![]() Bear in mind that it will delete the information permanently and you won’t be able to get it back. Simply follow that link, make sure you’re signed in to your Google account, and tap the Delete Location History button. If you have an Android phone, then you can ask Google to delete your location history. Now that you’ve prevented various apps and services from tracking your location going forward, you may be wondering whether you can delete the location data that companies have already collected about your movements. What about the location data already recorded? In Settings > Privacy > Location Services, you’ll also see a list of apps that have location data access and you can tap on each one and decide whether it should be allowed to access your location Never, While Using the App, or Always. You can put your iPhone into Lost Mode via iCloud. Although, it’s worth noting that Location Services can be re-enabled on the device if it’s in Lost Mode. Things are a little more straightforward with iOS, so if you want to turn off location tracking on your iPhone, or just restrict certain apps, then you need to go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, where you can choose to toggle Location Services off completely.īear in mind that this will impact some services and apps, such as Maps and Find My iPhone, so it might be a step too far. Once again, the instructions will vary a little depending on your phone. If you decide that turning off location tracking altogether is a step too far, you can still toggle off specific apps that you’d prefer not to have location access. How to just restrict specific apps in Android You can find full instructions on how to control and delete searches and browsing activity, which sometimes also includes location, from Google. Unfortunately, turning off location altogether also means that you can’t track your phone if it goes missing, you can’t see or share your location in Google Maps or other map services, and some other services and apps may not work as well as they otherwise would.Īnother setting worth looking at if you want to limit Google’s tracking is your Web & App Activity. You may also still get ads based on your IP address location. It also means that, in theory, Google and the phone manufacturer won’t track or save your location, though there’s evidence it will anyway. This will turn off all location tracking, so no apps will be able to access your location. On a Huawei P40 Pro, go to Settings > Location and toggle off it off. On a Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, go to Settings > Location and toggle it off. On a Google Pixel 4, go to Settings > Location and toggle Use location off. At the moment, most Android phones follow a similar route, though this may change with updates. If you have an Android device, and you want to turn off location tracking entirely, then it’s easy to do, although the precise instructions may differ slightly from phone to phone. How to prevent location tracking on an Android phone Social media apps: Some of the most infamous location trackers!Ĭar insurance apps: Many car insurance apps can use the sensors in your phone to not only check on your location but actually calculate how fast you are driving or how sharply you brake, etc. Streaming apps: Yes, even apps like Netflix will track your location, and they don’t really have a good reason for doing so, except potentially dealing with geo-restricted content. But they typically don’t need to do so to operate. News and weather apps: These apps track your data, in part to provide more targeted information based on where you are. There isn’t usually a way to turn off location tracking for these apps without disabling them.ĭeal and coupon apps: These apps try to glean as much information from you as possible for ad purposes, and that tends to include your location data. Rideshare apps: Apps like Uber and Lyft will track your location for their drivers, and they may do it constantly, not just when you need a ride. Common apps to watch for location tracking include: A navigation app like Google Maps, for example, is not going to be anywhere near as useful if it doesn’t know where you are. ![]() There are legitimate reasons for many apps to track your location, so be aware that denying access to location tracking may prevent some apps from working properly. It’s a very good idea to start with a review of the apps on your phone that have access to location data. Find out which apps have location data access ![]() If you want to know more, you can also check our guide on how to uninstall Apps in your Andriod. ![]()
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