How to keep your location private on your phone

Your phone uses your location for plenty of helpful things, from giving directions to finding a nearby restaurant. But that doesn’t mean every app needs to know exactly where you are all the time.

At Asurion, we know getting more from your tech also means having more control over your privacy. Here’s how to turn location services on or off on iPhone® and Android™, choose which apps get access, adjust how precise that location can be, and manage who you’re sharing it with.

How to turn location services on or off

Should your location services be on or off? That's entirely up to you—and it may depend on what you're doing and how you use your phone.

The location services feature makes it easier to use various apps that rely on information from GPS networks, your Bluetooth® connections, local Wi-Fi, and your mobile network. Turning on location services for Maps, for example, lets the app know where you are to give you directions anytime, anywhere. The same goes for ride-sharing services.

Making sure those apps are set up to know your exact location can be helpful and convenient, but what about social media? What if you want to opt for more privacy and prevent apps like X® (formerly Twitter) or TikTok® from knowing where you are when you post a hot take about your favorite TV show? It's easy. Follow these steps to turn location settings on and off on your phone.

Apple

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. Turn on Location Services by tapping the switch so it turns green. Turn it off by tapping again. (Note that turning it off prevents certain location-dependent features from working.)
3. You can also reset all location services to their factory default settings by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset, then choosing Reset Location & Privacy. Once you do this, all apps will stop using your location until you give them permission again.

Android

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open Quick Settings.
2. Press and hold Location. (If you don't find Location, tap the Pencil icon or Edit, then drag Location into your Quick Settings tiles.)
3. Toggle Use location on or off.

How to turn location services on or off for specific apps

You get to decide which apps can access your phone's location, and when. Here's how to adjust app location permissions.

Apple

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. Make sure that Location Services is turned on.
3. Scroll down and select the app you want to manage.
4. Select an option:
   • Never: Blocks access to Location Services information.
   • Ask Next Time Or When I Share: Prompts you to allow access once, allow while using the app, or don't allow each time.
   • While Using the App: Allows access to Location Services only when the app or one of its features is open on screen.
   • Always: Allows access to your location even when the app is running in the background.

Android

1. On your phone's Home screen or App Drawer, find the app icon.
2. Press and hold the app icon.
3. Tap App info (or the i icon).
4. Tap Permissions > Location.
5. Select an option:
   • Allow all the time: The app can use your location at any time.
   • Allow only while using the app: The app can use your location only when you're actively using it.
   • Ask every time: The app will ask for permission every time you open it.
   • Don't allow: Blocks the app from using your location.

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How to adjust location services accuracy

Depending on the model and OS version of your phone, you can adjust whether apps get your exact address or just an approximate region.

Apple

You can toggle Precise Location on or off per app. Turning it off shares only your approximate location, which works fine for weather apps, but isn't recommended for turn-by-turn navigation or ride-sharing.

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
2. Select an app from the list.
3. Toggle Precise Location on or off.

Android

On Android, you can adjust overall device location accuracy or toggle precise location per app.

To adjust device-wide Location Accuracy:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen and press and hold the Location tile.
2. Tap Location Services > Location Accuracy (or Google Location Accuracy on older builds).
3. Toggle Improve Location Accuracy on or off.

To adjust per-app location precision:

1. Press and hold an app icon > tap App info > Permissions > Location.
2. Toggle Use precise location on or off.

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How to share your location

Location sharing makes it easy to let friends or family see where you are—and you’re always in control of who can see it and for how long.

Apple

Using Family Sharing, you can share your location with family members in the Find My® or Messages app. To learn how, check out our guides to Family Sharing and Find My.

Android

To share with a person who has a Google Account:

1. Make sure the person's Gmail™ address is saved in your Google Contacts.
2. On your phone, open the Google Maps app and sign in.
3. Tap your profile picture or initial > Location sharing > New share.
4. Choose how long you want to share your location.
5. Select the contact you want to share your location with.
6. Tap Share.

To share with a person who doesn't have a Google Account:

1. Open the Google Maps app and sign in.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial > Location sharing > New share.
3. Tap Copy to clipboard to generate a Location sharing link.
4. Paste the link into a text, email, or messaging app. Anyone with the link can view your real-time location for the duration you set (up to 24 hours).

How to stop sharing your location with a specific person

Apple

1. Open the Find My app.
2. Tap People at the bottom of the screen.
3. Select the person, then scroll down and tap Stop Sharing My Location.

The person won't receive a direct notification that you stopped sharing, but you will disappear from their Find My list.

Android

1. Open the Google Maps app.
2. Tap your profile picture or initial > Location sharing.
3. Tap the profile or link of the person you want to stop sharing with.
4. Tap Stop.