Apple is widening Safari’s privacy shield. Starting with iOS 26 and macOS Tahoe 26, advanced fingerprinting protection is enabled by default in every tab, not just in Private Browsing.
Why it matters
Fingerprinting uses subtle device and browser traits to identify you across sites. Safari now standardizes and “noises” more of those signals by default, making it harder for trackers to single you out while you browse normally.
What’s changing under the hood
Safari reduces access to high-entropy web APIs commonly abused for fingerprinting and limits script-written storage and navigational state reads. Practically, that translates into fewer stable identifiers for tracking scripts and less durable “stickiness” across sessions.
What this isn’t
This flip doesn’t change how Link Tracking Protection works in Mail, Messages, and Private Browsing. It also doesn’t remove normal cookies from sites you sign into. If something breaks on a niche site, you can temporarily relax protections and try again.
How to check or adjust the setting
On iPhone or iPad, go to Settings → Safari → Advanced → Advanced Tracking & Fingerprinting Protection and confirm it’s set to All Browsing. For step-by-step screenshots and context, see our guide on enabling advanced tracking & fingerprinting protection for normal browsing.
On Mac, open Safari → Settings → Advanced and set “Use advanced tracking and fingerprinting protection” to In all browsing. If Safari misbehaves after the switch, our “unresponsive Safari” troubleshooting walkthrough includes a reversible toggle you can test before deeper fixes.
What to watch next
Expect some analytics and advertising vendors to adapt. For everyday users, the change is automatic and mostly invisible—just more privacy with less setup.