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With so many battery tips geared toward iPhone users, you may be wondering how you can keep your Android in tip-top shape. There are a number of settings that you can turn off to both protect your data and prolong your battery power. This is the one Android setting you need to turn off right now to protect your data.
If there’s one Android setting that many experts agree is the best to turn off, it’s also one that will protect your privacy: location settings. “When you have your location tracking on, any apps listed under “Allowed All The Time” will track your location even when you aren’t actively using your apps,” says Mika Kujapelto, the CEO and founder of LaptopUnboxed. “So, apps can collect your tracking information every two seconds. It can allow them to figure out when you went to your dentist appointment, places you frequent every day, and much more that can reveal intimate details about a person.”
Kujapelto says that, although your name isn’t attached to the data they collect, it can allow people to discover your true identity when enough information is collected. “What’s scary is this private information can be sold to third-parties not associated with the app you permitted to track your location,” Kujapelto says. “With thousands of updates per day for each user and more accurate locations tracked, these companies can sell where and who you see each day for profit.”
You can turn your location tracking completely off by going into your SETTINGS > CONNECTIONS or PRIVACY > LOCATION > Toggle the OFF next to "Location" if you want to deny all apps from tracking your location.
With that said, there are times when you may not want your Location Setting turned off.
“You can also leave it turned on and modify the location restrictions for each app,” Kujapelto says. “You can enable certain apps with the following stipulations: ‘Allow all the time,’ ‘Allow only while using the app,’ or ‘Deny.’ For instance, if you want to use your Google Maps, you can customize it with ‘Allow only while using the app,’ which gives the app temporary access to your location to effectively help you get to your destination.”
All other times: turning off Location Settings is one of the easiest, fastest ways you can protect your data and conserve battery power.
