Stop your Mac reporting back to Apple
Usage analytics, data for developers, your searches and ad personalisation each have a switch, spread across three panels.
Works on: macOS Ventura 13 and later · checked on macOS Golden Gate 27
Published: · Source: Snoflaa
Apple’s analytics are designed not to identify you, but they are still a steady stream of data about how you use your machine leaving it. If you would rather it stayed, the switches live in three places.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements holds the main group. Turn off Share Mac Analytics, which sends diagnostic and usage data to Apple, and Share with app developers, and do the same with any other switch in that list.
System Settings → Spotlight — the combined Siri and Spotlight panel in earlier versions — has Help Apple Improve Search, which lets Apple store what you search for in Safari, Siri, Spotlight and Look Up to improve results. Same reasoning, same answer.
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Apple Advertising has Personalised Ads. Turning it off will not mean fewer ads in the App Store, Apple News or Stocks, only ads chosen with less information about you.
Three panels, a minute, done.
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