What Are iOS Privacy Labels?
Apple introduced privacy "nutrition labels" in late 2020, and they have become one of the most visible privacy features on the App Store. These labels appear on every app's product page and show users exactly what data the app collects, how it is used, and whether it is linked to their identity.
In 2026, privacy labels are not just a nice-to-have feature. They are mandatory for every app submission and update.
Where Privacy Labels Appear
Users see privacy labels in three places:
- App Store product page - Under the "App Privacy" section
- Search results - As a summary badge on iOS 17+
- App comparison - Users can compare privacy practices between similar apps
The Three Categories
Apple organizes data practices into three tiers:
1. Data Used to Track You
This is the most scrutinized category. It covers data collected from your app that is linked to third-party data for advertising or shared with data brokers. If you use advertising SDKs that track users across apps, this label will apply.
2. Data Linked to You
Data that your app collects and connects to the user's identity. Examples include account information, purchase history, and usage data tied to a user profile.
3. Data Not Linked to You
Data collected in an anonymized form that is not tied to any user identity. Aggregated analytics and crash reports often fall here, provided they cannot be traced back to individual users.
Data Types You Must Declare
Apple defines 14 data categories with multiple subtypes:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Contact Info | Name, email, phone number |
| Health & Fitness | Health data, fitness data |
| Financial Info | Payment info, credit info |
| Location | Precise location, coarse location |
| Sensitive Info | Racial/ethnic data, political opinions |
| Contacts | Contact list |
| User Content | Photos, videos, customer support |
| Browsing History | Web browsing history |
| Search History | In-app search queries |
| Identifiers | User ID, device ID |
| Purchases | Purchase history |
| Usage Data | Product interaction, advertising data |
| Diagnostics | Crash data, performance data |
| Other Data | Any other data types |
How to Fill Out Privacy Labels
Go to App Store Connect and follow these steps:
- Navigate to your app and select "App Privacy"
- For each data type, indicate whether your app collects it
- Specify the purpose of collection (analytics, app functionality, advertising, etc.)
- Indicate whether each data type is linked to user identity
- Indicate whether each data type is used for tracking
- Submit your responses
Your labels apply to the entire app, including all third-party SDKs and frameworks you integrate.
Third-Party SDK Considerations
This is where most developers make mistakes. You are responsible for declaring data collected by every SDK in your app:
- Firebase Analytics - Collects device ID, usage data, diagnostics
- Facebook SDK - Collects identifiers, usage data, device info
- AdMob - Collects advertising data, device info, location
- Crashlytics - Collects crash logs, device info
Check each SDK's documentation for their privacy manifests (required since 2024) to understand exactly what data they collect.
Common Mistakes
- Under-declaring - Not accounting for SDK data collection (Apple may reject or flag)
- Over-declaring - Declaring data you do not actually collect (scares away privacy-conscious users)
- Ignoring updates - Your labels must stay current as you add or remove SDKs
- Not matching privacy manifests - Since 2024, Apple cross-references your labels with the privacy manifest file
Privacy Labels vs Privacy Manifest
These are two separate but related requirements:
- Privacy labels - User-facing disclosure on the App Store
- Privacy manifest - A technical file (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) bundled in your app binary
Both must be consistent. Apple's automated tools will flag discrepancies.