How tracking works

An app can record actions such as opening a screen, reading an article or starting a video. Such a record is often called an event. A service may combine events with time, device information and an identifier to recognise repeated activity.

Services have different purposes. Advertising networks deliver advertisements, audience tools count reach, analytics tools measure use, and crash-reporting services collect information about failures. Content, account and notification services also exchange data to provide features.

Patches reduce the optional collection described on each app page. Removing ads and reducing tracking are separate choices. Keeping an online feature can also mean keeping the data exchange it needs.

The service profiles explain the named providers. The scope and limitations explain what the patch names promise.