Why your phone knows where you are, and how to stop it
Your phone broadcasts your location constantly — to apps, to your wireless carrier, to the operating system itself. This happens whether you're using GPS, cell towers, or Wi-Fi networks to pinpoint where you are. You can't stop your phone from knowing its own location, but you can control who gets to see it and how often they see it.
The difference between location services being on and location permissions being on matters. Location services is the phone's ability to figure out where it is. Location permissions is what you allow individual apps to do with that information. You can have one without the other — and for most people, that's the right balance.
Key Takeaways
- Turning off location services entirely stops all location tracking, but it also breaks maps, weather, and emergency services that rely on knowing where you are.
- A better approach is to leave location services on but deny location permission to apps that don't need it — like social media, email, or your flashlight.
- On both iPhone and Android, you can set individual apps to access your location only while you're using them, not in the background.
- Your phone's location history — a record of everywhere you've been — is stored separately and can be turned off without affecting real-time location services.
- Carriers and your phone's operating system can still see your location even when apps cannot, but you have some control over how long that data is kept.
How to deny location permission to individual apps on iPhone
Open Settings, then tap Privacy, then Location Services. You'll see a list of every app that has ever asked for your location. Next to each app name is a symbol: a solid arrow means the app can access your location anytime, a hollow arrow means it can access it only while you're using it, and "Never" means it cannot.
Tap any app name to change its permission. Choose "Never" for apps that don't need to know where you are — email, messaging, social media, games, and most utilities fall into this category. For apps that do need location (maps, weather, ride-sharing), choose "While Using" instead of "Always". This stops the app from tracking you in the background when you're not actively using it.
Some apps will ask for permission again the next time you open them if you've denied it. You can say no again, and the app will usually still work — it just won't have location data. If an app refuses to work without location permission, you have to decide whether you trust it enough to grant it.
How to deny location permission to individual apps on Android
Open Settings, then tap Apps & notifications (or Applications, depending on your phone's version). Tap Permissions, then Location. You'll see the same list as on iPhone — apps that have location permission, and what level of permission they have.
Tap any app to change its permission. Android offers three choices: "Allow all the time" (the app can track you anytime), "Allow only while using the app" (it can see your location only when the app is open), and "Don't allow" (it cannot access your location). Choose "Allow only while using the app" for maps and weather. Choose "Don't allow" for everything else.
On some Android phones, you can also tap the app name directly from the Settings menu and change permissions from there. The path varies slightly by manufacturer — Samsung, Google Pixel, and other brands organize this slightly differently — but the three permission levels are the same on all of them.
Turning off location services entirely, and what breaks
If you want to stop your phone from tracking location altogether, you can turn off location services. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and toggle it off. On Android, go to Settings > Location and toggle it off.
When you do this, your phone can no longer use GPS, cell towers, or Wi-Fi to figure out where it is. This means maps won't work, weather won't show your local forecast, ride-sharing apps can't find you, and emergency services can't pinpoint your location if you call 911. Some banking apps and two-factor authentication systems also rely on location to verify that it's really you logging in.
For most people, turning off location services entirely is too much. A better approach is to leave it on but deny permission to the apps that don't need it. This keeps the services that matter working while cutting off the apps that are just collecting data about you.
How to turn off location history
Location history is different from location services. It's a record of everywhere your phone has been, stored on your phone or in your cloud account. Even if you deny apps permission to see your location, your phone's operating system is still keeping this record.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations. This is where Apple stores your location history. Toggle it off to stop recording. You can also tap "Clear History" to delete the record of places you've already been.
On Android, the process depends on whether you use Google Location Accuracy. Go to Settings > Location > Location Services > Google Location Accuracy and toggle it off. You can also go to myactivity.google.com, click "Location" on the left, and delete your location history from there. Google keeps this data in your account, not just on your phone, so deleting it from the website matters too.
What your carrier and operating system still know
Even when you've turned off location services and denied all app permissions, your wireless carrier knows roughly where you are — they have to, to route your calls and data to the right cell tower. Your phone's operating system (Apple or Google) also knows your location when you're connected to their services, because they use it for things like time zone updates and emergency location services.
You cannot stop this completely without turning off your phone or removing the SIM card. But you can limit how long they keep the data. On iPhone, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services and look for "Emergency SOS" and "Find My iPhone" — these are the main ways Apple uses your location. You can toggle them off, though this means emergency services won't be able to locate you if you call 911 and can't tell them where you are.
On Android, go to Settings > Location > Location Services and review what's turned on. Google's location services are harder to turn off completely because they're built into the operating system, but you can go to myactivity.google.com and set your location history to pause automatically after 3 months or 18 months instead of keeping it forever.
The trade-off between privacy and usefulness
Location tracking is not all bad. Maps need to know where you are. Weather apps need to know your location to show you the right forecast. Emergency services need to be able to find you. The question is not whether to allow location tracking at all, but which apps and services you trust with that information.
A reasonable middle ground for most people: turn off location services for apps that don't need it, set location to "While Using" for apps that do need it, and turn off location history so your phone stops keeping a permanent record of where you've been. This keeps the features that matter working while cutting off the tracking that doesn't benefit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can apps still track me if I deny them location permission?
Apps can try to guess your location using other data — your IP address, the Wi-Fi networks you connect to, or Bluetooth devices nearby — but it's much less accurate than GPS. Denying location permission stops the most precise tracking. Some apps will refuse to work without it, but most will function normally.
Does turning off location services affect my phone bill or data usage?
No. Location services use very little data and don't affect your bill. Turning them off saves a small amount of battery life, but the difference is usually not noticeable unless you're using GPS-heavy apps like maps or fitness trackers constantly.
If I turn off location history, can I still use maps?
Yes. Location history is a record of where you've been. Maps needs to know where you are right now. Turning off location history doesn't affect maps, navigation, or any real-time location features — it just stops your phone from keeping a permanent record of your movements.
What does "While Using" actually mean for location permission?
It means the app can access your location only when the app is open and active on your screen. Once you close the app or switch to a different app, it can no longer see your location. This is the safest permission level for most apps.
Can my phone company see my location even if I turn off location services?
Yes. Your carrier knows which cell tower your phone is connected to, which gives them a rough idea of your location — usually within a few blocks in a city, or a few miles in a rural area. This is necessary for them to route your calls and data. You cannot stop this without turning off your phone entirely.