iPhone and iPad: New privacy functions with iOS 14 and iPadOS 14
of David Wurm 
on June 22, 2020, 21:26 pm | Write a comment
Together with the new one iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 Apple has given the iPhone and iPad numerous new privacy functions. For example, there is a new indicator that shows whether an app is currently using the microphone.
Apple attaches great importance to privacy - this was mentioned again today at WWDC 2020. It is important for Apple to leave the data mainly on the respective device and to calculate it there rather than sending it to a server. But not just empty promises - some exciting privacy functions have been put on the table today.
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Indicator when using the microphone
Screenshot: TechnikNews
With the new iOS 14 and iPadOS 14, the iPhone and iPad will in future show even more clearly whether an app is currently using the microphone. If an app accesses it, you will find a small yellow dot at the top right of the screen, which should discreetly indicate this. There was probably not enough space for a microphone symbol on the status bar.
Share approximate location
Screenshot: TechnikNews
Almost every app now wants access to the user's location. Apple is also aware of this problem - last year they introduced functions that allow an app to be given one-time permission to access the location. Now they are going a step further and introducing the sharing of approximate locations. This means that an app cannot share the location to the nearest meter, but only a certain radius. For a weather app, which usually only needs access to the location, rather than the exact location, this would be sufficient.
Cross-app tracking
Some developers track users with their apps completely across all apps - a good example of this is Facebook. If you have installed the Facebook app, for example, it is often sufficient to do things in the browser and the Facebook app knows about them. Now you can prohibit an app from precisely this tracking without having any disadvantage. With iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 you will be asked automatically when the time comes.
Information on authorizations directly with the download
Screenshot: TechnikNews
In the future, Apple will display a short pop-up directly in the store before the download, in which the developer must precisely define which data is collected about the user. So you can decide against a data-hungry app before the installation.