6 Ways to Take Control of Your Privacy Settings Online

You post a photo of your lunch. You like a post from a friend. You search for a new recipe. All of it creates data. Lots of it. And that data tells a story about who you are, where you go, what you care about, and what you might buy next.

The thing is, you don't have to be passive about it. Privacy settings online are one of the most direct tools you have to draw boundaries around your information. They're not perfect, and they're not one-and-done fixes. But they work. And they matter.

This guide walks you through six concrete ways to take control of your privacy settings. None of these require a computer science degree. All of them take less than an hour to set up. And if you get stuck, you can come back to this article anytime.

Let's start.

1. Audit What Apps Have Access to Your Accounts

Your smartphone isn't just a phone anymore. It's a gateway. Every app you've ever given permission to—to access your camera, your location, your contacts—has a line to your data.

Here's the problem: most people grant these permissions without reading what they're for. A game asks to access your location? Sure, fine, next screen. A social app wants your camera? You nod along. Years later, you've given dozens of apps permission to parts of your life, and you've forgotten most of them.

The fix is surprisingly simple. Go into your phone's settings. On iPhone, that's Settings > Privacy & Security. On Android, it's Settings > Privacy. You'll see a list of permissions: Camera, Microphone, Location, Contacts, Photos, and more.

Click through each one. You'll see exactly which apps have asked for access. Delete the ones that don't need it. That weather app? It doesn't need your contacts. That photo editor? It probably doesn't need to know where you are in real time.

Then check your app permissions on the platforms themselves. On most social networks, there's a settings section that shows you connected apps and devices that can access your account. Go through them. Remove the ones you don't recognize or don't use anymore.

This takes about fifteen minutes if you're thorough. It's the privacy equivalent of locking your front door.

2. Limit Location Sharing to Only What You Need

Location data is valuable. Not just to you—to companies. It tells them where you shop, where you eat, where you worship, where you sleep. Companies buy and sell this data. Governments can request it. And once apps have access, they often keep tracking you even when you're not using them.

Start with your phone's location settings. On most devices, you can set location access to "While Using the App" instead of "Always." This means apps can only see where you are when you have them open. It's a small change that makes a real difference.

Then check the apps that genuinely need location data. Maybe your maps app, sure. Your ride-sharing app when you're using it, yes. But does your calendar need to know where you are? Does your email? Probably not.

Go through each app's individual settings. Many apps have a separate location permission in their own settings menu, distinct from your phone's permission screen. You might allow location permission at the phone level but disable it in the app. You have that power.

For social media specifically, check whether your location is attached to posts by default. Most platforms let you toggle this off. You can still add a location manually if you want. But you don't have to broadcast your address with every update.

And if you use location-based services like Google Maps or Apple Maps, periodically clear your location history. These platforms track where you go, and older history is usually less useful to you anyway.

3. Review What Is Public Versus Private in Your Profiles

The second biggest thing people overlook is their profile visibility. You might think only your friends see your photos and posts, but the default settings on many platforms are far more open than that.

Start with the basics: Is your profile public or private? If it's public, anyone on the internet can see your posts, your photos, your connections. For most people, private is better.

But private doesn't mean invisible to everyone except friends. Even with a private profile, people you're not connected with can often see your profile picture, your name, and sometimes your bio. Check what information shows up on your public profile page.

Then look at individual privacy settings for posts. Many platforms let you choose who sees each post before you publish it. You can set something to visible only to friends, or to a custom group of people. This is especially useful if you share posts that are sensitive—family updates, health journeys, financial planning, anything that feels personal.

Check whether your friend list is visible to the world. Most people probably don't care if others see they're friends with you. But some do. Some people want their social graphs to be private. That's valid.

Don't forget about older posts either. Most platforms have a settings option to make all previously public posts private at once. If you've been on the internet for a while, you might have shared things when you were less thinking about privacy. Go back and audit the older stuff. You can delete it, or just set it to private.

One more thing: check whether you're tagging yourself in other people's posts. Most platforms let you approve tags before they appear on your profile, or even turn off tagging altogether.

4. Turn Off Ad Tracking and Targeted Advertising

Every time you visit a website or use an app, companies track your behavior. They build a profile of your interests, your habits, and what you're likely to buy. That profile gets sold or shared with advertisers who then target you with ads.

You can't opt out of advertising entirely—ads fund most free platforms. But you can opt out of the tracking that makes ads so personal.

On your phone, there's a setting for this. On iPhone, it's called "App Tracking Transparency," and it's in Settings > Privacy. On Android, it's called "Google Ads ID," and you can find it in Settings > Google > Manage Your Google Account > Data & Privacy.

In both cases, you can either opt out of ad tracking or reset your identifier. Resetting it is like giving yourself a fresh start. The companies still see that a device is visiting their sites, but they lose the continuous profile they've built on you over time.

On social media platforms, look for settings related to ads or advertising. Most major networks have a section where you can see the categories advertisers have linked to your profile. Things like "People interested in fitness" or "New parents" or "Online shoppers." You can usually remove categories or turn off certain types of targeting.

You can also adjust what topics you want to see ads about, and what you don't. This isn't perfect—it's not like opting out entirely—but it at least gives you some say in what gets shown to you.

5. Review Your Privacy Settings Online for Third-Party App Integrations

Modern life is connected. Your calendar talks to your email. Your photos sync to your cloud storage. Your fitness tracker connects to your health app. These integrations are useful, but they also create more paths for your data to travel.

Most of the platforms you use have a section for connected apps and integrations. On Google, it's called "Connected apps & sites." On Apple, it's in Settings > [Your Name] > Password & Security. On Facebook, it's in Settings > Apps and Websites.

Go through this list. For each connected app, check what permissions you gave it. Does your music app really need access to your contacts? Does your note-taking app need your location? Does that old fitness app you haven't used in two years still have access to your health data?

Delete the integrations you don't use anymore. For the ones you keep, check whether the app really needs the level of access you granted. Many apps ask for broad permissions, but will work fine with more limited ones.

Then check the app developer's privacy policy, especially if it's a smaller company. Some apps integrate with your account just to collect data. They're not trying to provide you a service; they're trying to harvest information about you. If something feels off or the privacy policy is unclear, it's okay to disconnect it.

Also look at whether your accounts are linked to other accounts. You might have logged into services using your Facebook or Google account. This creates another connection point where data can flow. If you don't actively use that service anymore, unlink it.

6. Use Two-Factor Authentication to Protect Your Accounts

This one isn't directly about data privacy in the sense of limiting what companies see about you. But it's about protecting your accounts from being hacked or taken over, which is the fastest way to lose control of your privacy.

Two-factor authentication—often called 2FA—means that to log in, you need two pieces of proof. Usually, that's your password plus a code from your phone. So even if someone gets your password, they can't get in without also having your phone.

Most major platforms now support two-factor authentication. Google, Apple, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok—they all have it. It's usually in a security or account settings section.

You have a few options for how the second factor works. A text message to your phone is common and fairly secure. An app like Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator is more secure because text messages can be intercepted. And security keys—physical devices that plug into your computer or connect via Bluetooth—are the most secure option.

Start with the accounts that matter most: your email and your social media. These are the gateway to everything else. Once you've set up two-factor authentication on those, add it to any platform that stores sensitive information: banking, health apps, financial services.

It takes maybe five minutes per account. And it can take hours or days of effort if someone breaks in and you have to clean up the mess. The math is straightforward.

Keep Your Privacy Settings Fresh

Here's the thing about privacy settings: they're not a set-it-and-forget-it kind of deal. Platforms change their defaults. New apps ask for permission. Data breaches happen, and sometimes you need to reset your accounts. Companies introduce new features that collect data in new ways.

A couple of times a year, walk through these six steps again. Check your app permissions. Review your privacy settings online on the platforms you use. Look at what's public and what's private. Reset your ad tracking ID if you haven't in a while.

It's not burdensome. It's preventive maintenance. And it's one of the most direct ways you can keep your information in your own hands.

We designed CleoSocial with privacy in mind from the start. You can read more about our approach to privacy and how we handle your data. If you have questions about your account or your data, our team is always here to help. And if you want to learn more about privacy best practices, check out the Federal Trade Commission's guide and the Electronic Frontier Foundation's resources.

Privacy isn't something that happens to you. It's something you do. And you're already on your way.