Some iPhone Users Say 'Allow Apps to Request to Track' Toggle is Suddenly Grayed Out [Fixed]

Over the past few days, some iPhone users have said the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" toggle in the Settings app is suddenly grayed out on their devices. The issue was highlighted by @iDeviceHelpus on X, and in a post on Reddit.

Allow Apps to Request to Track Grayed Out Feature 1
Apple's fine print below the grayed-out toggle says "this setting cannot be changed because a profile is restricting it, or because your Apple ID is being managed, does not meet the minimum age requirements, or is missing age information." However, many affected users say none of these reasons actually apply to them.

While some affected users said the issue began after they updated their iPhones to iOS 17.5, released earlier this week, others said they are also impacted on older software versions, including iOS 17.4.1, iOS 17.4, and iOS 16.6. The root cause of the problem is unclear. We have reached out to Apple for comment.

With multiple iOS versions affected, and some users saying the problem eventually resolved itself, it is likely this is a server-side issue.

Located in the Settings app under Privacy & Security → Tracking, the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" setting normally allows apps to ask to track your activity across other apps and websites when it is turned on. When the setting is turned off, all new app tracking requests are automatically denied. The setting is part of Apple's App Tracking Transparency feature, introduced with iOS 14.5 around three years ago.

Update: Apple says it has fixed an issue that may have briefly disabled the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" setting for some iPhone users on iOS 14 and above. All affected users will see their previously-selected settings be restored over the next few days. Users who were impacted by the bug were defaulted to the most privacy-preserving state.

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Top Rated Comments

truthsteve Avatar
12 months ago
imagine wanting to turn that on ?
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adrianlondon Avatar
12 months ago

imagine wanting to turn that on ?
It's next to the "Restore all my old photos after I've sold my phone" and "Randomly lock my AppleID" toggle switches.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
12 months ago
I see a grayed out option that says 'Allow Apple to send you free iPhones.' No matter what I do, I can't seem to toggle it on.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sw1tcher Avatar
12 months ago

Over the past few days, some iPhone users have said the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" toggle in the Settings app is suddenly grayed out on their devices.
I'm curious to know who has this toggled on and why. Mine has always been toggled off.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
timborama Avatar
12 months ago
Little do people know that switch actually does NOTHING. Purely a placebo.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProbablyDylan Avatar
12 months ago

imagine wanting to turn that on ?
For a while the eBay app did not allow sign-in with 3rd party accounts (Google, etc) without this switch on. I just used the website instead.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)