{"id":127489,"date":"2019-02-06T18:41:41","date_gmt":"2019-02-06T17:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=127489"},"modified":"2025-07-01T22:25:23","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:25:23","slug":"phone-location-privacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/phone-location-privacy\/","title":{"rendered":"How to manage and restrict location data on your phone"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"manage<\/p>\n

The New York Times found that at least 75 companies receive people\u2019s exact location data from hundreds of apps with location services enabled. The NYT reported that these companies<\/span><\/a> are selling that information to advertisers and investment firms.<\/p>\n

Location tracking apps include things like maps and weather, which rely on GPS signals to deliver results.<\/p>\n

So, which apps are gathering data? Unfortunately, there’s no clear answer here. The NYT article says there isn’t a definitive list detailing which apps are currently tracking our whereabouts.<\/p>\n

Some apps collect location data and sell it to third parties right away, while others hang on to data and use it later.<\/p>\n

In those cases, the makers of the app might be saving the information for targeted ads, emails, or something else.<\/p>\n

How to stop location tracking on your phone<\/b><\/h2>\n

The process of turning off tracking is likely familiar to most readers. In your phone\u2019s settings, you can opt in or out of location tracking services.<\/p>\n

In case you need a refresher, here is a brief rundown of how to do this on your phone:<\/p>\n

iPhone location settings<\/h3>\n

if you\u2019re using an iPhone, check the settings for each individual app. Many apps come with internal settings that allow you to indicate that you don\u2019t want your location used for advertising or whatever else. iPhones 8 or later give you control over which apps have access to the information stored on your device.<\/p>\n

What this means is, you’ll have to grant messaging apps permission to import your contact list or social media sites access to your camera.<\/p>\n

\"opt<\/p>\n

Apple\u2019s privacy page<\/a><\/span>, however, does explicitly state that if you allow third-party apps to use your location data, you play by their rules.<\/p>\n

Of course, the company recommends you read the terms of service that lays it all out. Not a bad idea, but who really does this?<\/p>\n

When you install a new app, there\u2019s the familiar screen that asks if you\u2019d like to allow X app to access your location while using the app. Click allow or don\u2019t allow.<\/p>\n

To turn off location services, head over to the privacy settings and press location services. There, you can choose which apps have access to location data and which you\u2019d like to disable.<\/p>\n

Android location settings<\/h3>\n

On Android, it\u2019s a little more complicated. Android phones don\u2019t allow you to limit an app\u2019s access to your data to when you\u2019re using it. Instead, apps that have permission to track can do so, whether you have the program running or not.<\/p>\n

The newest versions of Android software allow you to limit data collection to just \u201ca few times per hour\u201d but that doesn\u2019t give you any control \u2014 it just mitigates the risks of round-the-clock-tracking.<\/p>\n

Of course, you can always just disable location services. But, the downside is, it interferes with your ability to use the GPS, call an Uber, or order food.<\/p>\n

The problem is, however, there\u2019s no good way to know what happens with the data you give apps access to. The NYT reported that they don\u2019t know which 70-ish companies are buying data from your favorite weather app.<\/a><\/p>\n

The only solution, again, is combing over privacy policies. Sorry.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s Google you need to worry about?<\/h2>\n

According to an August 2018 AP investigation, Google tracks location histories even if you\u2019ve turned off the feature<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The problem, at the time of reporting, affected over 2 billion people<\/strong> using Google Maps on their devices. This number represents anyone with an iPhone or Android running the program. According to the support page, once you turn off your Location History for your Google account<\/a>, it\u2019s off for any device linked to that account.<\/p>\n

Google\u2019s location tracking deception may violate more than consumer trust. It also violates the FTC\u2019s consumer protection statutes against deceptive privacy policies<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to disable Google Location History (for real)<\/h3>\n

Browser and iOS<\/h4>\n