Your phone is always working out where you are, and plenty of apps are happy to take advantage of that.
In fact, you can totally decide who gets the information. We’ll show you how to disable location services on iPhone and Android, how to disable all location services on iPhone with a single toggle, and which smarter middle-ground settings you would use instead.
1. What Happens if I Disable Location Services on My Phone?
Disabling location services is easy; what most guides skip is what you give up. Changes include:
- Apps lose your location. Apps can’t read it while the master setting is off.
- Maps and weather go manual. You’ll type addresses and cities yourself.
- Lost-phone tools struggle. Google warns that finding your device may not work, and Find My relies on Location Services too.
- Emergency calls still work. Responders can still receive your location.
- A rough location can remain. Google notes that search results and ads can still use your IP address.
So, location services vs. app permissions: which should you disable? Location Services is the master switch for the whole phone, while app permissions are the dials underneath it. For most people, the best way is to keep the master switch on and trim permissions app by app.
- Location Services off: short-term privacy, like a sensitive trip or a borrowed phone.
- App permissions trimmed: everyday privacy that still lets useful apps work.
2. How to Disable Location Services on iPhone
Apple keeps every location control in one menu. Check out how to disable location services on iOS in about a minute.
Turn Off Location Services Completely
Here’s how to disable all location services on iPhone:
- Open Settings and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services.
- Switch Location Services off and confirm if your iPhone asks.
That is how to disable location services across your whole iPhone. Your iPhone’s location may still be used when you place an emergency call. Find My also needs Location Services, so think twice before leaving it off for good.
Turn Off Location for Individual iPhone Apps
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Tap an app from the list.
- Choose Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App, or Always.
Quick guide: While Using the App for maps, weather, and rideshare, and Never for games, shopping, and anything with no business knowing where you are. When an app uses your location in the background, a blue indicator can appear in the status bar, which is your cue to revisit that setting.
3. How to Disable Location Services on Android
Menu names vary a little between Pixel, Samsung, and other brands, but the path is close to the same. These steps show how to disable location services on Android 12 and newer.
Turn Off Location for the Entire Android Device
How to do it:
- Open Settings and tap Location.
- Turn Use location off.
On most phones, the toggle takes two taps. Want a faster route? Swipe down twice from the top of the screen, tap Edit, and drag the Location tile into Quick Settings.
That tile makes disabling location services a one-tap job. With location off, apps can’t get your device’s location, although emergency location services or your carrier may still send it when you contact an emergency number.
Disable Location Access for Specific Android Apps
How to do it:
- Go to Settings > Location > App location permissions.
- Tap an app.
- Choose Allow all the time, Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don’t allow.
You can also press and hold an app icon, then tap App info > Permissions > Location. How to disable location services app by app: choose Allow only while using the app for most apps and Don’t allow for anything that has no reason to know where you are.
4. How to Limit Location Tracking Without Turning It Off Completely
Going fully dark isn’t realistic for most of us.
A survey by Pew Research Center revealed that 72% of Americans believe all, almost all, or most of what they do online or on a cellphone is tracked by advertisers, technology firms, or other companies. 81% of Americans said they have very little or no control over the data companies collect about them.
These settings hand some of that control back without breaking your apps, which makes them a gentler take on how to disable location services.
Disable Precise Location on iPhone
Many apps only need your city, not your front door. On iOS 14 and later:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Tap an app.
- Turn Precise Location off.
The app then receives only your approximate location. Weather, news, and shopping apps work fine this way. Keep precise location on for navigation.
Use Approximate Location on Android
Android 12 and newer can share a rough area instead of an exact spot. Open Settings > Location > App location permissions, tap an app, and turn Use precise location off.
Approximate location tells an app your device is somewhere within an area of about 3 square kilometers. Pick approximate whenever a pop-up offers it, except for navigation.
Reduce Background Location Access
Background access is where location data tends to leak. Choose While Using the App on iPhone or Allow only while using the app on Android.
A stray “Always” permission deserves a second look. Trimming background access is the most useful habit when disabling location services.
5. How to Turn Off Location Tracking in Chrome and Safari
Websites can also ask for your location, and your browser keeps its own permission list. Here is how to disable location services for sites in the two most popular browsers.
Disable Website Location Permissions in Chrome
On a computer:
- Open Chrome, then select More > Settings.
- Choose Privacy and security > Site settings > Location.
- Select the option that blocks sites from seeing your location.
To change one site, click the icon left of the web address, open Site settings, and set Location to Block. On Android, open More > Settings > Site settings > Location. Chrome asks first by default, and if you allow a site, Chrome sends information to Google Location Services to estimate where you are.
Stop Websites From Accessing Your Location in Safari
On iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Safari, scroll to Settings for Websites, tap Location, and choose Deny or Ask.
On older iOS versions, look under Settings > Safari instead. To restrict Safari itself, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Safari Websites and choose Never.
On a Mac, open Safari > Settings > Websites > Location and set When visiting other websites to Deny. Store locators will then need a ZIP code typed in.
6. Other Location Settings That Affect Your Privacy
Location doesn’t only leak through the GPS dot. Even after you know how to disable location services, three quieter settings can still share your whereabouts.
System Location Services on iPhone
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services. You should turn off Significant Locations & Routes first (called Significant Locations on older iOS versions), which learns places you visit often. Leave Emergency Calls & SOS and Find My iPhone on.
Google Location Accuracy and Wi-Fi Scanning on Android
On Android 12 and newer, open Settings > Location > Location Services and switch off Location Accuracy, Wi-Fi scanning, or Bluetooth scanning. With accuracy off, only GPS and sensors are used, so Maps and lost-device searches may get less precise. Android 11 and older: Settings > Location > Advanced.
Google Maps Timeline and Location Sharing
Timeline is off by default. If you turned it on, visits and routes are saved on your device, with an optional encrypted backup.
Turn it off in the Timeline section of your Google Account, and delete older history from Maps. Turning off Timeline is a small piece of how to disable location services.
To stop location sharing with one person, visit myaccount.google.com > People & sharing > Location Sharing > Manage Location Sharing, then tap Stop beside their name. Shared details include your name, photo, real-time location, and battery status.
>>> Read more: How to Change Home Address on iPhone, in Contacts and in Google Maps
7. FAQs
Is it good to turn off Location Services?
It depends on your goal. For everyday life, you can keep the master switch on and set most apps to While Using the App or Never. Turning everything off works for short stretches, but you lose maps, weather, and lost-phone tools.
Can my phone still be tracked if Location Services are off?
Yes, in limited ways. Emergency calls can still share location, and your mobile network still knows roughly which towers you use. Google notes that search results and ads can still use your IP address, and Apple warns that third-party apps and websites may find other ways to estimate where you are. Knowing how to disable location services removes the precise data, but it doesn’t make you invisible.
Does turning off Location Services save battery?
Possibly, but just expect a modest change. Location features use GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular signals, so constant background access can add up. Screen time and other background activity often matter more, so battery alone is a weak reason to learn how to disable location services. Start by changing “Always” permissions to “While Using,” then see whether you notice a difference.
When should you reset location settings on an iPhone?
Use it when your permissions feel out of control, or you want a clean start after changing many settings. Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. Apps stop using your location until you grant permission again, so expect fresh prompts. Think of it as a backup plan for disabling location services when individual toggles don’t fix a misbehaving app.
8. Conclusion
That’s the full picture. Now that you know how to disable location services, you can revisit these menus after any big update, since names and paths get shuffled from time to time.
Bookmark this guide so it’s ready when that happens. See you in the next practical guide on AirTalk Wireless!