How to download a copy of your Apple data
There’s a saying, “If you’re not paying for it, then you’re the product” and in light of the recent data breach controversy involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, this holds true for any free service you share information on, which is just about every service on the internet. Apple CEO Tim Cook has come clean on how it works, stating that the company does not accumulate data about its users over time like Facebook or Google does, but they still have some data on you all the same. In this article, I’ll show you how to download everything Apple knows about you.
According to the latest update to Apple’s privacy policy which was published on January, Apple products are designed to collect and use as little data on the user as possible, using on-device processing most of the time.
Facebook created a way for users to download the data it has about them after the Cambridge Analytica scandal, but Apple has always had a way for you to download everything it has on you. But if the company doesn’t collect personal information on its users, what then are you downloading?
What Data Does Apple Collect About Me?
Basically, Apple keeps a log of all purchases you make of its services and subsequent interactions with these services. Here’s a list of all the data Apple has been collecting on you:
- All apps, songs, books, videos and in-app purchases made on Apple devices.
- All songs stored in iTunes Match.
- All products purchased from Apple (with their serial numbers).
- All customer support queries you’ve made.
- All repairs made to your Apple devices: the damaged components and serial numbers of replacement components that were added.
To know more about how Apple treats your personal information, read the Access to Personal Information section in its Privacy Policy
How to download your Apple data
- Open the Privacy Contact Form.
- Select a language you’d like to make the request in.
- In the selection box after “I have a question about”, choose Privacy issues.
- Fill the form with the required details and submit. Make sure you mention that you wish to download a copy of your personal data in the Comments field.
- Wait for a response. This doesn’t usually take long, and you’ll be asked to provide your Apple ID, previous AppleCare support case number and a registered product serial number for identification.
After this, you’d have to wait for some time for the zip file containing an archive of your data to be sent to you via email.