How To Stop Location Tracking From Your Android Phone Or Tablet

Location knowledge monitoring is prevalent within the tech global to ubiquity, so studying the best way to keep watch over that — in case you want or like to — on an Android phone or tablet is necessary.

Now, the explanations that chances are you’ll wish to forestall Google from monitoring your location are easy. But they’re additionally a lot of. For example, whilst Google has made makes an attempt to stay location knowledge non-public the place conceivable, it hasn’t at all times succeeded. In some circumstances, as with the instance connected right here, that’s ended in person knowledge being outright bought.

Of route, that’s environment apart Google’s personal location knowledge accumulating. And the site knowledge accumulating that’s harvested in different places. All of which will doubtlessly be used for the entirety from the mundane and useful to extra malicious issues equivalent to identification robbery. So holding this knowledge non-public — no less than to an affordable extent — is paramount. Perhaps nowhere extra so than for your cell software and tablet. Since the ones are the devices that will likely be used, because it had been, at the move.

More importantly, this doesn’t simply practice to Google. With different best websites and apps monitoring location knowledge too, equivalent to Facebook, Twitter, and apps. Well, that’s precisely what this information is right here to turn. So should you’re taking a look to prevent extra location monitoring than simply from Google Maps for your Android phone or tablet, this how-to information can assist.

Here’s the best way to put an finish to location monitoring on Android

First and most important, it’s value noting that this how-to information applies to each tablets and smartphones, slightly than computer systems or person apps. There are solely other processes to observe to your computer, PC, or some apps that you just use.

Additionally, as with every of our how-to guides, the stairs won’t in the long run be similar. Chiefly, that’s as a result of variations in how some OEMs provide menus.  And other variations of various apps may have other processes too. But this is a excellent place to begin and the stairs must be shut sufficient for this information to be useful in spite of everything.

Turn off location monitoring through Google and in Chrome

Now, the very first thing you’ll most likely wish to do, in an effort to finish location knowledge monitoring throughout Google and its services and products out of your Android software, is to close it off at the web-side of the equation.

1. Navigate to the Settings app
2. Using the quest bar on the best of Settings, seek for “Activity Controls”
3. Select the highest end result, which reads “Activity controls”
   1. If you’re the use of a smartphone or tablet with a couple of Google account signed in, you’ll be introduced with a call. Select the account that you just’d like to control ahead of continuing to the next move
4. Scroll all the way down to “Location History”
5. In the Location History card, choose the button which reads “Turn off” to show off the function. You’ll be requested if you wish to pause, with that pause making use of to all services and products, websites, apps, and gadgets connected to the Google account
6. Select the “Pause” button on the backside of the rationale
7. If you’d love to delete your historical past, at this level you’ll be for the reason that choice. Follow the on-page hyperlink. Otherwise, faucet the “Got it” button
8. Location historical past will now be paused till grew to become again on
   1. You too can select to have your location historical past deleted mechanically after 3, 18, or 36 months — or under no circumstances — within the choice slightly below the now deactivated “Location History,” as proven in our photographs under

Turn it off for apps that you just use

Conversely, you’ll additionally flip off location monitoring for person apps that you just don’t specifically believe. Although that might not be as complete as chances are you’ll like, as we’ll speak about on this phase.

1. Begin through swiping down out of your notification coloration — some gadgets would require two swipes down to show the menus we’re on the lookout for. Locate the “Location” tile within the Quick Settings, as proven in our photographs
   1. If you’ll’t to find the Location tile within the Quick Settings, it’s possible you’ll wish to upload the tile. Or it can be on a distinct display screen, so that you must swipe left and proper to look if it’s been paged to a 2nd or 3rd Quick Settings web page
2. Long-press at the Location tile to get right of entry to the Location web page in Settings
3. Select “App permission” or whichever choice is the same — it is going to learn App location permissions.
4. The ensuing web page will display location monitoring in different classes. Those which can be “Allowed at all times,” “Allow handiest whilst in use,” “Ask each time,” and “Not allowed” would be the ultimate choice. Tap on an app you’d like to switch permissions for
5. Select from the above-listed choices.
   1. “Allowed at all times” shall we apps get right of entry to your location knowledge at any time
   2. “Allow handiest whilst in use” shall we apps get right of entry to the information handiest when the app is open or within the Recent apps checklist
   3. “Ask each time” is self-explanatory. It permits apps to get right of entry to location knowledge just for a unmarried consultation, and handiest together with your particular permission for each and every consultation
   4. “Don’t permit” doesn’t permit the app to get right of entry to the site knowledge. Which would possibly or won’t lead to apps asking steadily for get right of entry to — or just now not running correctly, relying at the app
6. Tap the again arrow on the best of the web page. Rinse and repeat steps 5 and 6 as wanted, for whichever apps you’d love to keep watch over location get right of entry to for

Turn location historical past off for all apps briefly …or completely

Now that you just’ve added Location for your Quick Tiles — if it wasn’t already, you’ll activate or off location get right of entry to for all apps at a click on.

1. Swipe down to tug down your notification coloration and disclose the Quick Tiles. You would possibly wish to pull down two times, as famous above, to turn all Quick Tiles
2. Swipe, as wanted, to seek out the “Location” Quick Setting
3. Tap the “Location” Quick Setting Tile. If Location get right of entry to is off, the tile will likely be shaded. If Location get right of entry to is grew to become on, the tile will likely be coloured to compare your Android software’s theme
4. For deeper keep watch over, you’ll additionally achieve this by way of a long-press the Location Quick Settings Tile. And then through;
   1. Scroll down the web page and choose the choice that reads “Location services and products” or “Advanced
   2. Google will show all the strategies used for monitoring or narrowing down the site, together with location accuracy settings. Each will also be adjusted, even if it’s necessary to notice precisely what each and every is. It’s additionally necessary to notice, once more, that those could also be other to your personal software, relying at the producer;
      1. Emergency Location Services – ELS is used to tell emergency services and products of your location in case of an emergency. For example, those services and products are the ones equivalent to a dispatcher to ship an ambulance, police, or identical. Even with this environment grew to become off, if the desire arises, your cell service would possibly nonetheless tell emergency services and products the place to seek out you. So this received’t forestall your service from finding you. And, concurrently, it’s a good suggestion to stay this grew to become on simply if your cell service doesn’t find you as as it should be
      2. Google Location Accuracy – Google Location Accuracy is a carrier that makes use of a couple of applied sciences to find you extra as it should be. For example, it makes use of Wi-Fi triangulation along with different onboard {hardware}. While turning this off will assist stay apps and Google from pinpointing your location, it’s going to additionally intervene with some apps. Such as those who require actual location knowledge — as an example, for mapping. You can be told concerning the variations between actual and approximate location settings in Android, past the best way to forestall monitoring, right here
      3. Google Location History – Google Location History does what it says. This choice takes you again to the above-mentioned location historical past monitoring web page connected for your Google Account. Specifically, that’s the primary information in this web page, discussing the best way to forestall location monitoring through Google and in Chrome for your Android software
      4. Google Location Sharing – Google Location Sharing is one thing of a misnomer. This doesn’t seek advice from Google monitoring you, essentially. Instead, it results in choices for managing location sharing with buddies, circle of relatives, and different contacts
      5. The ultimate two choices in most cases discovered within the Android Location services and products menu are, as incessantly as now not, discovered at the earlier web page. So, should you don’t see them right here, go back to the Location menu the use of the again button on the best left-hand aspect of the UI. Then scroll down
      6. Wi-Fi scanning –  Wi-Fi scanning permits apps and services and products to scan native Wi-Fi networks, even though your Wi-Fi radio is grew to become on in Settings or the Quick Settings Tiles
      7. Bluetooth scanning – Finally Bluetooth scanning does one thing very similar to Wi-Fi scanning. But searches for Bluetooth gadgets as an alternative. Together with Wi-Fi scanning, the remaining two choices right here are supposed to assist apps that require actual location knowledge to raised slender down precisely the place you might be. Thus, making improvements to location-based options and apps