People usually engage in private activities on the internet; from sports betting to pornography to finding love, you name it. Since most people would like to keep these activities private, they end up asking: “Can private browsing be traced on iPhone?”. The focus of this article is to answer this question and also explain how to avoid being traced online.
Can private browsing be traced on iPhone?
The answer is Yes, Private browsing can be traced on an iPhone.
Private Browsing Mode is a Safari Browser feature on iPhone and other iOS devices that allows users to surf the web without leaving a trace of their activity in their browser history, cookies, or search queries.
But aside from this, Private Browsing does not provide extra privacy and security. It does not prevent your Internet Service Provider (ISP) from tracking your activity, and hackers can still trace you. In this article, we will show you how to prevent your private browsing from being traced on an iPhone.
How to avoid being traced on iPhone
Although security vulnerabilities on iPhones are less frequent compared to Android phones, they can still be traced, tracked, or hacked. It’s important that you do everything within your control to ensure that your device is secure. The following are ways you can avoid being tracked on your iPhone.
Disable app tracking
Apps on your phone may try to track your iPhone across websites and apps owned by other companies for the purpose of advertising or selling your data to third parties. Fortunately, all apps on your iPhone are required to ask for your permission before tracing your phone.
But sometimes you could erroneously grant them permission without even realizing it. The best way to solve this problem is to deny and stop all apps from requesting permission.
To stop apps from tracking your iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Tracking.
You’ll find all the apps that are requested to track your iPhone. You can turn permission on or off for any app on the list but the best thing to do is to stop all apps from requesting permission.
To stop all apps from requesting permission to track your phone, turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track at the top of your screen.
Use Tor Browser
Tor browser masks your IP address by rerouting your traffic through different series of nodes, making it impossible to be traced or tracked. Using this browser is a great way to protect your online privacy.
Tor isolates every website traffic and automatically deletes cookies so it is impossible for your iPhone to be traced when you use Tor to browse. However, Tor can only protect you when you are using the browser. For extra protection outside the Tor browser, you will need to use a VPN.
Use VPN
Even after disabling app tracking and using the Tor browser, your iPhone will still be at risk of tracing and other privacy breaches. These methods are good but they only provide partial security.
Using a good VPN service will provide you with complete security and privacy and help you avoid being tracked on your iPhone. A VPN will mask your IP address and traffic, making it invisible to third-party apps or trackers that might try to trace your iPhone.
Some of the best VPNs for iphone as tested by cybersecurity experts include Nord, ExpressVPN, PIA, and Surfshark. These VPN providers use standard military-grade encryption (AES-256) and a selection of protocols such as WireGuard, OpenVPN, and IKEv2 to provide unbreachable security.
How to turn on or turn off private browsing on iPhone
Turning on or turning off Safari Private browsing on iPhone is pretty straightforward but may vary depending on your iOS version. But irrespective of your iOS version, you’ll always find it under the tab button.
Locate the tab button. It’s that two overlapping squares at the bottom right of your screen.
Click on the Private button
Then click on Done and begin browsing in private mode.
Alternatively, you can just press and hold the tab button, then click on New Private Tab.
How does iPhone private browsing work?
Private Browsing on Safari browsers is similar to what Google Chrome has as Incognito Mode. When browsing in Private Mode, Safari won’t keep a log of the website you visit, your browsing information, and your autofill details.
It hides your browsing information from third parties who may want to access it through your phone. However, private browsing does not hide your information from websites, advertisers, your ISP, or Big Tech companies.
And if you use the advanced option, you can still see your Private Browsing history. Private browsing also won’t hide your IP address, encrypt your traffic, or make your iPhone safe on public WiFi. Websites can still see your IP address when you browse on private browsing.
How to find your Private browsing history on Safari
As mentioned earlier, you will be able to see your Private Browsing history on Safari with the advanced option. Here is how to do it: Go to Settings > Safari and click on Advance at the bottom of the screen
Click on Website Data
Can you hide your IP address on safari?
Yes, you can hide your IP address on Safari. There are 2 options to do this. You can hide your IP address by enabling Hide your IP Address or through Private Relay. The Hide your IP Address option is available to all users while the Private Relay option (which provides a full IP mask) is only available to iCloud+ subscribers.
To hide your IP address on iPhone Safari:
1. Go to Settings and click on Safari
2. Under Privacy and Security, tap Hide IP Address
4. Select From Trackers
Conclusion
Private browsing only offers only a small amount of privacy. It may help to hide your browsing information from third parties who may have access to your phone, but your iPhone can still be traced even when you browse in private mode.
