Apple support.apple.com How to turn off location on your iPhone
Reviewed by Anthon Wansland
Head of Product & Co-Founder
Serus is a privacy company with paid tools to find and remove your personal data. This guide shows the free way to do it yourself.
Go to Settings, then Privacy & Security, then Location Services, and switch Location Services off. To limit single apps instead, tap an app in the same list and choose Never, or turn off Precise Location for it.
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- support.apple.com
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- Privacy settings
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Step by step
- 1
Open Settings
Tap Settings on your iPhone.
- 2
Tap Privacy & Security
Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
- 3
Tap Location Services
It's the first item in the list.
- 4
Switch Location Services off
When it's off, apps can't use your location from Location Services in the foreground or background. Apple warns that many iPhone features stop working.
Watch out for
- Many Apple and third-party features stop working with Location Services off, including maps and Find My.
- Apple notes that third-party apps and websites may still use other ways to work out where you are.
- Per-app settings are usually the better trade-off than switching everything off.
- Menu names can vary slightly by iOS version.
Sources checked: support.apple.com
Last verified against the official page:
Other ways to do it
- 1
Limit single apps
Under Location Services, tap an app and choose how it can use your location: Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App or Always.
- 2
Share only an approximate location
Tap an app under Location Services and turn off Precise Location so it only gets your approximate location.
- 3
Stop Significant Locations
Go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, System Services, and turn off Significant Locations & Routes.
What stays out there
Turning off location on your iPhone stops apps from reading your GPS position. It doesn't change the addresses already tied to your name. Those come from public records and the data brokers that gather them.
If you're worried about someone finding where you live, those listings matter more than app permissions. Serus finds where your details are listed and removes them. See how it works at serus.ai.
Frequently asked
Does turning off Location Services stop all tracking?
Not entirely. Apple notes that third-party apps and websites may still use other ways to determine your location.
Can I turn off location for just one app?
Yes. Tap the app under Location Services and choose Never, or another option that suits you.
What is Precise Location on iPhone?
A per-app setting. Turning it off shares only your approximate location with that app.
How do I stop my iPhone learning places I visit often?
Turn off Significant Locations & Routes under Location Services, System Services.
Sources
- Turn Location Services and GPS on or off on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch · support.apple.com
- About privacy and Location Services in iOS, iPadOS, and watchOS · support.apple.com
- Control the location information you share on iPhone · support.apple.com
Related guide How to delete yourself and your information from the internet 
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