{"id":167586,"date":"2023-05-03T05:35:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-03T12:35:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?p=167586"},"modified":"2024-11-21T18:25:52","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T02:25:52","slug":"how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our location.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Location tracking on your phone offers plenty of benefits, such as with apps that can recommend a good restaurant nearby, serve up the weather report for your exact location, or connect you with singles for dating in your area. Yet the apps that use location tracking may do more with your location data than that. They may collect it, and in turn sell it to advertisers and potentially other third parties that have an interest in where you go and what you do. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Likewise, cell phone providers have other means of collecting location information from your phone, which they may use for advertising and other purposes as well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">If that sounds like more than you\u2019re willing to share, know that you can do several things that can limit location tracking on your phone\u2014and thus limit the information that can potentially end up in other people\u2019s hands.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">How do Smartphones Track Your Movements?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">As we look at the ways you can limit location tracking on your phone, it helps to know the basics of how smartphones can track your movements.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For starters, outside of shutting down your phone completely, your phone can be used to determine your location to varying degrees of accuracy depending on the method used:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">GPS:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> The Global Positioning System, or GPS as many of us know it, is a system of satellites operated by the U.S. government for navigation purposes. First designed for national defense, the system became available for public use in the 1980s. It\u2019s highly accurate, to anywhere between nine to 30 feet depending on conditions and technology used, making it one of the strongest tools for determining a phone\u2019s location. This is what powers location services on cell phones, and thus can help an app recommend a great burger joint nearby.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Cell towers:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Cell phone providers can track a phone\u2019s location by the distance it is to various cell phone towers and by the strength of its signal. The location information this method provides is a bit coarser than GPS, providing results that can place a phone within 150 feet. It\u2019s most accurate in urban areas with high densities of cell phone towers, although it does not always work well indoors as some buildings can weaken or block cell phone signals. One of the most significant public benefits of this method is that it automatically routes emergency services calls (like 911 in the U.S.) to the proper local authorities without any guesswork from the caller.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Public Wi-Fi:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Larger tech companies and internet providers will sometimes provide free public Wi-Fi hotspots that people can tap into at airports, restaurants, coffeehouses, and such. It\u2019s a nice convenience but connecting to their Wi-Fi may share a phone\u2019s MAC address, a unique identifier for connected devices, along with other identifiers on the smartphone. Taken together, this can allow the Wi-Fi hosting company to gather location and behavioral data while you use your phone on their Wi-Fi network.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559684&quot;:-2,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Bluetooth:<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Like with public Wi-Fi, companies can use strategically placed Bluetooth devices to gather location information as well. If Bluetooth is enabled on a phone, it will periodically seek out Bluetooth-enabled devices to connect to while the phone is awake. This way, a Bluetooth receiver can then capture that phone\u2019s unique MAC address. This provides highly accurate location information to within just a few feet because of Bluetooth\u2019s short broadcast range. In the past, we\u2019ve seen retailers use this method to track customers in their physical stores to better understand their shopping habits. However, more modern phones often create dummy MAC addresses when they seek out Bluetooth connections, which helps thwart this practice.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Now here\u2019s what makes these tracking methods so powerful: in addition to the way they can determine your phone\u2019s location, they\u2019re also quite good at determining your identity too. With it, companies know who you are, where you are, and potentially some idea of what you\u2019re doing there based on your phone\u2019s activity.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Throughout our blogs we refer to someone\u2019s identity as a jigsaw puzzle. Some pieces are larger than others, like your Social Security number or tax ID number being among the biggest because they are so unique. Yet if someone gathers enough of those smaller pieces, they can put those pieces together and identify you.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Things like your phone\u2019s MAC address, ad IDs, IP address, device profile, and other identifiers are examples of those smaller pieces, all of which can get collected. In the hands of the collector, they can potentially create a picture of who you are and where you\u2019ve been.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">What Happens to Your Location Information That Gets Collected?<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">What happens to your data largely depends on what you\u2019ve agreed to.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In terms of apps, we\u2019ve all seen the lengthy user agreements that we click on during the app installation process. Buried within them are terms put forth by the app developer that cover what data the app collects, how it&#8217;s used, and if it may be shared with or sold to third parties. Also, during the installation process, the app may ask for permissions to access certain things on your phone, like photos, your camera, and yes, location services so it can track you. When you click \u201cI Agree,\u201d you indeed agree to all those terms and permissions.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">Needless to say, some apps only use and collect the bare minimum of information as part of the agreement. On the other end of the spectrum, some apps will take all they can get and then sell the information they collect to third parties, such as data brokers that<\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> build exacting profiles of individuals, their histories, their interests, and their habits.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">In turn, those data brokers will sell that information to anyone, which can be used by advertisers along with identity thieves, scammers, and spammers. And as reported in recent years, various law enforcement agencies will purchase that information as well for surveillance purposes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Further, some apps are malicious from the start. Google Play does its part to keep its virtual shelves free of malware-laden apps with a thorough submission process as\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/security.googleblog.com\/2021\/04\/how-we-fought-bad-apps-and-developers.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">reported by Google<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fand through its App Defense Alliance that shares intelligence across a network of partners, of which we\u2019re a proud member. Android users also have the option of running\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/googleplay\/answer\/2812853\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Play Protect<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u202fto check apps for safety before they\u2019re downloaded.\u202f<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/newsroom\/2022\/06\/app-store-stopped-nearly-one-point-five-billion-in-fraudulent-transactions-in-2021\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Apple has its own rigorous submission process<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> for weeding out fraud and malicious apps in its store as well.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Yet, bad actors find ways to sneak malware into app stores. Sometimes they upload an app that\u2019s initially clean and then push the malware to users as part of an update. Other times, they\u2019ll embed the malicious code so that it only triggers once it\u2019s run in certain countries. They will also encrypt\u202fmalicious\u202fcode in the app that they submit, which can make it difficult for reviewers to sniff out. These apps will often steal data, and are designed to do so, including location information in some cases.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">As far as cell phone service providers go, they have legitimate reasons for tracking your phone in the ways mentioned above. One is for providing connectivity to emergency service calls (again, like 911 in the U.S.), yet others are for troubleshooting and to ensure that only legitimate customers are accessing their network. And, depending on the carrier, they may use it for advertising purposes in programs that you may willingly opt into or that you must intentionally opt out of.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Ways to Limit Tracking on Your Smartphone<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">We each have our own comfort level when it comes to our privacy. For some, personalized ads have a certain appeal. For others, not so much, not when it involves sharing information about themselves. Yet arguably, some issues of privacy aren\u2019t up for discussion, like ending up with a malicious data-stealing app on your phone.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In all, you can take several steps to limit tracking on your smartphone to various degrees\u2014and boost your privacy to various degrees as a result:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Switch your phone into Airplane Mode.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Disconnect. Without a Wi-Fi or data connection, you can\u2019t get tracked. While this makes you unreachable, it also makes you untraceable, which you may want to consider if you\u2019d rather keep your whereabouts and travels to yourself for periods of time. However, note that iPhones have a feature called \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/102648\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">Find My Network<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u201d that helps track lost devices, even when they are powered off or disconnected.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Turn off location services altogether.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> As noted above, your smartphone can get tracked by other means, yet disabling location services in your phone settings shuts down a primary avenue of location data collection. Note that your maps apps won\u2019t offer directions and your restaurant app won\u2019t point you toward that tasty burger when location services are off, but you will be more private than with them on.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Provide permissions on an app-by-app basis.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Another option is to go into your phone settings and enable location services for specific apps in specific cases. For example, you can set your map app to enable location services only while in use. Other apps, you can disable location services entirely. Yet another option is to have the app ask for permissions each time. Note that this is a great way to discover if apps have defaulted to using location services without your knowledge when you installed them. On an iPhone, you can find this in Settings <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00e0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Privacy &amp; Security <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00e0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Location Services. On an Android, go to Settings <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00e0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Locations <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00e0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\"> App Locations Permissions.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Delete old apps. And be choosy about new ones.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Fewer apps mean fewer avenues of potential data collection. If you have old, unused apps, consider deleting them, along with the accounts and data associated with them. Also, steer clear of unofficial app stores. By sticking with Google Play and Apple\u2019s App Store, you have a far better chance of downloading safe apps thanks to their review process. <\/span><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Check out the developer of the app while you\u2019re at it. Have they published several other apps with many downloads and good reviews? A legit app typically has quite a few reviews, whereas malicious apps may have only a handful of (phony) five-star reviews.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Turn off Bluetooth while not in use.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> You can keep passive location-sniffing techniques from logging your location by disabling your phone\u2019s Bluetooth connectivity when you aren\u2019t using it.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Use a VPN.<\/span><\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/learn\/vpn?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">A VPN can make your time online more private and more secure<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\"> by obscuring things like your IP address and by preventing snoops from monitoring your activity.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">On iPhones, look into using Private Relay.<\/span><\/b> <span data-contrast=\"auto\">Apple\u2019s Private Relay is similar to a VPN in that it changes your IP address so websites you visit can\u2019t tell exactly where you are. It works on iOS and Macs as part of an iCloud+ subscription. Yet there is one important distinction: it only protects your privacy while surfing with the Safari browser. Note that as of this writing, Apple Private Relay is not available in all countries and regions. If you travel somewhere that Private Relay isn&#8217;t available, it will automatically turn off and will notify you when it&#8217;s unavailable and once more when it&#8217;s active again. You can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-us\/102602\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">learn more about it here<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\"> and how you can enable it on your Apple devices.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Stash your phone in a Faraday bag.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> You can purchase one of these smartphone pouches online that, depending on the model, can block <\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">Bluetooth, cellular, GPS, RFID, and radio signals\u2014effectively hiding your phone and that prevent others from tracking it.\u00a0<\/span><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li data-leveltext=\"%1.\" data-font=\"Calibri\" data-listid=\"2\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335552541&quot;:0,&quot;335559684&quot;:-1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769242&quot;:[65533,0],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;%1.&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">Opt out of cell phone carrier ad programs.<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Different cell phone carriers have different user agreements, yet some may allow the carrier to share insights about you with third parties based on browsing and usage history. Opting out of these programs may not stop your cell phone carrier from collecting data about you, but it may prevent it from sharing insights about you with others. To see if you participate in one of these programs, log into your account portal or app. Look for settings around \u201crelevant advertising,\u201d \u201ccustom experience,\u201d or even \u201cadvertising,\u201d and then determine if these programs are of worth to you.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><b><span data-contrast=\"none\">More privacy on mobile<\/span><\/b><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">There\u2019s no way around it. Using a smartphone puts you on the map. And to some extent, what you\u2019re doing there as well. Outside of shutting down your phone or popping into Airplane Mode (noting what we said about iPhones and their \u201cFind My Network\u201d functionality above), you have no way of preventing location tracking. You can most certainly limit it.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"none\">For yet more ways you can lock down your privacy and your security on your phone, online protection software can help.<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/en-us\/identity-theft\/protection.html?path=blogs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span data-contrast=\"none\"> Our McAfee+ plans protect you against identity theft, online scams, and other mobile threats<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"none\">\u2014including credit card and bank fraud, emerging viruses, malicious texts and QR codes. For anyone who spends a good portion of their day on their phone, this kind of protection can make life far safer given all the things they do and keep on there.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":674,"featured_media":167864,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10670,1838],"tags":[15797,15796],"coauthors":[3973],"class_list":["post-167586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips-tricks","category-mobile-security","tag-location-tracking-on-smartphones","tag-mobile-privacy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"McAfee Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"300\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@McAfee\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"McAfee\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"McAfee\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/47851fdb92fad9456152405839c92efa\"},\"headline\":\"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\"},\"wordCount\":2237,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png\",\"keywords\":[\"location tracking on smartphones\",\"mobile privacy\"],\"articleSection\":[\"How To Guides and Tutorials\",\"Mobile Security\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\",\"name\":\"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00\",\"description\":\"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png\",\"width\":300,\"height\":200},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Blog\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How To Guides and Tutorials\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"name\":\"McAfee Blog\",\"description\":\"Internet Security News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization\",\"name\":\"McAfee\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png\",\"width\":1286,\"height\":336,\"caption\":\"McAfee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/47851fdb92fad9456152405839c92efa\",\"name\":\"McAfee\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/1ffadfeeda1f4f9e7891a81f27a9ecf4\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Original-Logo-96x96.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Original-Logo-96x96.png\",\"caption\":\"McAfee\"},\"description\":\"We're here to make life online safe and enjoyable for everyone.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/mcafee\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog","description":"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog","og_description":"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our","og_url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/","og_site_name":"McAfee Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","article_published_time":"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00","og_image":[{"width":300,"height":200,"url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"McAfee","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@McAfee","twitter_site":"@McAfee","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"McAfee","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/"},"author":{"name":"McAfee","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/47851fdb92fad9456152405839c92efa"},"headline":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone","datePublished":"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/"},"wordCount":2237,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png","keywords":["location tracking on smartphones","mobile privacy"],"articleSection":["How To Guides and Tutorials","Mobile Security"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/","name":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone | McAfee Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png","datePublished":"2023-05-03T12:35:20+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-22T02:25:52+00:00","description":"We all know that our phones know a lot about us. And they most certainly know a lot about where we go, thanks to the several ways they can track our","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/300x200_Blog_050323.png","width":300,"height":200},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/mobile-security\/how-to-limit-location-tracking-on-your-phone\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How To Guides and Tutorials","item":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/tips-tricks\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How to Limit Location Tracking on Your Phone"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","name":"McAfee Blog","description":"Internet Security News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#organization","name":"McAfee","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/mcafee-logo.png","width":1286,"height":336,"caption":"McAfee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/McAfee"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/47851fdb92fad9456152405839c92efa","name":"McAfee","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/1ffadfeeda1f4f9e7891a81f27a9ecf4","url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Original-Logo-96x96.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Original-Logo-96x96.png","caption":"McAfee"},"description":"We're here to make life online safe and enjoyable for everyone.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/McAfee\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/mcafee\/","https:\/\/x.com\/McAfee"],"url":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/author\/mcafee\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/674"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167586"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205124,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167586\/revisions\/205124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167586"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mcafee.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=167586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}