Can stores track my phone through Wi-Fi?
They used to be able to, much more easily. Every Wi-Fi chip has a hardware MAC address, and some retail analytics companies logged those addresses to count shoppers and spot repeat visitors. Modern phones now use made-up, private addresses to break that link.
A fixed address works like a name tag: the same phone, seen at the coffee shop, the gym and the mall. With MAC randomization, phones use throwaway addresses while scanning and a different made-up address for each network they join.
iPhones call it Private Wi-Fi Address (iOS 14 and later), and iOS 18 adds a Rotating option that changes the address every two weeks. Android has used a randomized address by default since Android 10.
- Leave private or randomized Wi-Fi addresses turned on
- Signing in to a store's Wi-Fi or app still tells them it's you
- Spot private addresses in your router: their second character is always 2, 6, A or E
How secure is your phone overall? Take the 2-minute checkup →
MAC Randomization
From the Wi-Fi & Bluetooth course. How phones avoid being tracked by their Wi-Fi address.
Try it on the simulated phone Read the full lesson
The reading is free. The hands-on lab is part of Pro.