HOW TO TURN OFF LOCATION TRACKING ON YOUR IPHONE OR IPAD
The iPhone offers a high degree of control over which apps get to see your location. You can even turn off tracking entirely.
Most of us already know that many apps track our location data to better deliver information about local weather, shops, or movie showtimes. A new report from The New York Times, though, reveals that this data is often frighteningly precise and collected up to 14,000 times per day. It’s so precise, in fact, that it’s possible to figure out intimate details of a person’s life merely by studying it. Worse, some apps sell this data to companies who then use it to push hyper-targeted ads to your phones.
Fortunately, the report also demonstrates that we iOS users are better protected than our Android counterparts. Even so, we’re far from immune.
If you’re worried that too much of your location data is being uploaded and potentially sold to the highest bidder, you can use the following guide to limit access from specific apps or even from Apple’s own services.Our new gaming site is live! Gamestar covers games, gaming gadgets and gear. Subscribe to our newsletter and we’ll email our best stuff right to your inbox. Learn more here.TABLE OF CONTENTS
- How to disable location tracking entirely
- How to disable location tracking for specific apps
- How to disable location tracking used by the iPhone itself
- How to keep your iPhone from remembering where you parked
How to disable location tracking entirely
Frankly, this seems excessive, but you may have cause for it. Just keep in mind that disabling location tracking entirely means that even Apple Maps won’t be able to give you accurate readings. You also won’t be able to use Find My iPhone. But here’s how:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
- Select Location Services.
- In the next menu, untoggle Location Services at the top. That’s it.
Alternatively, you can scroll down one heading and disable Share My Location, a helpful feature that lets you send your exact location to friends through Messages, etc. if you believe you’re in danger or simply want to show someone where you are. Share My Location also works with some automations associated with the Home app.
This story, “How to turn off location tracking on your iPhone or iPad” was originally published by Macworld.