One of the benefits of owning an iPhone is privacy and it is something that Apple takes seriously. However, the default settings are not perfect and here are the ways to increase privacy.

Upgrade to iOS 11.3

Privacy has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons and with new GDPR laws in the EU, many companies have had to introduce new privacy policies and controls. Companies that have customers in the EU now have to be more transparent and more careful with your personal data. They don't have to do this in the rest of the world, but hopefully they will voluntarily because the new laws actually make a lot of sense and are good for you.

Apple has made several tweaks to privacy options and settings in iOS, partly because of this, and by upgrading to iOS 11.3 you will benefit from them. As soon as iOS 11.3 is installed for example, a couple of screens inform you that whenever Apple uses or collects personal information, a new icon is displayed which displays more information when it is pressed.

This can be seen when you open apps that collect and use data, like the App Store. The first time you use it after installing iOS 11.3, this appears.

It provides information about the data that is collection and how it is used. It did all of this before, only it didn't tell you. Now it does.

Check which apps access private information

Go to Settings > Privacy and there is a list of privacy categories, such as Contacts, Photos, Microphone and so on. Press each of these to configure the privacy options for them.

Press Contacts for example, and there is a list of apps that have access to your all contacts and all their details. There are on/off switches to block access to any apps that you think don't need it.

With some privacy categories there are further options, so press Photos for example and there is a list of apps with access to your photo library. Instead of on/off switches there is a setting on the right. Press it and there is a choice of Never or Read and Write. Use these options to choose whether apps can access your photos.

Location privacy

There are many privacy settings associated with your location. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and there is an on/off switch that can be used to block every app and service with one tap. However, it is usually better to leave it turned on and to configure apps individually. Then you can get the benefits from apps that need it while blocking apps you don't want.

Tap Share My Location and there is an on/off switch to prevent family and friends using apps and services like Messages, Find My Friends and certain interactions with Siri on HomePod.

Return to Location Services and the list of apps that can access your location. On the right is the access permission and it varies with the app. Press Facebook for example and location access can be set to Never, While Using the App or Always. Apps rarely require the Always setting, so change them to While Using the App for extra privacy.

Scroll right down to the bottom and press System Services. Nearly all of these are best left turned on, but there are a couple that you might want to switch off. One is Location-Based Apple Ads. Do you want to see adverts based on your location? Turn it off if you don't. I am not sure it will reduce ads, but it is worth trying.

Press Significant Locations and a list of places your iPhone thinks is important to you. Ask yourself if this is something you want recorded. There is a Clear History option at the bottom and an on/off switch at the top.

There is a whole section down near the bottom called Product Improvement. Do you want to help Apple by including your location in analytics data? It is your choice.

Safari web browsing privacy

Web browsers can reveal a lot about you, such as your location, the device being used to access the internet, screen size, operating system, and of course, your browsing history. There are a few ways you can limit this snooping and increase your privacy when browsing the web.

Go to Settings > Safari and there are several useful privacy settings:

Press Search Engine and select DuckDuckGo, which tracks you far less than Google, Yahoo or Bing.

With Search Engine Suggestions and Safari Suggestions, some information is sent to Apple for processing. Are these privacy issues? Should you turn them off? Tap the link below the Search section About Safari Search & Privacy.

There is a whole Privacy & Security section and some are best turned on, like Ask Websites Not to Track Me, and some are best turned off, like Camera & Microphone Access.

If you really want to cover your tracks, press Clear History and Website Data. However, there is an alternative method for deleting browsing activities that has more options.

• Open Safari
• Tap the bookmark icon at the bottom
• Select the history (clock) tab
• Tap Clear at the bottom
• Select the time period to clear – The last hour, Today, Today and yesterday, or All time.

Other privacy options

A VPN is good for protecting you while using the internet and it both secures your connection and makes it harder for sites and services to track you. See Should you use a free VPN on the iPhone.

Browse using a Private window for extra privacy. In Safari press the button in the bottom right corner and then press Private. Tap the plus button to open a new private browsing window.

The good thing about private browsing is that you have no history and to websites it looks like you are a first time visitor because it cannot find any cookies. Browsing history and cookies are deleted when you switch back to normal mode – tap the icon, close the private tabs, tap Private to finish.