Apple Lets You Download Information It Has About You [Updated]

In May 2018, Apple launched a data usage and privacy page, allowing customers to request the collection of personal data that Apple has recorded and holds on its servers.

The Data Usage and Privacy tool allows users to select different categories of data to request their content, which Apple does and sends over a link after some time. 

Apple says this process can take up to seven days, so as we have requested the information, we will update the notice when we receive notice that we can now download our information. 

When the data is ready to be downloaded, Apple will send an email to the email address used as your Apple ID, which will include when the request was made and the categories of data requested. It also warns if any kind of data has not been collected so far.

In our request, we have requested everything that corresponds to that data that we have not stored in iCloud, that is, we have not requested that they send us the Safari photos, notes or bookmarks, but we have focused on that information that we like best, it would cost to rebuild, such as purchase or support stories, etc.

These are the eight apps and services we requested:

You have already requested a copy of the data from these apps and services. The data is being prepared for download. You will be able to select these apps and services again at the end of the request. You can check the status of your requests at any time.

• Information from Apple multimedia services

• Apple ID account and device information

• Apple Online Store and Apple Store Activity

• Portfolio activity

• AppleCare technical support history, repair requests, and more

• Game Center Activities

• Marketing messages, downloads and other activities

• Other data

After selecting the information you want Apple to send you, you go to a new screen where you tell Apple what maximum file size you want each package to have, so Apple can segment it into the appropriate size. That is, instead of preparing a single folder that can take up several GB, they will send you several folders (in .zip format) of smaller size that you can open, review, save and / or delete before unzipping the next one.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn't offer you the option to ask him to delete the information he has about you, so the only option left to you, if you want that trace to disappear, is to delete your Apple ID account. If you decide to do this, keep in mind that it will also take a few days for Apple to irreversibly delete all data on its servers and that you will lose access to your entire Apple ID.

Theoretically, once that time has elapsed, you could re-register the same Apple ID (if someone didn't tell you before) and start with a blank sheet of what Apple knows about you (but we haven't tested it, so if you do is at your own risk and expense).

[Update 10 February 2021]

Apple's notice has arrived that our files are ready for download. As we requested on February 4th, it took them nearly a week to get ready.

When you access the download page, you get a list with the size of each of the apps and services you have requested