How To Stop Sharing Your Exact Location With Apps On An iPhone

Location sharing is a common feature in modern smartphones and can be a useful way to locate misplaced or stolen iPhones. It's something you may want to turn on for your own peace of mind, but sometimes an app may try to keep tabs on your location when you don't want it to — or when there's really no reason for it in the first place.

Thankfully, you do have a choice. While it is possible to turn Location Services off entirely, thus cutting your iPhone off from being tracked by any apps (including helpful ones like Find My), you can also turn location tracking on and off for individual apps at your own discretion.

Keep in mind that certain apps for things like ridesharing services, food ordering, local maps, and so on do need to check your current location to be effective, so you may not want to lock them out completely. 

Some apps may request access to Location Services when you first install them, at which point you can choose the settings you're most comfortable with, but you can change them later if you want.

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone, then scroll down and tap on the Privacy & Security option.
2. Select the Location Services option at the top of the menu screen.
3. Tap the toggle next to Location Services to turn it off for all apps (the toggle will turn gray for off and green for on).
4. If you'd prefer to only turn Location Services off for specific apps, scroll down to the app list and find the apps you want to adjust.
5. Tap the app's name on the list and choose an option from the Allow Location Access menu.
6. "Never" completely prevents Location Services from being used, and "Always" leaves the feature on at all times, even in the background.
7. Alternatively, "Ask Next Time" or "When I Share" will give you a pop-up the next time you use the app so you can decide in the moment whether to allow it. "While Using the App" limits the app so that it can only keep track of your location when the app is in the foreground.

Deciding which apps to limit or cut off depends on how often (and how) you use them. For example, while Location Services may be essential to Maps, you might not need it for Camera.