Advice Request Google Apps on iOS- Are they able to track or spy on you?

Please provide comments and solutions that are helpful to the author of this topic.

jetman

Level 10
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Jun 6, 2017
470
On my iPhone I have set up Apple's default email application to work with my main Gmail account.

I have also installed the official Gmail application which I use to read a secondary email account. Like most people I also have the YouTube and Google Maps applications (not signed into these).

My question is whether this allows Google to track all of my online activity on my phone. For instance, if I am browsing a website in Firefox, will Google monitor what I am looking at because I am signed into my Gmail account on a separate application ? On an Android phone I would assume that you are signed into all Google application all of the time. But on iOS I understand that each application is "sandboxed" and unable to communicate with other applications unless permission is given.

Therefore, would Google be able to associate my YouTube, Google Maps or browsing activity with my Gmail account ?
 

jetman

Level 10
Thread author
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Well-known
Jun 6, 2017
470
Is it likely that the individual Google Apps communicate with each other ?

For example- If I am signed into my Gmail app but signed out of Google Maps. Would Google Maps know that I am signed into my Gmail application and therefore be able to record my location and map searches against my Google profile ?
 

Threadripper

Level 9
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Feb 24, 2019
408
Is it likely that the individual Google Apps communicate with each other ?

For example- If I am signed into my Gmail app but signed out of Google Maps. Would Google Maps know that I am signed into my Gmail application and therefore be able to record my location and map searches against my Google profile ?
Apps have their own storage spaces or containers where they store all of their files on iOS (which is sandboxed). While an app can't look at another apps spaces, multiple apps can use the same one. Facebook have Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp storing data in the same place to communicate and share data locally, wouldn't be surprised if Google did the same.
 

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