The Unexpected Settings You Should Turn Off To Stop Your iPhone From Tracking Your Location

Turn Off Location Services

The first step you can take to keep your phone from accessing your location is an obvious one: turn off Location Services within your settings. Head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and toggle off Location Services at the top of the screen. Be aware though that doing this turns off location for every single app on your device. For example, when you want to use Apple Maps to find the way to a restaurant, you won’t be able to do this unless to toggle Location Services back on. This is a great temporary step for gaining back battery power and firming up your privacy, but it may not be the long-term solution you need. 

Turn Off Location Data Only For Specific Apps 

A better alternative may be to turn off location services ONLY for those apps that truly don’t require it. Does Facebook really need to know where you are at all times? Does Instagram? On the other hand, you may want to leave Location Services on for apps like the Weather and Maps — or, alternatively, you may want location to turn on only when you’re using those apps, not 100 percent of the time. 

To take more control over your location data for specific apps, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. Choose “Never,” “Ask Next Time” or “When I Share,” “While Using the App,” or “Always” for each app. This will allow you to better manage your apps, who gets access to your location, and how much battery power you allow these apps to reap from your device.