What tracking actually happens on your phone

Your phone is tracked in several separate ways, and blocking one does not block the others. Your cellular carrier (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or whoever you pay) knows your location whenever your phone connects to a cell tower — they have to, to route your calls. Apps you install can request permission to see your location in the background. Websites you visit collect data through cookies and tracking pixels. Your phone's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios broadcast a unique identifier that nearby devices can detect. And if you use Google Maps, Gmail, or iCloud, those companies log your location when you use their services.

The tracking that matters most to you depends on what you are trying to stop. If you are concerned about data brokers buying your location history, the carrier tracking and app tracking are the biggest sources — those are what get sold to third parties. If you are concerned about someone physically following you, you need to think about Bluetooth and Wi-Fi identifiers instead. This article focuses on the tracking that feeds into data brokers and commercial databases, since that is what you came from.

Key Takeaways

  • Turn off location services entirely in your phone's settings, or turn it on only when you actively need it — this stops apps from logging your movement.
  • Review which apps have location permission in your phone's settings and revoke permission for any app that does not need it to function.
  • Disable location history in Google Maps (Android) or Google Maps settings (iPhone) so Google does not store a timeline of everywhere you go.
  • Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when you are not using them, because these radios broadcast identifiers that can be tracked even when you are not connected to anything.
  • Your cellular carrier still knows your location, and you cannot stop that — but you can ask them not to sell that data to third parties.

Turning off location services on Android

On an Android phone, open Settings, then tap Location. You will see a toggle at the top that says Location or Use location. Turn this off entirely if you do not need location services. If you turn it off, apps cannot request your location, and your phone stops broadcasting to cell towers for location purposes (though the carrier still knows which tower you are connected to).

If you need location services for navigation or weather, you do not have to turn it off completely. Instead, go to Settings > Apps (or process Manager, depending on your phone), find each app in the list, tap it, then tap Permissions. Look for Location and change it to Don't allow or Allow only while using the app. The second option is better — it lets the app use your location when you are actively using it, but not in the background. Do this for every app except the ones you actually need location for, like your maps app or weather app.

Turning off location services on iPhone

On an iPhone, open Settings, then tap Privacy, then Location Services. You will see a toggle at the top. Turn it off if you do not need location services at all. If you turn it off, apps cannot access your location, and your phone stops using GPS and Bluetooth to pinpoint where you are.

If you need location services, scroll down and you will see a list of every app that has requested location permission. Tap each app and change the setting from Always or While Using to Never for any app that does not need it. For apps you do use, change Always to While Using so the app can only see your location when you have it open. Then go back to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and scroll to the bottom. Turn off Location Services for System Services — this stops Apple from logging your location for analytics.

Stopping Google from storing your location history

Even if you turn off location services on your phone, Google still logs everywhere you go if you use Google Maps, Gmail, or any other Google service while signed in. Google stores this in a timeline called Location History (or Timeline in the Maps app). You can see it yourself by opening Google Maps on your phone, tapping your profile picture, and tapping Your Timeline.

To stop Google from storing this, open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, then tap Your data in Maps. Tap Location History and turn it off. On an iPhone, open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, tap Settings, then Location Settings, then turn off Location History. This stops Google from keeping a record of everywhere you go, but Google will still know your location while you are actively using Maps or other Google services — you cannot stop that without signing out of your Google account.

Disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use

Your phone's Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios broadcast a unique identifier called a MAC address. Even when you are not connected to anything, nearby devices can detect this identifier and use it to track your movement. If you walk past the same coffee shop every day, a device in that shop could theoretically recognize your phone and log that you passed by.

Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in your phone's quick settings when you are not actively using them. On Android, swipe down from the top of the screen twice to open the full quick settings panel, then tap the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons to turn them off. On iPhone, swipe down from the top right corner to open Control Center, then tap the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi icons. This stops your phone from broadcasting its identifier when you do not need it.

If you want to prevent tracking through Bluetooth and Wi-Fi but still need to use them, some phones let you randomize your MAC address so it changes frequently. On Android, go to Settings > Developer Options (you may need to enable this first by tapping Build Number seven times in About Phone), then look for MAC randomization or Wi-Fi MAC randomization and turn it on. iPhones randomize their MAC address automatically when connecting to new networks, but not for all networks.

What you cannot stop: carrier tracking

Your cellular carrier knows your location whenever your phone is on, because your phone has to connect to cell towers to work. You cannot stop this — it is how cellular networks function. Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and other carriers can see which tower you are connected to, and they can estimate your location from that.

What you can do is ask your carrier not to sell this data. Call your carrier's customer service and ask about location data opt-out or location privacy options. The names and processes vary by carrier. Verizon calls it Verizon Location Analytics and lets you opt out through your account settings online. AT&T calls it AT&T Mobile Location Analytics. T-Mobile calls it T-Mobile Location Analytics. You may have to call to opt out, or you may be able to do it through your account online — ask your carrier directly.

Checking what data brokers already have

Blocking tracking now stops new data from being collected, but data brokers may already have years of your location history. You came to this article from a page about removing your information from data broker websites. That process is separate from blocking future tracking — you need to do both. Search for your name and phone number on the major data broker sites (Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, and others) and request removal of your location history and phone number where it appears.

Some data brokers will remove information if you request it. Others will remove it only if you pay a fee or sign up for a monitoring service. Some will not remove it at all. There is no single process — each site has its own removal request form, usually found in a footer link that says "Privacy" or "Remove my information". This is tedious work, but it is the only way to get old data out of commercial databases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone track my phone without my permission?

Yes, in several ways. Your carrier tracks your location automatically. Apps you installed can track you if you gave them location permission. Someone with physical access to your phone could install tracking software. And data brokers can track you through your phone number if they have bought your location history from your carrier or an app company. Blocking tracking stops most of these, but not all.

Does turning off location services stop my carrier from tracking me?

No. Your carrier knows your location whenever your phone is on, because your phone connects to cell towers to receive calls and texts. Turning off location services stops apps and Google from tracking you, but not your carrier. You have to contact your carrier separately and ask them not to sell your location data.

Will blocking tracking affect my phone's ability to make calls or use data?

No. Turning off location services, disabling Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and stopping Google from storing your location will not affect calls, texts, or data. Your phone will still connect to cell towers and work normally. The only thing that might affect service is if you turn off Wi-Fi and rely on it for internet in an area with weak cellular signal.

What is the difference between location services and location history?

Location services is a setting on your phone that lets apps request your location. Location history is a record that Google (or another company) keeps of everywhere you have been. You can turn off location services and Google will still track you if you use Google Maps or Gmail. You have to turn off location history separately in Google Maps settings.

If I turn off all tracking, will apps still work?

Most apps will work fine. Apps that need location to function (like maps or weather) will ask you to turn location back on when you try to use them. You can then turn it back on temporarily, use the app, and turn it back off. Apps that track you for advertising purposes will still work, they just will not know where you are.