Most of what an app will do with your data is disclosed before you install, if you know where to look. Here's a two-minute check before you tap "Get."
1. Read the store's privacy label
iPhone: on the App Store page, scroll to "App Privacy." It lists what's collected and what's "linked to you."
Android: on the Play Store page, open "Data safety." It shows what's collected, what's shared, and whether it's encrypted.
Treat "Data Used to Track You" or anything "shared with third parties" as a red flag.
2. Check the grade and the terms
Search the app on tosdr.org (Wednesday's tool) for a plain-English grade and flagged clauses. No entry? Skim the privacy policy for "sell," "share," and "third parties."
3. Look at the permissions
Does a flashlight app want your contacts and location? Check the requested permissions and deny anything that isn't core to the app's job (after install: Settings > the app > Permissions).
4. Prefer the privacy-respecting pattern
Favor apps that work without an account, keep data on your device, and don't force a Google or Facebook login. On Android, open-source apps from F-Droid are often the safest bet.
5. After installing, lock it down
Turn off ad personalization and tracking, deny background location, and delete the account (not just the app) when you're done with it, deleting the app alone usually leaves your data behind.
Quick tip
On iPhone, read "App Privacy" before you download. If it says "Data Used to Track You," that's your cue to look for an alternative.
Up next · Monday
The week's most important privacy story, in plain English: what happened, why it matters, and what to do about it.