None declared
None declared
On the label it is low-risk: NetGuard collects some data but says none of it is linked to you or used for tracking. None of it falls in Apple's most sensitive categories (health, financial, location, contacts or your own content). In total the label lists 3 data types; 44% of privacy protection apps we checked declare tracking.
NetGuard privacy in one look
- 1Collects nothing
- 2Not linked
- 3Linked
- 4Tracks you
Built only from the developer's App Store label. It describes disclosure, not tested behaviour.
NetGuard collects some data but says none of it is linked to your identity, and none is used for tracking.
Did NetGuard ask for something?
Pick the permission prompt you saw. We compare it with what NetGuard's developer declared.
Location is not on NetGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.
User Content is not on NetGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.
Contacts is not on NetGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.
NetGuard declares no tracking, so a tracking prompt would contradict its label. Decline it, and consider reporting the mismatch to Apple.
Health & Fitness is not on NetGuard's label. That can be fine: data used only on your iPhone does not have to be declared. If the data would need to leave the phone for the feature to work, ask why it is missing.
A permission is what the app can reach on your iPhone; the label is what the developer says leaves it. They answer different questions.
What NetGuard collects, explained
| Data type | What it covers | Where to limit it |
|---|---|---|
| PurchasesNot linked to you | What you have bought or tend to buy. | Review in-app marketing settings; subscriptions are listed in Settings › [your name] › Subscriptions. |
| IdentifiersNot linked to you | An account ID, screen name, customer number or a device-level ID such as the advertising identifier. | Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking: turn off Allow Apps to Request to Track, or tap Ask App Not to Track when prompted. |
| Usage DataNot linked to you | What you tap, open and view inside the app, plus which ads you have seen. | There is no single iOS switch. Look for an analytics or personalised-ads toggle in the app's own settings. |
What NetGuard's label means for you
NetGuard's label has 3 types under “Data Not Linked to You”. A data type can appear in more than one section when it is used for different purposes — for example, identifiers used for both analytics and advertising.
Every type on NetGuard's label is in the “not linked” section, so the developer says the data is stripped of anything that identifies you before it is used. That is typical of anonymous analytics and crash reporting. Not linked is still collected: the data leaves your phone.
None of the data types fall into the categories most people consider sensitive: health, financial information, precise location, contacts, browsing history or the content you create.
Privacy tools — VPNs, blockers and scanners — can see a lot of your traffic. A privacy app that collects identifiers or usage data deserves a careful read. Check whether the app logs traffic or DNS queries and who operates its servers.
Among the 147 privacy protection apps in our snapshot with a label, 44% declare tracking, 62% collect data linked to you and 22% say they collect nothing. NetGuard lists 3 data types, about the same as the average of 3.1 for this group.
Utilities range from calculators to VPNs, so their labels vary more than any other category. A simple tool that collects identifiers and usage data for tracking is a sign of advertising SDKs.
Settings to check for NetGuard
- 1
Tracking
Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking. If “Allow Apps to Request to Track” is off, apps cannot ask, and they are told to treat you as having declined. You can also turn it off for this app alone.
- 2
Lock the app
On iOS 18 and later, touch and hold the icon and choose Require Face ID. Anyone who picks up your unlocked phone then needs your face, fingerprint or passcode to open it.
- 3
Notifications
Settings › Notifications › NetGuard › Show Previews: When Unlocked keeps message and account details off the Lock Screen.
Does NetGuard track you?
There is no “Data Used to Track You” section on NetGuard's label.
Lock NetGuard behind Face ID
- Find NetGuard on your Home Screen or in App Library.
- Touch and hold the icon until the quick-actions menu opens.
- Tap Require Face ID (or Require Touch ID / Require Passcode, depending on your iPhone).
- Tap Require Face ID again to confirm. NetGuard now asks for authentication every time it opens.
The lock is an iPhone feature, so it works whether or not NetGuard has a passcode of its own. It does not change what the app sends to its developer.
About NetGuard
| Developer | MARIA GROUP LLC |
| App Store category | Utilities |
| Latest version | 1.10, released September 2026 |
| First released | January 2026 |
| Requires | iOS 17.0 or later |
| Size | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ |
| Languages | 1 (EN) |
| Bundle ID | com.mg.netguard |
The current version shipped in September 2026, so the app is actively maintained and its label is likely current. Labels are updated by developers when practices change.
What the label cannot tell you
- A label is self-reported. Apple publishes the developer's answers and can reject apps that misrepresent them, but it does not independently verify what NetGuard sends.
- It does not say where data is stored, how long it is kept, whether it is encrypted, or which companies receive it. The privacy policy covers those points.
- Optional data counts: if a feature lets you add something (a profile photo, a phone number), the type is listed even if you never use the feature.
- Data handled only on your iPhone is not 'collected', so a no-collection label is compatible with an app that reads your files locally.
- Third-party sign-in, payment processors and SDKs are supposed to be included, but a label can lag behind a new version.
The question to ask NetGuard's developer: Does the privacy app itself log what I do?
NetGuard vs similar privacy protection apps
- Betternet VPN
- Neptune
- NetGuard (this app)
- App Privacy Checkup
- Photo Shield AI
- Dont Touch My Phone
- Hood
- Defender
Fewer types is not automatically safer: a cloud backup app has to collect your files to work. Compare like with like.
Look up any of our apps in seconds, or put two labels side by side.
Apps similar to NetGuard
All privacy protection apps → Who tracks you? A–Z → Apps that collect purchases → Privacy label decoder →
Your NetGuard privacy checklist
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 NetGuard'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: Purchases 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.
- Right.Not quite.
Apple's rules require apps to work the same whether or not you allow tracking.