Why you might want to disable GPS on your iPhone
GPS on your iPhone is usually called Location Services, and it's the system that lets apps know where you are. You can turn it off entirely, turn it off for specific apps, or leave it on but limit what information gets shared. Most people disable it to save battery life, stop apps from tracking their movement, or prevent location data from being sold to advertisers.
Location Services runs constantly in the background when it's on — it's one of the biggest drains on your battery. If you turn it off completely, you'll lose features like Maps directions and weather based on your location, but you gain several hours of battery life depending on how much you move around.
The middle ground — turning off Location Services for individual apps — is what most people actually do. You keep it on for Maps or weather, but turn it off for social media apps, games, or shopping apps that don't need to know where you are.
Key Takeaways
- Location Services is found in Settings under Privacy, and you can turn it completely off or control which apps can access your location.
- Turning off Location Services for individual apps is usually better than turning it off completely, because you keep navigation and weather while blocking tracking.
- Apps can still estimate your location using your IP address or cell tower data even if you disable GPS, but it's much less precise.
- Your iPhone will ask you the first time an app wants your location — you can choose "Never", "Ask Next Time", or "Always Allow" for each one.
How to turn off Location Services completely
Open Settings on your home screen. Scroll down and tap Privacy. At the top, tap Location Services. You'll see a toggle switch at the top of the screen — tap it to turn Location Services off. The switch will turn gray, and all apps will lose access to your location when ready.
When you turn it back on later, the switch turns blue. Your previous settings for each app stay the same — if you had allowed Maps to use your location, it will still be allowed the next time you turn Location Services back on.
How to disable GPS for specific apps instead
This is the approach most people should use. Open Settings, go to Privacy, then Location Services. You'll see a list of every app that has ever asked for your location. Next to each app name, you'll see one of three options: a purple arrow (the app used your location recently), a gray arrow (the app has permission but hasn't used it lately), or nothing (the app has no permission).
Tap any app name to see three choices: Never, Ask Next Time, or Always Allow. Choose Never for apps you don't want tracking you — social media, shopping, games, and dating apps are common ones to disable. Choose Always Allow only for apps you actually use for navigation or location-based services. Choose Ask Next Time if you want to decide each time the app tries to use your location.
You can change these settings anytime. There's no limit to how many apps you can restrict, and restricting one app doesn't affect the others.
What happens when you disable Location Services
Apps that need your location will either ask you to turn it back on, show you a generic location, or stop working. Maps won't give you turn-by-turn directions. Weather won't show your local forecast unless you manually enter your city. Find My Friends won't work. Apps that use location for ads will show you ads based on your IP address instead, which is less precise but still tracks your general region.
Your phone will still connect to cell towers and WiFi networks, and apps can use that data to guess your location — it just won't be as accurate as GPS. If privacy is your main concern, disabling Location Services for individual apps is more practical than turning it off completely, because you keep the features you actually use.
The difference between Location Services and other tracking
Location Services is just one way your iPhone shares where you are. Your IP address (the number that identifies your internet connection) tells websites and apps what city you're in. Your WiFi network name can be tracked. Your cell phone carrier knows which towers you connect to. Turning off Location Services stops apps from using GPS specifically, but it doesn't stop these other methods.
If you want to limit all location tracking, you should also turn off WiFi and Bluetooth when you're not using them, use a VPN to hide your IP address, and be selective about which apps you install. But for most people, disabling Location Services for apps you don't trust is the practical first step.
Battery impact of turning off Location Services
GPS uses significant power because it's constantly calculating your exact position. Turning off Location Services completely can add 2 to 4 hours to your battery life on a typical day, depending on how much you move around and how many apps were requesting your location. If you only turn it off for a few apps, the battery savings will be smaller — maybe 30 minutes to an hour.
If battery life is your main concern, turning off Location Services for background apps (apps running when you're not actively using them) makes the biggest difference. You can see which apps use location in the background by going to Settings, Privacy, Location Services, and looking for apps with a purple arrow next to them.
Checking which apps have location permission
Go to Settings, Privacy, Location Services. The full list shows every app that has ever requested your location. Scroll through and look for apps you don't recognize or don't use anymore. You can delete unused apps entirely, or just set their location permission to Never.
Some apps request location permission but never actually use it — they ask for it just in case. Setting those to Never costs you nothing in functionality but improves both privacy and battery life. Apps like Spotify, Uber, or DoorDash legitimately need your location, so those are reasonable to keep on Always Allow if you use them regularly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can apps still track me if I turn off Location Services?
Yes, but less precisely. Apps can estimate your location using your IP address, WiFi network, or cell tower data. GPS is the most accurate method, so turning it off makes tracking much harder. For stronger privacy, also disable WiFi and Bluetooth when you're not using them, and consider using a VPN.
Will my iPhone still work without Location Services?
Yes. You'll lose navigation, weather forecasts based on your location, and location-based reminders. Everything else works normally. You can turn Location Services back on anytime, and your previous app settings will still be there.
Do I need to turn off Location Services if I only disable it for one app?
No. Disabling Location Services for individual apps is separate from the master toggle. You can leave Location Services on and set specific apps to Never, and those apps won't get your location while others still can.
What's the difference between "Always Allow" and "Ask Next Time"?
Always Allow means the app can use your location anytime, even when you're not using the app. Ask Next Time means the app has to ask permission each time it wants your location. Ask Next Time is more private but more annoying because you'll see permission requests repeatedly.
Does disabling Location Services stop ads from following me?
It stops location-based ads from being as targeted, but not completely. Apps can still use your IP address and browsing history to show you ads. To reduce ad tracking further, go to Settings, Privacy, Apple Advertising, and turn off Personalized Ads.