What if we say all our daily activities are tracked by someone? Feeling terrified, right? Well, considering the irritation we feel when being interrogated by nosy neighbors, the very thought of it is definitely alarming. It is as if our entire existence is at stake, creepily tracked and recorded by a stalker, snoopy partner or family member. While these can be stopped in a certain way, guess what, your phone knows exactly where you are located at this very moment.
This is exactly how GPS and apps function, how Find My Friends determines your location, and how local ads appear on Google and Facebook. In today’s digital economy, online advertisers prize this location data as highly as other data on your phone. This is known as target advertising.
While the information provided by the applications doesn’t always identify the user, the location tracking is often so precise that it can be used to pinpoint an individual, since it shows where the person is at night (presumably at home) and where they go throughout the day. The Times says many apps use or sell this information to help target ads and for other purposes.
So, you see, the walls have really got ears.
In recent years, Apple and Google have made it simpler to recognize the apps that have access to your information and to disable those apps’ ability to track your whereabouts. This can occasionally prevent an app from functioning properly; for instance, a mapping software has to be aware of your location in order to provide you precise directions.
Some, though, don’t necessarily need to be aware of your whereabouts at all times, such as weather apps. You can always just conduct a simple location search. Additionally, the iPhone offers settings that permit apps to utilize your location only when you are actively using them, rather than always.
Thankfully, there’s no compulsion for this kind of data collection if it doesn’t suit you. Although the companies that utilize these strategies provide you the option to opt in or out, they are legal because not everyone is aware of how to change the settings. You’ll learn how to disable your phone from tracking you in this guide. Let’s get going.
Stop it right away!
Apps can employ location tracking in a number of ways. For instance, they use location tracking for weather updates, GPS navigation, local news, or finding nearby stores or restaurants. They may also use it to allure you with amazing offers from nearby businesses or services. Plus, they might also use location tracking or to identify trends and patterns.
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Start with Google
As your Google Account is linked to a number of apps and services, it has the record of your location history. No matter where you take your phone, Location History stores your location as the name implies. By default, it is off, but it’s possible that you switched it on and then forgot about it. No issue. Here’s how you can deactivate it:
- Log in to your Google account using the Google app or myaccount.google.com.
- Choose data security, location history, and
- Click or tap Stop it, then confirm your decision.
- Make sure auto-delete is turned on while you’re here.
Another crucial step is to access the account’s device section to view a list of the devices that have logged your location. To stop any devices from being tracked, select Off.
How to stop apps from tracking your iPhone
- Click Settings.
- Choose “Privacy.”
- “Location Services” should be chosen.
- Disable Location Services to prevent any apps from utilizing your location at all.
To adjust settings for each individual app, tap the app name and select “Never” or “When Using.” Ensure that apps that don’t require your location, like the majority of games, have “Never” selected.
You should only allow other apps to track your location when you are actively using them. There is no need for an app to continuously track you. For apps like weather, you can switch the permissions from “Always” to “Never,” since you can always manually search for the weather and don’t necessarily need your phone to refresh it every now and then.
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How to stop tracking on your Android phone
The procedure for doing this may differ on a Google Pixel vs an Android phone built by Samsung or LG because Android phone manufacturers frequently have proprietary menus. But devices running the most recent version of Android ought to be very similar. Here’s how to prevent Android apps from tracking you:
- Open Settings
- Choose “Advanced” followed by the “App permissions” option.
- Choose “Location”
A list of applications with access to your location will be displayed. So, the apps that you don’t believe need to know your location should be turned off.
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Summing it up
While you can always employ these techniques to turn the location tracking off, some apps do require location information to work effectively; however it’s not known which these apps are. So, it’s on us to determine that judiciously.
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