Location Services lives in Settings, under Privacy
Open Settings on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Privacy. At the top of that menu, you will see Location Services. That toggle controls whether apps can see your location at all. When it is on (green), individual apps can request access. When it is off (gray), no app can pinpoint where you are, though some features like Maps and Weather will not work without it.
The Location Services menu shows you every app that has ever asked for your location, and what permission level you gave it. This is where you take back control — you can change permissions app by app without turning off location entirely.
Key Takeaways
- Location Services is in Settings > Privacy, and the master toggle there controls whether any app can see your location.
- Each app shows one of three permission levels: Never, While Using, or Always — and you can change any of them at any time.
- Apps with "Always" permission can track your location even when you are not using them, which drains battery and raises privacy concerns.
- Turning off Location Services entirely will disable Maps, Weather, Find My, and other features that rely on knowing where you are.
- Check this menu every few months, because apps sometimes request higher permissions than they actually need.
What the three permission levels mean
Never means the app cannot see your location at all. It will not ask again unless you manually change the setting. Most apps work fine with this setting.
While Using means the app can see your location only when the app is open and active on your screen. This is the safest option for most apps — a weather app, a restaurant finder, a ride-share service. Once you close the app, it stops tracking. This is the default permission level iOS suggests when an app first asks.
Always means the app can see your location even when it is closed and running in the background. Only a few apps genuinely need this: Find My (so family can locate your phone), a home security system, or a fitness app that tracks a long run. Many apps request Always permission but do not actually need it. This setting drains your battery faster because the phone is constantly calculating your position.
How to change an app's location permission
Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Scroll through the list until you find the app you want to change. Tap it. You will see three options: Never, While Using, and Always. Tap the one you want. That change takes effect when ready.
If an app is not in the list, it has never asked for location permission, or you denied it so firmly that it stopped asking. You can still grant permission by tapping the app name if it appears, or by opening the app itself — most apps will prompt you to allow location the first time you use a feature that needs it.
Why some apps ask for Always when they only need While Using
Apps request Always permission because it gives them more data and more ways to send you notifications or ads based on where you go. A food delivery app does not need to know where you are at midnight; a social media app does not need to track your location when you are not using it. But if the permission is available, some developers request it anyway.
This is why checking your Location Services list every few months is worth your time. If you see an app with Always permission that you do not recognize or do not use often, change it to While Using or Never. You lose nothing — the app will still work for its main purpose.
System Services that use location
At the bottom of the Location Services list, you will see a section called System Services. Tap it. This shows location features built into iOS itself: Find My iPhone, Emergency SOS, Compass calibration, and others. Most of these are useful and safe to leave on. Find My is especially important if your phone is ever lost or stolen.
One to watch is Significant Locations. When this is on, your iPhone remembers places you visit regularly and uses that data to improve Siri suggestions and battery life. The data stays on your phone and is encrypted, but if you want no location history kept at all, you can turn this off. It will not break anything.
What happens when you turn off Location Services entirely
If you toggle off the master Location Services switch, your phone stops calculating your location. Maps will not work. Weather will show a generic forecast instead of your local one. Find My will not be able to locate your phone if it is lost. Reminders tied to locations will not trigger. Some emergency services features may be degraded.
For most people, turning off Location Services entirely is too blunt. A better approach is to leave it on but set most apps to Never or While Using, and check the list twice a year. This gives you the features you actually want while cutting off the tracking you do not.
How to know if an app is using your location right now
When an app is actively using your location, a small arrow icon appears in the status bar at the top of your screen — either a solid arrow (the app is using location) or a hollow arrow (the app used location recently). If you see an arrow and do not recognize which app it belongs to, swipe down from the top to see the Control Center, or check which app is currently open.
If you see the arrow when you are not using any app, something is running in the background. Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services and look for any app with Always permission that you do not use. Change it to While Using or Never.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off location for one app without affecting others?
Yes. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, find the app, and change its permission to Never or While Using. Other apps keep their current settings. You can change permissions one at a time without touching the master switch.
If I set an app to Never, will it ask again?
Not automatically. But if you open the app and try to use a feature that needs location, it may prompt you to change the setting. You can always say no again. The app will not break — it just will not have location data.
Does turning off location services affect my ability to make emergency calls?
No. Emergency calls work with or without Location Services on. However, turning it off may prevent your phone from automatically sending your location to emergency services when you call 911, which can slow response time. Most people should leave Location Services on for this reason alone.
What is the difference between Location Services and Find My?
Location Services is the system that lets apps know where you are. Find My is a specific Apple service that uses Location Services to help you locate your phone, other devices, or family members. You can have Location Services on but Find My off, or vice versa — they are separate toggles.
Why does my battery drain faster when location is on?
Calculating your position using GPS, cell towers, and Wi-Fi networks takes power. Apps with Always permission drain more battery because they check your location constantly, even when you are not using them. Switching apps to While Using or Never will improve battery life noticeably.