A Deeper Look at iOS 26 Privacy Features
iOS 26 introduces a significant update to Safari’s privacy protections, making it even harder for companies like Google to track users. This change, which Apple announced at WWDC 2025, builds upon a series of privacy-focused updates the company has been rolling out for years.
Advanced Fingerprinting Protection by Default
The key change in iOS 26 is that the Advanced Fingerprinting Protection feature, previously limited to Safari’s Private Browsing mode, is now enabled by default for all browsing sessions. This feature works by confusing trackers in several ways:
- Noise Injection: Safari injects “noise” into web APIs that are commonly used for fingerprinting. This means that details like your screen size, CPU cores, or Web Audio samples will return slightly different and random information to websites, making it harder to create a unique profile of your device.
- Fixed Values: Safari also overrides the results of certain web APIs, such as those related to window or screen metrics, to fixed values. This makes many different devices appear the same to tracking scripts.
- Session-Specific Fingerprints: Even if a site attempts to fingerprint you, Safari assigns a unique ID that changes across different tabs and browsing sessions, preventing cross-site tracking.
Link Tracking Protection Expanded
In addition to fingerprinting, iOS 26 also expands Link Tracking Protection. This feature, which was previously applied to links in Private Browsing, Mail, and Messages, will now strip known tracking parameters from URLs in all Safari sessions. This includes common identifiers used by advertising platforms like Google (gclid) and Meta (fbclid).
Impact on Advertisers and Developers
These changes have a significant impact on digital marketers and advertisers who rely on traditional tracking methods. Campaign measurement will become less accurate, and attribution models that depend on click IDs will be weakened. As a result, many in the industry are being advised to adopt alternative, more resilient methods such as server-side tracking.
Other Notable Privacy Features
While the Safari updates are a major highlight, iOS 26 also introduces other privacy-enhancing features:
- Call Screening: The Phone app now has a new Call Screening feature. When you receive a call from an unknown number, your iPhone will silently answer it and prompt the caller to state their name and reason for calling. This is then transcribed in real-time, allowing you to decide whether to answer, ignore, or reply.
- Wired Accessories Permission: A new setting under Privacy & Security allows you to control whether accessories connected via a cable can access data when your phone is locked. This is a useful feature for anyone who charges their device in public places like airports, where USB ports could potentially be compromised.
- Messages Enhancements: iOS 26 introduces new screening tools that automatically categorize text messages into different folders, helping to filter out spam and unwanted senders. Live Translation in Messages and the new on-device “Visual Intelligence” feature also process information locally, ensuring your data remains private.
