Products · Pattern or everyday thing
Apple app tracking prompts
Raised as a usability problem by 4 people on Hacker News over 6 years (2020–2025), in 4 threads.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads this year.
No issue was raised by at least 3 people in 3 threads in the last 5 years.
Every issue, all time, most people first
Most users don't know tracking setting exists, so it stays onUnreviewed
20202026- Apple's own tracking is opted in by default while third parties face a dark-pattern opt-out2022-06-15
- Must turn off tracking separately on each device; Mac kept tracking after iPhone was off2021-04-16
- Most users don't know the setting exists, so tracking stays on by default2020-06-29
Unreviewed issues were grouped by machine: Claude Haiku labelled each comment as a usability complaint, named what it's about and summed up the problem in a line, and a small model grouped similar problems. Nobody has checked them by hand. Expect mistakes.
The newest 5 complaints
- Unclear dark patterns make users distrust and reject every tracking prompt2025-02-14
- Apple's own tracking is opted in by default while third parties face a dark-pattern opt-out2022-06-15
- Must turn off tracking separately on each device; Mac kept tracking after iPhone was off2021-04-16
- Most users don't know the setting exists, so tracking stays on by default2020-06-29
- Users don't know the tracking setting exists, so they stay opted in by default2020-06-29