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Android devices are known for collecting a lot of user data, but there are ways to prevent this.
Many apps on Android track your usage in various ways, from gathering your location to monitoring your device’s orientation. Fortunately, you can easily block these tracking efforts.
DuckDuckGo offers a privacy feature that can stop your installed apps logging data on their private servers, potentially selling it to third parties.
To block this type of tracking from Android apps, start by installing DuckDuckGo from the Google Play Store. If you’re not familiar with this company, that’s understandable, but they have been running a privacy-focused search engine for many years now.
- After installation, launch the application.
- Skip through the onboarding process.
- You do not have to set DuckDuckGo as your default browser. You can cancel out of this.
- Then, tap the 3-dot menu icon in the top right corner.
- So you can dive into the Settings area of the application.
- Tap on the App Tracking Protection feature.
- And then grant DuckDuckGo the ability to connect to a VPN.
- Use your phone like normal and stats will be displayed in this application.
You will see the service is active via a toggle at the top, which you can use to disable the VPN, allowing apps to track your information again.
Once set up, you’ll receive a summary showing how many data collection attempts have been blocked and from how many applications. You can monitor which apps are being tracked and manage individual app settings, including enabling or excluding tracking protection.
Once the app has been running for ~24 hours, you might be surprised to discover how much data has been protected. Tapping on entries will reveal more about what has been blocked, including the number of attempts and the specific data sought.
I was surprised to see data points like device orientation, battery level, and my network connection type were all being collected by companies who claim to be all about the privacy (I’m looking at you, Firefox).
Using a VPN for this purpose does not significantly impact battery life, either. Your traffic is routed through DuckDuckGo’s servers, allowing their firewall to identify and block tracking attempts. This method is similar to using a VPN to block ads, but it specifically targets data tracking.
This experience can be eye-opening regarding the extent of the data points that are being tracked. If you encounter any issues setting this up on your Android device, feel free to reach out.
