How to Review Who and What You're Sharing With on an iPhone

Your iPhone can share information in more places than you may remember.

Location sharing, shared photos and calendars, app permissions, connected devices, and account settings can accumulate over time.

On an iPhone with iOS 16 or later, Apple provides a tool called Safety Check to help review some of that access.

Important safety warning

Changing location sharing, account access, or other shared information can have real-world consequences in some relationships or personal-safety situations.

Apple specifically advises users to consider the possible effects on their safety and privacy before changing or deleting information.

If another person monitors your device or account, a sudden change in access may be noticed.

Use your own judgment about whether making changes immediately is safe.

Open Safety Check

On a compatible iPhone:

1. Open Settings. 2. Select Privacy & Security. 3. Scroll to Safety Check.

Apple provides two main approaches.

Manage Sharing & Access

This is the more deliberate option.

It lets you review sharing and access rather than stopping everything at once.

You can review information shared with people, information available to apps, devices connected to your Apple Account, and some device or account security settings.

For an ordinary privacy review, this is usually the place to start.

Emergency Reset

Emergency Reset is the more sweeping option.

Apple designed it to quickly stop sharing with people and apps and review important account and device security information.

Do not choose it merely because the word “emergency” sounds more secure.

Use the option that fits your actual circumstances.

Safety Check cannot review everything

Safety Check is useful, but it is not a universal privacy scanner.

Apple notes that some information-sharing arrangements cannot be reviewed or changed through Safety Check. Other accounts, social networks, passwords, and information shared from other devices may require separate review.

Review ordinary app permissions too

If your concern is simply whether an app can use the camera, microphone, or location, you may not need the broader Safety Check process.

See How to Check Which iPhone Apps Can Access Your Location, Camera, and Microphone.

If theft and device-passcode security are your main concerns, see What Is iPhone Stolen Device Protection, and Should You Turn It On?.

The bottom line

For a routine review, start with Settings > Privacy & Security > Safety Check > Manage Sharing & Access.

Review each item carefully rather than changing everything automatically.

Use Emergency Reset when a broad, immediate reset is actually appropriate to your circumstances.

And before making changes that another person may notice, consider the possible effect on your personal safety.

Sources and Further Reading

Apple Support — Safety Check for an iPhone with iOS 16 or later Apple Support — Manage information sharing with Safety Check on iPhone Apple Personal Safety User Guide — Additional safety steps