The iOS 14.5 update released this week adds the ability to stop tracking by apps. However, this eye-catching feature added to Apple's iPhone software is not available to all users, with some reporting that the option is grayed out.

Apple has removed some of the mystery as to why this feature is not available to everyone by posting a support document detailing the App Tracking Transparency feature added to iOS 14.5.

For those unfamiliar with Apple's efforts to enhance privacy features for iPhone users, let's back up a bit: one of the ways Apple is attempting to do this in iOS 14.5 is with App Tracking Transparency.

By digging deep into the privacy menu of the Settings app, you can toggle a button that removes the ability for apps to ask for permission to track you. There are also controls for individual apps. (Our guide on how to prevent apps from tracking you in iOS 14.5 explains how to use this feature.)

At least, that's the theory: some people who upgraded to iOS 14.5 reported that the option to turn off the Apps to Request to Track setting was grayed out and App Tracking Transparency was not available. At the time, there was no explanation as to why the feature was disabled for some users and not others.

Apple has since filled the gap. Its App Tracking Transparency support documentation states that the "Allow Apps to Request to Track" setting is disabled in some circumstances. Apple cites three specific cases:

According to Apple, in these cases, apps that request tracking of system ad identifiers (IDFAs) are denied. If your account or device status changes and you enable the Allow Apps to Ask to Track setting, you will receive an initial prompt requesting that the app track your IDFA.

In recent years, Apple has put a great deal of emphasis on privacy, promoting privacy as a product differentiator and making it the centerpiece of its iPhone TV ads. iOS 14.5 gives iPhone and iPad users more control over what information they share with app makers. iOS 14.5 is Apple's biggest step yet toward giving iPhone and iPad users more control over the information they share with app makers.