Location services are useful for apps like Google Maps, which can’t otherwise function. However, nobody wants to be tracked all the time. If you’re worried about apps knowing your location even when running in the background, you can turn location services off for all or specific apps. The steps in this guide were taken on iOS 15.4.
Turn All Location Services On or Off
- Go to Settings.
Tap Settings. - Scroll down and tap Privacy.
Tap Privacy. - Tap Location Services.
Tap Location Services. - Tap the Location Services toggle to turn it off.
Toggle Location Services off. - Tap Turn Off. This will completely disable the location services feature, and apps that use your location will not function properly.
Tap Turn Off. Note: Turn the toggle on to re-enable location features.
Turn Location Services On or Off for Specific Apps
Instead of completely turning off location services, you can adjust the settings of specific apps to give you more control over your privacy.
- First, make sure Location Services is turned on in Settings. Follow the previous steps if you are not sure how.
Toggle Location Services on. - Look for the app whose permission you want to change and tap on it.
Tap on the app whose location access you want to change. - Choose one of the three options listed on the screen.
Select one of the three options. - Additionally, some apps like Google Maps have the option to always track your location, even when running in the background. For these apps, you should check Always if you want their location services on all the time.
Tap Google Maps. Tap Always. - You can also toggle off “Precise Location” if you want apps only to have access to your approximate location.
Tap Precise Location.
