What does Data Not Collected mean on an App Store label?

The developer declares that the app does not collect any of the data types Apple asks about. Under Apple’s definition, collection means transmitting data off the device in a way that allows access beyond the immediate request. Data kept only on the phone is not collected.

Is Data Not Collected the same as private?

No. It is a strong signal about transmission, but it does not cover accounts, ads, on-device storage or iPhone backups. A private app can have the label, and so can an app with an account that collects nothing else.

What is the difference between Data Linked to You and Data Used to Track You?

Linked data is tied to your identity. Tracking is linked with third-party data for advertising or shared with a data broker. Tracking is the narrower category, and it is the one to look for first.

Does the label say whether my data is in iCloud Backup?

No. The label covers what the app sends off the device, not what iOS includes in a backup. That depends on the app’s backup setting and your iPhone settings, and it needs a separate answer.

GLP‑1 app privacy: how to compare the labels.

By Max HP · Updated 3 November 2026

App Store privacy labels are short, standardized and easy to misread. Data Not Collected means one thing; Data Linked to You means another. The 2026 GLP‑1 App Privacy Index puts 53 tracker apps side by side, and the comparison is more useful than a single badge.

What the label measures

An App Store privacy label describes what an app collects, not everything it does. Apple defines collect in a specific way: “‘Collect’ refers to transmitting data off the device in a way that allows you and/or your third-party partners to access it for a period longer than what is necessary to service the transmitted request in real time.” Data that stays on the phone is not collected under that definition, and a label may say nothing about it.

The label is also the developer’s answer, not Apple’s audit. Apple tells developers: “You’re responsible for keeping your responses accurate and up to date.” A label can be accurate and still incomplete for your question, because your question may be about storage, backups or a feature the label does not describe.

That is why a label is a starting point. It is good at answering “does this app send data off the phone?” It is less good at answering “where is my log kept, and who can read the backup?”

The three answers that matter

Data Not Collected is the strongest label for sending. It means the app declares that it does not collect any of the data types Apple asks about. It does not automatically mean the app has no account, no ads or no server; it means the developer says nothing is transmitted in a way that meets Apple’s definition. It also says nothing about an iPhone backup.

Data Linked to You means the data is collected and tied to your identity, through an account, a device identifier or other details. Data Used to Track You is a narrower and more serious category: the data is linked with third-party data for advertising or advertising measurement, or shared with a data broker. An app can have the first without the second, and the difference matters.

Health & Fitness is a data type, not a verdict. An app can declare Health & Fitness data linked to you for app functionality, or for analytics, or for tracking. The label’s detail view says which. A tracker that keeps health data on the phone may have no Health & Fitness collection at all.

What the 2026 Index found

The Max HP GLP‑1 App Privacy Index 2026 recorded the US App Store privacy labels and listings of 53 GLP‑1 tracking apps on 3 November 2026. It is our dataset, and Max HP is one of the apps in the category, so the Index shows our row separately and leaves it out of every count.

Three findings are worth carrying into a comparison. First, “15 of 38 apps that call themselves private declare Data Used to Track You.” A privacy claim in a listing and a tracking declaration on the label can sit on the same App Store page. Second, “7 of 53 apps declare Data Not Collected.” That is the strongest label, and it is not the norm. Third, the labels do not cover backups: only a minority of listings say anything about whether data is left out of an iPhone backup.

The app is not on the App Store yet, so it has no published label. The answers prepared for Apple declare no tracking and nothing linked to you. They do declare anonymous usage counts, purchase history and diagnostics, not linked to you, for analytics, so the label will not be Data Not Collected. The log itself is never sent to us, and setup asks whether the iPhone backup includes it.

The Index has limits, and its methodology page states them. It records labels as published and does not test what any app sends. A label covers data sent off the phone, not data kept on it, and it does not cover an iPhone backup. It is a comparison of declarations, not a security audit.

The date matters too. Labels change when a developer updates an answer, and the Index is a snapshot of 3 November 2026. A label you read today can differ from the one in the table. Use the table to narrow the field, then open the current App Store page before you decide. A label is a living answer, not a permanent one.

How to compare two apps

Start with the label, not the listingThe listing is marketing copy. The label is the structured answer to Apple’s questions. Read both, but do not let the first overwrite the second.
Check for tracking firstData Used to Track You is the category with the clearest consequence. If it is absent, the app is not declaring cross-app advertising use.
Look for Health & FitnessIf the app declares it, open the detail view and see whether it is linked to you and what it is used for. If it is absent, the app says it does not collect that category.
Ask about the accountA label can say Data Not Collected and the app can still require an email address for an account. The label covers collection, not the sign‑in flow.
Ask about backupsThe label does not say whether the app’s data is in your iPhone backup. That is a separate setting, and the developer’s privacy page is the place to look.
Read the methodologyThe Index lists its sources, its date and its limits. A comparison without those is a vibe, not a dataset.

The most useful comparison is not “which app has the best badge” but “which app sends the least, keeps the rest where I want it, and explains the difference.” Those are three questions, and a label answers only the first.

Questions

What does Data Not Collected mean on an App Store label?: The developer declares that the app does not collect any of the data types Apple asks about. Under Apple’s definition, collection means transmitting data off the device in a way that allows access beyond the immediate request. Data kept only on the phone is not collected.
Is Data Not Collected the same as private?: No. It is a strong signal about transmission, but it does not cover accounts, ads, on-device storage or iPhone backups. A private app can have the label, and so can an app with an account that collects nothing else.
What is the difference between Data Linked to You and Data Used to Track You?: Linked data is tied to your identity. Tracking is linked with third-party data for advertising or shared with a data broker. Tracking is the narrower category, and it is the one to look for first.
Does the label say whether my data is in iCloud Backup?: No. The label covers what the app sends off the device, not what iOS includes in a backup. That depends on the app’s backup setting and your iPhone settings, and it needs a separate answer.

Sources

Apple Developer, “App Privacy Details.” Read 3 November 2026.
Max HP, “GLP‑1 App Privacy Index 2026: 53 Tracker Apps Compared.” Data read 3 November 2026.
Max HP, “GLP‑1 App Privacy Index Methodology: Sources and Limits.” Read 3 November 2026.

Coming soon to the App Store