Apple Fixing Greyed Out App Tracking Transparency Toggle Issue in iOS 14.5

Apple has reportedly come up with a fix for a bug that prevented some iOS 14.5 users from adjusting the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting that was included as part of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature.

With the release of iOS 14.5, iPadOS 14.5, and tvOS 14.5, apps must now ask for permission to track your activity across other companies’ apps and websites for ad targeting purposes.

Users can manage their device’s tracking permissions on an app-by-app basis in the Settings app under “Privacy” -> “Tracking,” and there is also available an “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting that applies to every installed app. Each app that asks for permission to track while this setting is toggled off will be treated as if you tapped “Ask App Not to Track.”

However, some users report that the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting is grayed out on their device. Apple has explained this in a new support document, saying there are a few circumstances where the “Allow Apps to Request to Track” setting is grayed out, however, including:

• For users with child accounts or under age 18 by birth year, signed in with their Apple ID
• If your Apple ID is managed by an educational institution or uses a configuration profile that limits tracking
• If your Apple ID was created in the last three days

However, a significant minority of users had still found that they were unable to adjust the setting despite meeting Apple’s criteria for full access.

A May 3 update from Apple had been expected to fix the problem, but issues in controlling the feature persisted after the update was installed. However, the latest reports from social media indicate that Apple appears to be resolving the issue.