The label has no “Data Used to Track You” section.
No. Signal's label has no “Data Used to Track You” section, so the developer states it does not link your data with other companies' data for advertising or sell it to data brokers. It does collect contact info, none of it linked to you.
What “tracking” means on an iPhone
Apple defines tracking as linking data from this app with data from other companies' apps, websites or offline sources for targeted advertising or ad measurement, or sharing it with a data broker. It is narrower than “collecting data”: an app can collect a lot without tracking you, and a small app can track you with a single advertising SDK.
Since iOS 14.5, App Tracking Transparency requires every app to ask before it accesses your device's advertising identifier or otherwise tracks you. The App Store label is where the developer declares which of its data is used that way. Signal declares none, so it has no reason to show that prompt.
What Signal collects instead
No tracking does not mean no collection. Signal's label lists 1 data type, none of it linked to you:
- Contact Info — your name, email address, phone number or postal address (not linked to you)
How to stop Signal from tracking you
- When Signal shows the tracking prompt, tap Ask App Not to Track.
- Already said yes? Open Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking and switch off the toggle next to Signal.
- To refuse every app in one go, switch off Allow Apps to Request to Track on the same screen. Apps then cannot ask, and are treated as if you declined.
- For Apple's own ads in the App Store, News and Stocks, see Settings › Privacy & Security › Apple Advertising and turn off Personalised Ads.
- Inside Signal, look for an analytics or personalised-ads switch in its own settings; it covers data the iOS switch does not.
Signal's full privacy label
None declared
None declared
Do other secure messengers track you?
14% of the 172 secure messengers with a label in our snapshot declare tracking; 29% say they collect nothing at all. Nearby in the list:
| App | Tracks you? | Data types |
|---|---|---|
| Wire | No | 4 |
| Secretly | No | 5 |
| Wizpr | No | 3 |
| Session | No | 0 |
| Private Message Box | Yes | 1 |
| Air | No | 0 |
| xPal Ultra Secure Messenger | No | 0 |
| GetSafeNow | No | 2 |
Check your settings
Done. You have applied every control the label points to.
True or false?
- Right.Not quite.
False: there is no Data Used to Track You section on Signal's label.
- Right.Not quite.
Labels are self-reported by developers. Apple can reject or remove apps that misrepresent practices, but it does not audit each label.
- Right.Not quite.
True: Contact Info appears on its label, in the Not Linked to You section.
- Right.Not quite.
It is collected and sent; the developer says it is de-identified rather than tied to your account or device.
FAQ
How do I stop Signal from tracking me?
Will Signal still work if I decline tracking?
What is the difference between tracking and data linked to me?
Does declining tracking stop all data collection?
Can apps track me without asking?
Is Signal safe? Full privacy report →How to lock Signal on iPhone →Who tracks you? A–Z →All social networking apps →