Tips for Users

04/08/25

8 min

Stop Sharing Your Location! How to Turn Off GPS on iPhone

Have you ever wondered who or what is tracking your location?

Have you ever wondered who or what is tracking your location?

Yes, your iPhone may be the culprit! Did you know that tiny micro-GPS tracking chips not only determine where your belongings are, but are also responsible for tracking your location? Want to know how to turn off GPS on iPhone and regain control of your privacy? 

Let's figure out how to disable GPS on iPhone!

However, if you just want to take track by number under control, then download the phone tracker app!

GPS & your iPhone

So, what is GPS, and why are we even talking about how to turn off GPS tracking on iPhone? 

  • GPS (Global Positioning System) is, in fact, a global positioning system. It uses satellites to determine your exact location on Earth. 

  • On your iPhone, GPS is used for a variety of things, from navigating Maps to marking locations in your photos, and even for running some apps. 

Why You Should Turn off GPS

Increased privacy 

How do I turn off gps on my iPhone is a question that everyone who cares about their privacy is asking. 

  • By disabling GPS, you restrict access to your location, making your digital life more private. 

  • No more unexpected "recommendations" from apps based on your location, and no more suspicious suggestions when you pass by a particular store.

Saving Battery Life

  • GPS is one of the main consumers of the battery on your iPhone. 

  • It is energy-intensive to constantly communicate with satellites. 

  • If you don't actively use GPS, then turning off your iphone's GPS is a great way to extend your device's operating time. 

Turn GPS off iPhone is not just about disabling one function, it's about safety and battery saving.Read more about battery. 

 A phone displaying low battery, emphasizing how turning off GPS can extend battery life 

Preparation

Before disabling the iPhone's GPS, let's make sure we don't forget or lose anything. 

Current Settings

  • The first step is to look into your iPhone's geolocation settings. 

See which apps have access to your location, and what permissions they have (Always, When In Use, Never). You'd be surprised how many apps are "watching" you!

Instruction 

  1. Go to your iPhone's Settings.

  2. Scroll down and find the Privacy section.

  3. Click on Geolocation Services.

Here you will see a list of all the apps that have requested access to your location. Take a close look at this list and decide which apps really need to know where you are.

Think about

Before you click the "Turn off" button


Navigation

  • If you frequently use Maps or other navigation apps, then you will need to turn on GPS when you need navigation. 

  • Make sure you know how to turn off GPS in iPhone after use, so as not to waste battery power and share your location unnecessarily.

Photos

If you like to add geotags to your photos (so that you can remember where the picture was taken later), then you will need to temporarily turn on the GPS for the Camera app.

Weather Apps

Most weather apps need to know your location in order to show up-to-date information. Decide whether you are ready to manually specify your city or whether it is better to leave the GPS enabled only for this application.


In general, before iPhone turn off GPS, make sure that you have thought through all the consequences and are ready for them. 

And remember that you can always temporarily turn off iphone gps for all apps at once, and then turn it on only for the ones you really need. This is the best way to keep the balance between privacy and convenience!

Screenshot of the iPhone geolocation services settings, demonstrating the ability to quickly disable GPS for all applications at once 
референс -

Additional Privacy 

Disabling GPS is a great first step, but it's just the beginning! Let's turn off the intrusive ads and location of iPhone. 

Did you know that advertising networks are following you online to show you "relevant" ads? In fact, it's just an obsessive advertisement that follows you everywhere, even without WiFi.

The Way to Stop

1st step

Go to your iPhone's Settings.

2nd step

Scroll down and find the Privacy section.

3rd step

Click on Tracking.

4th step

Switch the Allow Tracking Requests slider to the "Off" position.


Now, apps won't be able to easily track your actions in other apps and on websites. Of course, this won't completely eliminate advertising, but it will make it less intrusive and targeted.

After turning off GPS on iPhone, don't forget to go through the list of apps again in the privacy settings (Settings > Privacy). Pay attention not only to geolocation services, but also to…

Other Sections:

Contacts

Which apps have access to your address book? Do they really need it?

Calendars

Who reads your calendar events? Be careful with suspicious apps!

Camera and Microphone

Which apps can turn on your camera or microphone at any time? These are very important permissions, so be especially careful.

Photos

Which apps have access to your photo gallery? Don't give access to photos to everyone!

 A girl puts up a beautiful photo from her vacation on Instagram with a geotag

You can set the permissions individually for each application. If it seems to you that some application is requesting too much information, simply revoke the appropriate permissions. 

  • Remember, how do you turn off GPS on iPhone is just one of many steps to protect your privacy.

  • iPhone GPS off? Great! Now is the time to explore other possibilities and make your iPhone fully personalized. 

  • Don't be lazy to check your settings privacy security location. With GPS off on iPhone, it's much easier.

Recommendations

It is not necessary to disable GPS completely. Start by disabling geolocation for those apps that don't require access to your location all the time. Just don't disable the Number Tracker app, otherwise your loved ones won't be able to verify your safety.

Quick Access

Add a geolocation services toggle to the Control Center to quickly enable and disable GPS. This is useful when you need to temporarily use navigation or take photos with geotags. 

To Do This

Go to Settings > Control Point > Click on the "+" icon next to "Geolocation Services" to add a radio button

Energy Saving Mode 

Tap the app Settings >Turn on Low Power Mode > Battery


This mode automatically disables some functions that consume a lot of energy, including background updates of applications and geolocation services (if they are not actively used).

System Services

The settings have a list of system functions that use your location. Disable the ones you don't need (for example, "Popular nearby" or "iPhone Analysis"). Be careful not to disable important functions such as Emergency Calls and SOS.

A man in the middle of the forest in ragged clothes makes a phone call to the rescue service

Regular Check-up

Don't forget to check your privacy settings and geolocation services periodically. Specific apps may request access to your location, and old settings may get lost after an iOS update.

VPN 

Although a VPN does not disable GPS, it encrypts your internet traffic and masks your IP address, making it difficult to track your location online. VPN can be used on IOS and iPados devices.

Not All Apps Are Equally Useful 

Be careful with apps that require too many permissions, especially if they seem suspicious. It is better to delete such applications and find a safer alternative to them.

Geotagging on Social Media

Remember about it. Before sharing photos on social media, make sure that they do not contain information about your location (geotags). Many social networks allow you to delete geotags before posting.

By following these simple tips, you can significantly increase your privacy and save battery power on your iPhone without completely abandoning the useful features that use GPS. Control your privacy!

Sources: 

  1. https://support.apple.com/en-us/102647 

  2. https://veepn.com/blog/how-to-turn-off-location-on-your-iphone/ 

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