The label has no “Data Used to Track You” section.
No. Google Authenticator'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 location, contacts, user content, contact info, identifiers, usage data, other data and diagnostics, of which location, contacts, user content, contact info, identifiers, usage data, other data and diagnostics are 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. Google Authenticator declares none, so it has no reason to show that prompt.
What Google Authenticator collects instead
No tracking does not mean no collection. Google Authenticator's label lists 8 data types, and location, contacts, user content, contact info, identifiers, usage data, other data and diagnostics are linked to your identity:
- Location — where your phone is, either precisely (street level) or approximately (city or area) (linked to you)
- Contacts — the people in your address book or social graph (linked to you)
- User Content — messages, photos, videos, audio recordings, documents and support chats you create or upload (linked to you)
- Contact Info — your name, email address, phone number or postal address (linked to you)
- Identifiers — an account ID, screen name, customer number or a device-level ID such as the advertising identifier (linked to you)
- Usage Data — what you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen (linked to you)
- Other Data — any data the developer did not fit into Apple's named categories (linked to you)
- Diagnostics — crash logs, launch times, hang rates and energy use (linked to you, not linked to you)
How to stop Google Authenticator from tracking you
- When Google Authenticator 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 Google Authenticator.
- 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 Google Authenticator, look for an analytics or personalised-ads switch in its own settings; it covers data the iOS switch does not.
Google Authenticator's full privacy label
None declared
Do other authenticator apps track you?
36% of the 173 authenticator apps with a label in our snapshot declare tracking; 40% say they collect nothing at all. Nearby in the list:
| App | Tracks you? | Data types |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Authenticator | No | 6 |
| Authenticator App | No | 4 |
| Duo Mobile | No | 4 |
| Authenticator | Yes | 7 |
| IDMe Authenticator | No | 2 |
| Authenticator ℠ App | Yes | 4 |
| 2FA Authenticator | No | 1 |
| Authenticator App by BOHEM HALICILIK BILISIM INSAAT SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI | No | 3 |
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 Google Authenticator'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: Location appears on its label.
- 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 Google Authenticator from tracking me?
Will Google Authenticator 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 Google Authenticator safe? Full privacy report →How to lock Google Authenticator on iPhone →Who tracks you? A–Z →All utilities apps →