An Android privacy guide covers three built-in controls: per-app location permissions, personalization based on shared app data, and Private DNS.
The latter encrypts DNS queries using DNS over TLS and has been available since Android 9 Pie.
These settings can limit tracking, but do not prevent every app from collecting data through its own mechanisms.
Android offers some built-in settings that limit different forms of data collection without having to install a third-party app. They don't stop all tracking, but they do give you more control over location, data usage between apps, and DNS lookups.
Limit data used between apps
The Personalize using shared data setting — on some devices it appears as Personalize using app data — is about using information from different apps for personalization. It doesn’t stop each app from collecting data for its own purposes: Facebook, Gmail, TikTok, and Maps, for example, have separate collection mechanisms. At the same time, data may pass indirectly between services through advertising partners and analytics companies, and Google also draws on your activity in apps.
The path to the setting is not the same on all phones. On some Samsung and other models, you'll find it in Settings > Security and privacy > More security and privacy > Personalize using app data . If this option isn't there, go to Settings > Google > All services > Personalize using shared data and disable the sources that appear individually. On his Motorola, the author found it from this second path.
Define which apps see your location
If you want to restrict location access without disabling it for the entire phone, check each app individually. From Settings > Location , look at the Allowed all the time and Allowed only while in use lists . By tapping on an app, you can choose Don't allow , Allow only while using the app , or Ask every time.
With the latter option, the app asks for permission when it needs your location. So you don't have to decide in advance that it will have permanent access. Turning off Use location completely may affect location-based apps like The Weather Channel, Maps, and Netflix, as well as some Google features.
Enable Private DNS, knowing its limits
When you type in a website address, your phone does a DNS lookup to find out where to connect. Private DNS encrypts these lookups with DNS over TLS (DoT). The feature has been available since Android 9 Pie, which was released in 2018.
This setting is usually found in Settings > Network & Internet > Advanced > Private DNS , although some phones don't have the Advanced section and the path is different. Select Private DNS provider hostname and type one.one.one.one , the Cloudflare hostname. This requires a provider name, not an IP address.
The encryption is for DNS queries, not the entire connection. Your ISP and others along the network path can still see the site name via SNI, a token that is transmitted unencrypted over a TLS connection. ECH (Encrypted Client Hello) can hide this token, but it is not yet supported by many sites. To hide your entire browsing history, full page addresses, and your real IP, you need a VPN; Private DNS is not a substitute for it.
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