Google warning: Free phone trick exposes the apps quietly tracking you

MANY apps are quietly tracking what you do on your phone and some people aren’t even aware it’s happening.

But a useful free trick reveals exactly who is lurking in the background.

AlamyMore and more people are turning to DuckDuckGo[/caption]

This sort of tracking isn’t nefarious – it’s non-identifiable crumbs of data used for apps to create targeted adverts for the most part.

That doesn’t mean you should put up with it if you’d rather not though.

Privacy warriors DuckDuckGo consider tracking “creepy”.

So they came up with a clever way to expose the apps doing it.

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DuckDuckGo started out as an anti-tracking search engine rival to Google, but in 2013 it went all out with a web browser for Android as well.

More recently, the firm added a tool within the browser that shows who tracks you – and how to block them.

How to see which apps are tracking you on your phone

First, you’ll need to download the DuckDuckGo app from the Google Play Store.

Once it’s installed, find the main menu and tap Settings.

Scroll to the bottom and you’ll see App Tracking Protection.

It’s important to remember, this feature is still in beta testing at the moment but is still useful to have.

You’ll see a prompt to Join the Private Waitlist.

According to ZDNet, it shouldn’t take too long to be accepted.

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Once it’s been accepted, App Tracking Protection will have an on/off switch – make sure it’s on.

Now you’ll be able to see a full list of tracking activity that has been blocked.

DuckDuckGo sets itself apart from Google’s Chrome which allows trackers

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