Apple released the public version of the iOS 17.5 update to all eligible devices a week ago, on May 13. It was a relatively small update and included several new features, although they were not quite significant. New wallpapers were also added.
Apple also reportedly fixed several security issues with this update. While it has been smooth sailing for most users, some have definitely come across some issues. One such issue is the App Tracking feature not working, which we will discuss in this article.
Update: Apple is aware of a problem affecting the “Allow Apps to Request Track” option. The company has now fixed the issue, and previously chosen settings will be restored automatically in the coming days.
Users Unable to Turn on the App Tracking
After iOS 17.5 was rolled out, iPhone users have raised the issue of being unable to use the App Tracking feature. You can access it via the Privacy & Security menu in the Settings app. Under ‘Tracking,’ you will see a toggle button to enable it. This feature allows you to permit apps to track you. If it is off, your iPhone will automatically deny all such requests made by apps.
Users have complained that the entire page for this feature is grayed out, which means they cannot permit apps to track their activity even if they want to. A message on this grayed-out page reads, “This setting cannot be changed because your Apple ID is missing age information.”
However, as mentioned by users, that is not true, and they indeed have their age information registered with their Apple ID. So, it seems more of a problem on Apple’s side and possibly a bug.
What is interesting to note here is that some users of the way older software, iOS 16, for example, are also facing the same issue. This further indicates that this has something to do with Apple’s servers.
Here are Some Potential Workarounds
As of now, Apple has not officially acknowledged this issue. However, some have been lucky to get the feature working. We have mentioned the ways that seem to work below.
First, sign out of your Apple ID just for the App Store. To do so, go to Apple ID settings by tapping on your profile banner in the Settings app. Scroll down and find a section called ‘Media & Purchases.’ Tap on it and then sign out. Once you do this, you will not be able to access the App Store, but the problem may be fixed. Multiple users have claimed it works.
Alternatively, you can try signing out of and back into your iCloud since that also seems to have worked for some people. You can do that by following the steps above. Just select to sign out from iCloud at the last step. If that does not work, try signing out of your Apple ID entirely, restarting your device, and signing back in.
Note that these workarounds do not necessarily work for everyone. And not everyone is facing the issue either.
If you are facing it and cannot fix it using one of the workarounds above, the best course of action is to wait for Apple to release the next update and hopefully address and resolve the issue. Meanwhile, you can report the bug or send feedback to the concerned teams at Apple here.
