Siri suggestions is something that Apple added to iOS to help users quickly find the app and other thing they need directly from the Spotlight search screen. Apple was hoping that it could be like an intelligent assistant to help make your life easier. Some people find it useful as it learns from users' behavior and usage of their iOS devices and provides suggestions that suit users' needs. But some users find it unnecessary. And people who cares about their privacy might not like their iPhone collect their data that is closely related to their own privacy. If you happen to be one of those people that don't appreciate this Siri suggestions feature, you can turn it off. Here’s how to turn off Siri suggestions in iOS.

How to Turn Off Siri Suggestions in iOS

Siri App Suggestions

It's fairly easy to have the Siri app suggestions removed from the Spotlight search screen. Follow the instructions below to turn off Siri app suggestions.

  • 1. From the Home screen of your iOS device, launch the Settings App.
  • 2. Navigate to General>Spotlight Search.
  • 3. Toggle Siri Suggestions off.

Turn off siri suggestions

That's how you can turn off Siri suggestions. Now go back to the Home screen, scroll down and call out the Spotlight search screen to see if the Siri suggestsions are gone. After you clear siri suggestions from the spotlight search screen, you will have a cleaner look on the screen.

Turn off Siri Suggestions

Usually it's recommended that you have the Siri suggestions option enabled so that iOS could learn from your behavior and make the device itself handier. But if you do find those Siri app suggestions unnecessary or slowing down your device, you can always have it turned off in Settings. And people who can't tolerate stand invasion of their own privacy might want to turn off this Siri suggestions feature, too.

Several Other Settings Related to Privacy in iOS

If you don't like using features like this that would collect your person information, here are several settings that you should probably check and disable to prevent your device from collect your information.

1. Frequent location

You may not know but actually Apple records some of your most frequently visited locations. There's a setting called Frequent Locations (or Significant Locations in iOS 11) in the system settings that keeps the records of your most frequently visited locations. While it may help certain apps that use your location to provide better services, you might not want Apple to track and record your locations all the time.

Here's how to turn it off: Go to Settings>Privacy>Location Services>System Services>Frequent Locations and toggle Frequent Locations off.

iPhone Privacy Settings

You might be able to see the list of your most frequently visited locations that Apple has been recording. You can clear them from there.

2. Location-based alerts, Apple Ads and suggestions

By tracking your location, Apple aims at providing you with precise notifications, advertisements, and options that you need. If you don't like being targeted by Apple like this, you can have it turned off.

Navigate to Settings>Privacy>Location Services>System Services, scroll down and toggle Location-Based Alerts, Location-Based Apple Ads, and Location-Based Suggestions off.

iPhone Privacy Settings

3. Share my location

If you've been using the Find My Friends app on your iPhone, then you should be no stranger to Share My Location. If you have this option enabled, your friend would be able to find out about your current location with the app. But usually you'll have to agree to this before it's enabled. But this feature could actually be used to track your current location without you knowing it. So if you really concern about your privacy, you should probably turn it off.

You can have it turned off in Settings>Privacy>Location Services>Share My Location.

iPhone Privacy Settings

4. Do Not Track

As is suggested by the name, after enabling this option, you can prevent Safari from sharing your phone's IP address with the websites you are visiting.

Go to Settings>Safari and then toggle Do Not Track on. FYI, on iOS 11, this option is called Ask Websites Not To Track Me.

iPhone Privacy Settings

5. Block all cookies

By using cookies, the websites you visit can save your information so as to load faster for you next time you pay a visit. If you don't want those websites to keep your information, turn it off in Settings.

Navigate to Settings>Safari>Block Cookies and then turn on Block All Cookies.

iPhone Privacy Settings

For more privacy settings on iPhone, check out this post that shows you privacy settings on iPhone that you should know.