You open Settings, scroll for Safari, and it isn't there. On iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 Apple tucked it under Settings → Apps → Safari, and that page holds every cross-site tracking, IP, and fraudulent site toggle.
Open Settings → Apps → Safari, work down the Privacy & Security list, then check the Advanced section for tracking and fingerprinting protection. Lock Private Browsing behind Face ID while you're there.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Find Safari’s Privacy and Security Settings on iPhone and iPad
You open Settings, scroll for Safari, and it isn’t there. Apple moved it on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The full path is now Settings → Apps → Safari, and that one page holds every cross-site tracking, IP, and fraudulent site toggle.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Scroll down and tap Apps.
- Tap Safari in the list of installed apps.
- Scroll to the Privacy & Security section.
The same screen also has an Advanced section further down for tracking and fingerprinting controls.
You’ll know you’re in the right place when Privacy & Security appears with Prevent Cross-Site Tracking as its first toggle.
Turn On Cross-Site Tracking and IP Protection
These two toggles do most of the work. Keep both on unless a specific site stops working.
- Prevent Cross-Site Tracking stops advertisers from following you across multiple websites. Leave it on.
- Hide IP Address keeps the sites you visit from seeing your IP, which makes it harder to profile you geographically. Pick From Trackers to hide your IP only from known trackers, or From Trackers and Websites to hide it everywhere.
If a checkout or login page breaks after turning these on, come back and switch Hide IP Address to From Trackers only. For cookie-specific overrides, see the guide to blocking or allowing browser cookies in Safari on iPhone and iPad.
Block Fraudulent Websites and Set Permission Defaults
The rest of the toggles under Privacy & Security control what Safari and websites can do behind the scenes. Set each one based on how much you trust the sites you visit.
- Fraudulent Website Warning shows a full-screen warning before you load a page Apple suspects of phishing or malware. Leave it on.
- Camera, Microphone, and Location each default to Ask. Keep that to be prompted the first time a site requests access, or switch to Deny to block the permission globally.
You can override any of these for a single site without changing the global default. Open the site in Safari, tap aA in the address bar, then choose Website Settings and set Camera, Microphone, or Location to Allow, Ask, or Deny just for that page.
Lock Private Browsing with Face ID or a Passcode
By default, anyone who picks up your unlocked phone can open your Private tabs. Lock the tab group behind Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode so it asks for authentication first.
- Scroll back to the top of Settings → Apps → Safari.
- Toggle on Require Face ID to Unlock Private Browsing (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your device).
- Leave Safari, reopen it, tap the Tabs button, switch to the Private tab group, and confirm that Face ID is requested before the tabs load.
The tab group stays locked until you authenticate and re-locks itself after a few minutes of inactivity. To learn how Private tabs work in the first place, see opening private and new tabs in Safari on iPhone and iPad.
Turn On Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection
This is the strongest anti-tracking option Apple offers today, but it lives one section further down, not under Privacy & Security.
- Scroll to Advanced on the Safari settings page.
- Tap Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection.
- Pick All Browsing to apply the protection everywhere, not just Private Browsing. Apple recommends this on supported devices.
- Reload a few of the sites you actually use to confirm nothing breaks. If a site misbehaves, switch back to Private Browsing Only (the default) and add the site as an exception via the page menu.
The name says it: this is an advanced option. It changes how Safari talks to some trackers and can break edge cases on older web apps.
TIP: If only one site acts up after you pick All Browsing, don’t drop back to Private Browsing Only for everything. Open that site, tap aA, choose Website Settings, and add the exception there instead.
Clear Safari Data If You Want a Fresh Start
Privacy toggles do not delete anything Safari already stored. If you also want to wipe history, cookies, and cache, do it on the same Safari settings page.
- Scroll to Clear History and Website Data under Privacy & Security.
- Tap it and confirm by tapping .
- Wait for Safari to remove history, cookies, and cached files across every site.
You will be signed out of every site that uses cookies to remember you. If you want to keep logins for specific sites, clear Safari browsing data selectively instead of wiping everything.
Apple documents every toggle on this screen in the official Customize Safari settings guide, and the broader protections in Browse the web privately on iPhone.
For the same Privacy & Security toggles on macOS, see the related guide to enabling privacy and security settings in Safari on Mac.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where did Safari go in iOS 18 Settings?
Apple moved Safari into the new Apps category on iOS 18 and iPadOS 18. The full path is Settings → Apps → Safari. Older iOS versions used Settings → Safari, which no longer works on current releases.
Do these toggles apply to Private Browsing only?
The Privacy & Security toggles apply to all browsing by default. Advanced Tracking and Fingerprinting Protection is the exception: it is set to Private Browsing Only out of the box and you need to change it to All Browsing yourself.
Will enabling Hide IP Address break websites?
Most sites work fine. A few anti-fraud systems, banking portals, and older shopping carts check your IP to decide whether to show a security challenge. If a site refuses to load or asks for an unusual login, switch Hide IP Address back to From Trackers only, or turn it off entirely for that site.
How do I allow a single site to use my camera or location?
Open the site in Safari, tap aA in the address bar, then choose Website Settings. Set Camera, Microphone, or Location to Allow for that page only. The global toggle on the Privacy & Security screen is the default; the per-site override wins for that URL.
What does the Lock Private Browsing toggle actually do?
It forces Safari to require Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode before opening any private tab group. If someone picks up your unlocked phone, they still cannot see your private tabs. The lock re-engages a few minutes after the last time you used it.
