No method is foolproof, though, and some verification codes can be stolen through phishing, so never share a code with anyone who contacts you.
Enable two-factor authentication wherever it’s available, starting with high-priority services like your primary email, Apple Account, online banking, and main social profiles. Look for the option in each provider’s account security settings. For your Apple Account, follow Apple’s guide for setting up two-factor authentication.
Save any backup codes or recovery instructions somewhere secure and easy to reach, in case you lose your phone or the device you use to receive 2FA codes.
Review your Safari privacy settings
Safari comes with built-in tools that help keep your browsing habits private. Taking a few moments to review these settings gives you better control over what websites can learn about you.
Prevent cross-site tracking
When websites load social media buttons or embedded content from other companies, those providers can trace your visits across different sites to build advertising profiles. Enabling cross-site protection limits this form of tracking, though it doesn’t stop websites from tracking you in other ways.
On your iPhone, open the Settings app, go to Apps > Safari, then check that Prevent Cross-Site Tracking is enabled.
On your Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the top-left corner of your screen, and select Settings. Go to the Privacy tab and check that Prevent cross-site tracking is enabled.
Hide your IP address from trackers
Your IP address can provide information about your internet connection and approximate location. Safari can mask this address from known trackers so it’s harder for them to link your activity to your location. If you subscribe to iCloud+ and use iCloud Private Relay, you can also hide your IP address from the websites you visit.
On your iPhone, open the Settings app, go to Apps > Safari, and tap Hide IP Address. Then choose one of these options:
- Trackers Only: Hides your IP address from known online trackers that load when you visit a website.
- Trackers and Websites: Hides your IP address from both known trackers and the websites you visit. This requires an iCloud+ subscription with iCloud Private Relay turned on.
On your Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the top-left corner of your screen, and select Settings. Then go to the Privacy tab and turn on Hide IP address. If you have an iCloud+ subscription and iCloud Private Relay is enabled, click the menu next to Hide IP address and choose from Trackers Only or from Trackers and Websites.
Keep in mind that although masking your IP address helps, it won’t make you entirely anonymous online. Think of it as one piece of a broader set of built-in protections.
Review cookies and website data
Cookies do useful work, like keeping you signed in to websites and remembering your preferences, but some are also used to monitor where you go online.
You don’t necessarily need to remove every cookie. Doing that can log you out of everyday websites and change site behavior. A regular check-in to clear out data from sites you no longer visit can reduce the number of unnecessary cookies saved in your browser.
On your iPhone, open the Settings app, go to Apps > Safari, scroll down and tap Advanced. Then tap Website Data and delete any website data you don’t need anymore.
On your Mac, open Safari, click Safari in the top-left corner of your screen, and select Settings. Next, go to the Privacy tab, click Manage Website Data, and delete any website data you don’t need anymore.
Check which apps can access your data
Websites aren’t the only ones collecting information. Apps regularly ask for permissions to use your location, camera, microphone, contacts, and photos. It’s completely normal to approve access once for a quick task and never think about it again.
On iPhone:
- Open the Settings app and tap Privacy & Security.
- Take a moment to go through key areas like Location Services, Camera, Microphone, and Photos. Look for apps that have permissions they don’t need and remove the permission. If a feature stops working later, you can come back to this screen and restore access at any time.
- On that same screen, tap Tracking. You can turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track to decline tracking prompts altogether, or scroll down to adjust permissions for specific apps one at a time.
- Return to Privacy & Security, scroll to the bottom, select App Privacy Report, and tap Turn On App Privacy Report if it isn’t already enabled. App Privacy Report gives you a clear timeline of when apps recently used your permissions, as well as the web domains they reached out to in the background.
App Privacy Report starts collecting information only after you enable it, so you may need to use your apps for a while before you get a report.
Keep in mind that a domain showing up in the report doesn’t automatically mean an app is tracking you or misusing your data. Apps routinely contact domains for ordinary reasons, such as playing a video or syncing cloud files.
On Mac:
- Open your System Settings app and select Privacy & Security.
- Review the permissions listed here, including Full Disk Access, Location Services, Camera, Microphone, and Photos. Check which apps have access and whether they still need it for the features you use. Remove permissions that aren’t necessary rather than switching everything off at once. Security and backup apps, such as antivirus software, may need Full Disk Access to work properly. If an app you rely on stops working as expected after you change a permission, return to Privacy & Security and restore access if the feature requires it.
Analytics & Improvements is another setting worth reviewing. It lets you control whether your Mac or iPhone shares certain diagnostic and usage data with Apple; it won’t stop all data collection.
Open Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements in Settings (or System Settings on Mac) and turn off any sharing options you’d rather not use.
Use a VPN for more privacy on a network
A VPN can add privacy when you’re connected to the internet, particularly when you’re using a network you don’t control.
When you turn it on, it encrypts your internet traffic as it travels between your device and the VPN server. The websites you visit see that server’s IP address instead of your own. Meanwhile, your internet provider or someone monitoring your connection sees that you’re using a VPN but not which websites you’re visiting.
That said, a VPN isn’t a total cloak. Web cookies can still recognize your browser, and as soon as you sign in to an account, that activity links back to you. A VPN can’t protect a device that’s already infected with malware, either. Using one also means trusting its provider with your traffic, so look for a clear privacy policy that says it doesn’t record or share your online activity.
A VPN is also different from iCloud Private Relay. Private Relay helps protect Safari browsing, DNS queries, and unencrypted HTTP app traffic, and it requires an iCloud+ subscription. A VPN helps protect traffic routed through the active VPN connection, which can include traffic from other supported apps on your Mac or iPhone, not just Safari.
The VPN included with Intego ONE Complete is designed specifically for Macs and iPhones. It uses the Lightway protocol to maintain fast connections for everyday activities like browsing or streaming. It’s part of Intego ONE Complete, which also includes Antivirus, Firewall, and SmartClean for your Mac.
Intego doesn’t log your browsing history, the content or destination of your VPN traffic, your DNS queries, or the VPN IP address assigned to you while connected. To run the service, Intego processes some connection information, such as your public IP address, the VPN location you choose, and a session identifier. Intego may also collect information about how you use its apps, which you can turn off in the app settings.
To use the VPN:
- Open Intego ONE on your Mac and go to VPN.
- Pick a VPN server in Recommended Locations or click Locations and choose your preferred server location. Double-click a server to connect to it.
- Check the summary view at the top-left. When the VPN is active, the status shows Connected, along with the IP address and name of the server location you’re connected to.
Share less personal information on social media
Privacy isn’t only about what your devices, websites, or apps collect. It’s also about what you choose to make public.
It helps to review your social media profiles and their privacy settings to see if you’re sharing details that do not need to be visible to everyone, such as:
- Your phone number or email address
- Your date of birth
- Your home or work location
- Your daily routine
- Your travel plans
- Information about family members
Pay closer attention to posts that show where you are in real time or make it clear that your home is empty.
Protecting your privacy doesn’t mean leaving these platforms altogether. It means being more deliberate and cautious about what you share and who you share it with.
Remove personal information from data broker and people-search sites
Every so often, run a quick search on your own name to see what turns up about you online. You may find information on data broker or people-search websites, including your name, rough location, contact details, or information about relatives.
When you notice a page with your details, look for that site’s privacy or opt-out page and follow their steps to request a removal. You may need to repeat this periodically because information can reappear.
How we checked this guide
We last checked the steps in this guide on October 26, 2026. We checked the steps in Review your Safari privacy settings on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 with Safari version 26.5.2, and on an iPhone running iOS 26.6.1 with Safari version 26.6.1. We confirmed what each feature does using Apple’s official documentation.
We checked the steps in Check which apps can access your data on an iPhone running iOS 26.6.1 and a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26.5.2. We confirmed what each feature does using Apple’s official documentation.
We checked the steps in Use a VPN for more privacy on a network on a Mac running macOS Tahoe 26.5.2 using Intego ONE Complete version 1.4.2.
Frequently asked questions
What is internet privacy?
Internet privacy is your ability to control who can see or collect information about you online, such as the sites you visit, your location, and your account information.
Does a VPN make me completely anonymous online?
No, it doesn’t. A VPN hides your IP address from websites and encrypts your connection, making it harder for anyone on the same network to see your browsing activity. Even so, sites can still recognize you through tracker cookies, or simply because you’re signed in to your account.
Is iCloud Private Relay the same as a VPN?
No, it’s not. iCloud Private Relay comes with an iCloud+ subscription and helps protect Safari browsing, DNS queries, and unencrypted HTTP app traffic. A VPN works differently. While it’s connected, it covers the traffic routed through that VPN connection, which can include traffic from other apps, not just your browser.
How can I remove my personal information from the internet?
Try reaching out directly to the site that has your details and asking them to take it down. If you can still find the information in search results, you can ask the search engine to remove the result, though that won’t erase it from the original website. Taking things down isn’t always foolproof, and old details have a way of surfacing again, so it’s worth taking another look every so often.
Does Private Browsing mode protect my privacy?
To an extent. Private Browsing keeps Safari from saving the details of your browsing activity and from syncing your private tabs to other Apple devices. It also blocks known device-fingerprinting connections, and removes known tracking parameters from URLs. However, it doesn’t make you anonymous or replace other Safari privacy settings. Also, if you download any files in a private browser, those files stay on your device even after you close your private tabs.
