Your location is likely out there, whether you are aware of it or not. Rather than being terrified of this reality (which is a reality for most of us), it’s a good idea to get a good understanding of which of your iPhone settings and apps are making it possible for your location to be shared. With this knowledge you can make more informed decision on whether you want those apps to gain access to your locations.
In some cases, you may find the convenience of allowing an app to know your location outweighs any negatives that can come with a loss of privacy. But you may wonder why other apps even require this information — it can feel like they are overstepping their boundaries. According to tech experts, these four iPhone apps are likely tracking your location right now.
Find My
The Find My built-in app is very useful because it lets you track the location of your iPhone and other Apple devices. If you lose your device, having this app enabled with your location is a surefire way to locate it more quickly. It can also track the location of friends and family who share their location details with you, and this can be helpful in helping them stay safe in certain situations.
You’ll have to decide whether the benefits of Find My are worth the privacy loss of your phone’s location being visible to other Apple devices.
Life360
Similar to Find My but with an emphasis on sharing locations with friends and family, Life360 allows for real-time location sharing features. This can be helpful if you are meeting up with people or want to help keep each other safe while traveling.
Navigation Apps
No matter what is your navigation app of choice — Apple Maps, Google Maps, or others — all maps require your location data to be able to track the steps you need to reach your destination of choice. You can alter your settings in Location Services so that these apps only have access to your whereabouts when you’re using them to retain a bit of privacy and battery power.
Ride-Sharing Apps
Ride-sharing apps like Lyft and Uber track your location for the purpose of linking you up to nearby drivers and providing ride tracking. If you use these apps often you may find it useful to only allow them to have your location when you’re using them. You can also turn location off until you decide to use the app.
