Your smartphone records more than your calls and texts. If location services are always on, it logs where you sleep, where you work, which routes you drive, and which places you visit. If that data is breached or leaked through a malicious app, it could enable stalking, burglary, or targeted scams. This guide covers the specific iOS and Android settings that collect location data and how to turn them off without losing features you actually need.

Should location services be on or off?

Location services should be off by default and enabled only when you need them. Always-on tracking records your home address, workplace, and daily routines. If that data is exposed through a breach or malicious app, it could enable stalking, burglary, or targeted scams. Turn location on temporarily when you need navigation or a weather update, then turn it back off.

Having location services on does offer benefits: you can track a lost phone, share your location with family during travel, get local search results, and allow emergency services to find you. The risk is not the features themselves but how much data accumulates when tracking runs continuously in the background.

What location data does your iPhone collect?

Apple devices collect several types of location data, each controlled by a different setting. Understanding what each one does helps you decide which to keep and which to disable.

  • Per-app location access. Each app can be set to Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App, or Always. Apps set to Always can track your location in the background even when you are not using them.
  • Precise Location. This toggle controls whether an app gets your exact GPS coordinates or only your approximate area (roughly which neighborhood). You can turn Precise Location off for apps that do not need your exact address, such as weather or news apps.
  • Significant Locations and Routes. This system feature records places you visit frequently, such as your home and workplace, plus the routes you take between them. Apple says this data is end-to-end encrypted and cannot be read by Apple. It powers personalized features in Maps, Photos Memories, and Calendar. If you do not use those features, turning it off removes a sensitive data store.

To manage these settings, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services. Scroll to the bottom and tap System Services, then Significant Locations and Routes to see your history and turn it off if needed.

What location data does your Android phone collect?

Android offers similar controls, with one major recent change: Google Timeline now stores your location history on your device, not in Google's cloud.

  • Per-app location access. Each app can be set to Allow all the time, Allow only while using the app, Ask every time, or Don't allow. Avoid granting Always unless the app genuinely needs background tracking, such as a fitness tracker or family safety app.
  • Approximate vs. precise location. On Android 12 and later, you can grant an app approximate location instead of precise. Approximate tells the app you are within roughly a 3 square kilometer area. This is enough for weather or local news but not enough to reveal your exact address. To change this, go to Settings, Apps, select the app, tap Permissions, Location, and turn off Use precise location.
  • Google Timeline (formerly Location History). Google moved Timeline to on-device storage in 2024 and 2025. Your visits and routes are now saved locally on your phone rather than on Google's servers. You can optionally enable an encrypted cloud backup to transfer data to a new device. The default auto-delete is now 3 months instead of the previous 18 months. If you do not use Timeline features, turn it off in Google Maps under your profile picture, Your Timeline, then the three-dot menu and Settings. Note: turning off Timeline does not stop location being saved through Web and App Activity, so check that setting in your Google Account too.

Do photos contain your location?

Yes. Photos taken with location services enabled embed GPS coordinates in the image file as EXIF metadata. Anyone who receives the original photo can extract your exact location using free software. Most social media platforms strip this metadata on upload, but photos shared via email, text message, or cloud links often keep it.

To stop new photos from recording location, turn off Camera access to location: on iPhone, go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services, Camera, and set it to Never. On Android, open your camera app's settings and disable Location tags or Save location.

For more on how to remove location from photos before sharing, see our guide on the information you give away when sending a photo.

How do I share my location safely?

There are times when sharing location is useful, such as coordinating with family or letting a friend track your arrival. Follow these practices to limit exposure.

  1. Share only while using the app. When an app requests location access, choose While Using the App rather than Always. This stops background tracking when the app is closed.
  2. Use approximate location when exact coordinates are not needed. On iOS, turn off Precise Location for apps that do not require it. On Android 12 and later, grant only approximate location.
  3. Review permissions regularly. Both iOS and Android show which apps accessed your location recently. On iPhone, check Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services. On Android, check Settings, Security and Privacy, Privacy, Permission manager, Location.
  4. Turn off location sharing for photos. Before sending original photos via email or file transfer, strip the GPS metadata using your phone's share settings. On iPhone, tap Options in the share sheet and turn off Location. On Android, use a metadata removal app such as MetaClean or Exif Cleaner.

Why does location data matter for businesses?

Location data risks extend beyond personal privacy. If your team uses mobile devices for work, whether company-issued or personal, location settings can expose business travel patterns, client site visits, and sensitive operational information. A clear mobile security policy that covers location sharing, along with controls like mobile device management (MDM), helps protect both employee privacy and company data.

  • Sales teams visiting clients may inadvertently reveal customer locations if their phones are breached.
  • Executives traveling to negotiation sites could expose deal timing and counterparty details.
  • Field technicians' routes may reveal infrastructure layouts or high-value asset locations.

If your organization uses company phones, MDM tools can enforce location policies, disable Significant Locations, and restrict which apps can access location. For personal devices under BYOD policies, education and clear guidelines are the main controls.

Checklist: which location settings to turn off

Use this checklist to lock down the most common location leaks on iOS and Android.

iPhone:

  1. Go to Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services.
  2. Review each app. Set to Never or While Using the App unless Always is essential.
  3. For apps that do not need your exact address, tap the app and turn off Precise Location.
  4. Scroll to the bottom and tap System Services, Significant Locations and Routes. Review your history, then tap Clear History and turn it off if you do not use personalized Maps features.
  5. Under System Services, turn off any other location features you do not use, such as Location-Based Apple Ads or Location-Based Suggestions.

Android:

  1. Go to Settings, Apps, then tap each app, Permissions, Location. Set to Don't allow or Allow only while using the app unless Always is essential.
  2. For apps that do not need your exact address, turn off Use precise location.
  3. Go to Settings, Location, Location Services, Timeline (or open Google Maps, tap your profile picture, Your Timeline, then the three-dot menu and Settings). Turn Timeline off if you do not use it. Also check Web and App Activity in your Google Account settings.
  4. In your camera app's settings, turn off Location tags or Save location.

For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, see our detailed guide: How to Check Which Apps Can See Your Location.

The bottom line

Location services are useful when you need them and risky when you do not. Disable always-on tracking, clear Significant Locations, use approximate location where possible, and review your permissions regularly. Those few minutes of settings work mean that if your phone is ever breached, your daily routine is not part of the haul.

Not sure how your organization handles mobile security or other risk areas? Our free cybersecurity assessment covers 22 critical security areas in under five minutes.

This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional security, legal, or compliance advice. Details about iOS and Android location settings are based on Apple and Google support documentation as of October 2026 and may change with future software updates. Organizations should consult qualified cybersecurity professionals before making operational changes based on this article.