Frequently Asked Questions
Everything You Need to Know About PrivacyInsights
📱 General
What does PrivacyInsights do?
PrivacyInsights helps you understand what data apps and websites can collect about you, detect potential tracking devices nearby, and improve your overall privacy posture on iOS. All analysis happens locally on your device.
Does the app work offline?
Most features work offline, including permission scanning, Bluetooth device detection, Security Check, GeoIP lookups, speech transcription, photo privacy analysis, clipboard monitoring, HomeKit inventory, and keyboard extension detection. Features like URL security checking, Domain Security Checker, Cookie Inspector, and traceroute require an internet connection.
What iOS version is required?
iOS 26.0 or later is required. The app works on both iPhone and iPad.
🔒 Privacy & Security
Does this app collect my data?
No. All analysis happens locally on your device. We have no servers, no analytics, and no way to see your data. Everything stays on your device.
Why does the app need so many permissions?
Each permission enables a specific privacy analysis feature. For example, Bluetooth permission lets us detect tracking devices nearby, Camera enables QR code scanning, and Location helps correlate tracker detection. You can deny any permission and still use other features.
Is my scan history stored somewhere?
Scan results are stored only on your device. They are never uploaded anywhere. Uninstalling the app deletes all data. Some features like Tracker Monitoring store history locally to detect patterns over time.
Can you see the URLs I scan?
No. When you check a URL's security, your device connects directly to that website. We never see the URL or the results.
📡 Bluetooth & Tracker Detection
Why doesn't the app detect my own AirTag?
AirTags paired with your iPhone advertise minimally and are designed to be invisible to their owner. The app is optimised to detect unknown trackers that might be following you, especially those in "separated mode" (not paired with a nearby phone).
What trackers can the app detect?
We can detect 40+ tracker types including Apple AirTag, Samsung SmartTag, Tile, Chipolo, Pebblebee, and many others. The app also identifies 170+ Bluetooth device manufacturers.
Why do some devices show as "Unknown"?
Many Bluetooth devices don't broadcast identifying information. We can only identify devices that advertise recognisable signatures or manufacturer IDs.
Does continuous Bluetooth scanning drain my battery?
The app uses iOS's optimised Bluetooth scanning APIs. Short scans have minimal battery impact. We recommend scanning for 10-30 seconds rather than leaving it running continuously.
What is the "Monitor Device" feature?
This feature tracks a Bluetooth device's signal strength (RSSI) over time and correlates it with your GPS location to detect if a device is following you. It uses sophisticated algorithms to calculate a "following score" based on signal stability and location patterns.
🌐 Network Analysis
What is traceroute?
Traceroute shows the path your internet traffic takes to reach a destination, revealing all the servers (hops) in between. This helps you understand where your data travels. The app includes geolocation data to show where each hop is located on a map.
Why do some hops show as "Unknown" or timeout?
Many routers are configured to not respond to traceroute packets for security reasons. This is normal behaviour and doesn't indicate a problem.
Is the GeoIP location accurate?
GeoIP provides approximate locations based on IP address databases. It's typically accurate to the city level but can be off, especially for mobile networks and VPNs. The app uses an offline database bundled with the app.
What does the Network Scanner do?
The Network Scanner discovers devices on your local network, identifies manufacturers using OUI (Organisationally Unique Identifier) lookups, and can detect IoT devices. All scanning happens locally on your network.
🍪 Safari Extensions & Content Blocker
How do I enable the Safari extensions?
Go to Settings → Safari → Extensions → Enable both "PrivacyInsights Content Blocker" and "PrivacyInsights". The Content Blocker blocks trackers, while the Web Extension allows you to block domains from Cookie Inspector.
What does the content blocker block?
It blocks known tracking scripts, advertising networks, and analytics services based on a curated blocklist. You can also add custom domains from the Cookie Inspector.
Will it break websites?
Most websites work normally. If a site doesn't work correctly, you can disable the blocker for that site in Safari settings or remove specific domains from your block list.
Why does the extension show 0 CUSTOM rules?
Custom rules are domains you've blocked from Cookie Inspector. If you haven't blocked any domains yet, this will show 0. The extensions cache rules locally to persist between sessions.
Are Safari extensions experimental?
Yes. Apple's Safari extension APIs are still evolving, and functionality may change in future iOS updates. The extensions work well currently but may require updates as Apple refines the APIs.
🔍 URL & QR Code Scanning
What does the URL Scanner check?
It analyses URLs for phishing patterns, homoglyph attacks (lookalike characters), tracking parameters, redirect chains, and suspicious patterns. It also checks SSL certificates and domain age.
What types of QR codes can the app scan?
The app can scan URLs, WiFi credentials, contact information (vCard), calendar events, email addresses, phone numbers, SMS messages, geographic locations, and plain text. Each type is analysed for privacy and security risks.
Does the app store scanned QR codes?
No. QR codes are processed in real-time using your camera and immediately discarded. No images or QR data are stored or transmitted.
🛡️ Security Check & Device Analysis
What does the Security Check feature do?
It scans for 40+ jailbreak indicators including suspicious files, modified system paths, unauthorised app installations, and security vulnerabilities. All checks happen locally without internet access.
Can the app detect all jailbreaks?
The app detects most common jailbreak methods, but sophisticated jailbreaks may evade detection. A clean scan doesn't guarantee the device isn't jailbroken, but it's a strong indicator.
What is the Privacy Score?
The Privacy Score is a calculated metric based on your device's security settings, granted permissions, detected trackers, and other privacy factors. It helps you understand your overall privacy posture.
⚙️ Permissions & Settings
What happens if I deny a permission?
The specific feature requiring that permission won't work, but all other features remain available. For example, denying Bluetooth permission disables tracker detection but URL scanning still works.
Can I change permissions later?
Yes. Go to Settings → PrivacyInsights to manage all permissions at any time. You can also access iOS privacy settings directly from the app.
Why does the app show permissions I haven't granted?
The permission scanner shows all iOS permissions and their current status across all apps, helping you understand your overall privacy posture. It's not just showing PrivacyInsights permissions.
📸 Photo Privacy Analysis
What does Photo Privacy Analysis do?
It demonstrates what apps with photo access can learn about you by analysing your photos on-device. This includes location patterns, social connections, activities, vehicles, food preferences, and even sensitive documents. It's an educational tool to help you understand why photo access is a significant privacy consideration.
Are my photos uploaded anywhere?
No. All photo analysis happens entirely on your device using Apple's Vision and CoreML frameworks. No photos or analysis results are ever uploaded or shared. The feature exists purely for privacy education.
What AI model does the app use for photo analysis?
The app uses MobileNetV3 Large, a CoreML model bundled directly inside the app. It runs entirely on your iPhone's Neural Engine, processes images at 224×224 pixels, and classifies across 1,000 ImageNet categories. Zero data leaves your device. Read more about Photo Privacy Analysis →
What's the difference between Basic and Extended analysis?
Basic analysis provides a quick overview of metadata, locations, and faces. Extended Profiling performs deep analysis across 12 categories including activities, social patterns, life events, vehicles, food, documents, home content, and work patterns. Extended analysis takes longer but reveals much more about what apps could learn.
Why does the analysis only use 3,000 photos?
Smart sampling limits analysis to 3,000 photos maximum to balance thoroughness with performance. The sampling is distributed evenly across your photo history, so you still get representative results even with large libraries.
The app found sensitive documents in my photos. What should I do?
Photos of ID cards, credit cards, passports, and other sensitive documents are a significant privacy risk. We recommend reviewing these photos and deleting any that aren't necessary. If you need to keep them, consider moving them to a secure notes app or encrypted storage.
🔒 VPN Detection
What does VPN Detection do?
VPN Detection checks your device's network interfaces to determine if a VPN connection is currently active. It identifies tunnel types like IPSec, IKEv2, WireGuard, and OpenVPN. It also provides educational information about what VPN providers can see and tips for choosing a trustworthy provider.
Can the app see which VPN app I'm using?
No. Due to iOS sandbox restrictions, the app can only detect whether a VPN tunnel is active and what type of tunnel it is (IPSec, IKEv2, etc.). It cannot identify which specific VPN app created the tunnel or list installed VPN configurations.
Does VPN Detection require any special permissions?
No. VPN Detection uses standard iOS APIs (
CFNetworkCopySystemProxySettings) that don't require any special entitlements or permissions. It works within the normal iOS sandbox.🎙️ Speech Transcription
What does Speech Transcription do?
It provides real-time speech-to-text transcription using Apple's on-device speech recognition. You can record meetings, lectures, or conversations and get a full text transcript. The feature includes advanced audio filtering with a 64-tap LMS adaptive noise filter and a 6-band parametric equaliser that can run simultaneously to improve recognition accuracy in noisy environments.
Is my speech data sent to Apple or any server?
No. All speech recognition happens on-device using Apple's local speech recognition engine. No audio or transcription data leaves your device. The app requires the Speech Recognition permission to function.
Can I export my transcriptions?
Yes. You can export transcriptions as text, copy them to clipboard, or share them via the iOS share sheet. The app also supports generating meeting minutes from your transcriptions. Read more about Speech Transcription →
🏠 HomeKit Inventory
What does HomeKit Inventory show?
It reveals what any app with HomeKit permission can learn about your smart home: connected accessories, rooms, device manufacturers, models, and reachability status. This helps you understand the privacy implications of granting HomeKit access to apps.
Does HomeKit Inventory require special permissions?
Yes. The app needs HomeKit permission to read your smart home data. If you deny this permission, the feature simply won't show any devices. All other features continue to work normally.
I don't have any HomeKit devices. Is this feature useful?
If you have no HomeKit-enabled devices, the scan will show zero results. The feature is primarily educational, demonstrating what apps could access if you do have a smart home setup. Read more about HomeKit Inventory →
📋 Clipboard Monitor
What does Clipboard Monitor do?
It shows you exactly what's currently on your clipboard and analyses it for sensitive data like passwords, credit card numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers. Any app on your device can read your clipboard without permission, so this feature helps you understand the risk.
Can I clear my clipboard from the app?
Yes. The app includes a one-tap clipboard clear function. We recommend clearing your clipboard after copying sensitive data like passwords or credit card numbers, since any app can read clipboard contents without asking.
⌨️ Keyboard Extension Detection
What does Keyboard Extension Detection do?
It scans your device for installed third-party keyboards and shows the privacy risks they pose. Third-party keyboards with "Full Access" enabled can capture every keystroke you type, including passwords, credit card numbers, and private messages, and potentially transmit that data to remote servers.
Should I remove third-party keyboards?
If you don't actively need a third-party keyboard, the safest option is to use Apple's built-in keyboard. If you must use a third-party keyboard, never enable "Full Access" and review the keyboard's privacy policy. Go to Settings → General → Keyboard to manage your installed keyboards.
🎯 Advertising & Tracking Identifiers
What does the Advertising Tracking feature show?
It reads your device's real advertising identifiers (IDFA and IDFV) and shows your current App Tracking Transparency status. You can see whether apps are allowed to track you across other apps and websites, and understand what data advertisers can collect about you.
What's the difference between IDFA and IDFV?
IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) is a unique ID that advertisers use to track you across different apps. You can disable it via App Tracking Transparency. IDFV (Identifier for Vendor) is unique per developer and resets when you remove all apps from that developer. IDFV cannot be disabled.
How do I stop apps from tracking me?
Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking and disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track". This zeroes out your IDFA so advertisers cannot link your activity across apps. The app shows your current status and explains what each setting means.
🍪 Cookie Inspector
What does Cookie Inspector do?
It visits a website you specify and reveals all cookies set, tracker scripts loaded, and network requests made. You can see exactly which third-party domains are tracking you on any website, and optionally block specific domains by adding them to your Safari Content Blocker rules.
Can I block trackers I find with Cookie Inspector?
Yes. When Cookie Inspector identifies tracking domains, you can block them with one tap. Blocked domains are added to your custom Safari Content Blocker rules, preventing those trackers from loading on any website you visit. Read more about Web & Cookie Tools →
🌐 Domain Security Checker
What does Domain Security Checker do?
It performs a comprehensive security analysis of any domain, checking SSL/TLS certificate validity, certificate chain, DNS configuration, and security headers. It gives you a security score and highlights potential vulnerabilities or misconfigurations.
How is this different from the URL Scanner?
The URL Scanner analyses a specific URL for phishing patterns, tracking parameters, and redirect chains. The Domain Security Checker focuses on the domain's infrastructure: SSL certificates, DNS records, and server security configuration. They complement each other. Read more about Network & Security Tools →
🍪 Safari Extensions Management
How do I disable the Safari Content Blocker?
Go to iOS Settings → Safari → Extensions → PrivacyInsights Content Blocker, then toggle it off. This will stop blocking trackers but won't remove your custom block rules.
How do I completely remove the Safari extensions?
Go to iOS Settings → Safari → Extensions. You'll see both "PrivacyInsights Content Blocker" and "PrivacyInsights" (Web Extension). Toggle both off to disable them. Note: The extensions are part of the app, so they can only be fully removed by uninstalling PrivacyInsights.
How do I clear my custom blocked domains?
Open PrivacyInsights → Safari Tracker Blocker → Custom Rules. You can remove individual domains by swiping left, or use "Clear All" to remove all custom rules. After clearing, tap "Refresh Content Blocker" to apply changes.
A website isn't working with the Content Blocker enabled
Some websites require tracking scripts to function. You can temporarily disable the Content Blocker in Safari settings, or check if you've accidentally blocked a required domain in your custom rules.
🔧 Troubleshooting
Bluetooth scan isn't finding any devices
Ensure Bluetooth is enabled in Settings and you've granted Bluetooth permission to the app. Some devices only advertise intermittently. Try scanning for 20-30 seconds.
URL scan is timing out
Check your internet connection. Some websites block automated security checks. Try a different URL or check if the website is accessible in Safari.
The app is using a lot of battery
Avoid leaving Bluetooth or network scans running for extended periods. Close the app when not in use. Continuous monitoring features like Tracker Monitoring will use more battery.
Why does the screen stay on during some features?
Long-running tasks like photo analysis, speech transcription, Bluetooth scanning, and tracker monitoring keep the screen on to prevent interruption. This is managed by the LongRunningTaskManager and the screen will return to normal when the task completes or is cancelled.
Photo analysis is taking a long time
Extended photo profiling analyses up to 3,000 photos across 12 categories using on-device machine learning. This can take several minutes depending on your library size. You can cancel at any time, and partial results will be saved.
GATT connection keeps failing
Many Bluetooth devices don't allow connections from unknown apps. This is normal security behaviour. The app will timeout after 10 seconds and continue scanning.
How do I report a bug or request a feature?
Use the feedback form below to send us a bug report or feature request. You can also leave feedback through the App Store. We actively monitor user feedback and regularly update the app.
💬 Send Us Feedback
Have a question, suggestion, or found a bug? We'd love to hear from you. Your feedback helps us improve PrivacyInsights.