New Device Setup

iPhone Location Services: Which Apps Actually Need It

Most apps that ask for your location do not need it to work. A short pass through Location Services limits who knows where you are and where you have been.

Open the List

Go to SettingsTap Privacy & Security, then Location Services.

Read the whole listEvery app that has asked for location appears here, with its current setting beside it.

Watch the arrowsA purple arrow means an app used your location recently. A gray arrow means it did in the last 24 hours. A hollow arrow means it may receive location under certain conditions.

What Each Setting Means

Never. The app cannot get your location.
Ask Next Time Or When I Share. The app has to ask again each time.
While Using the App. It gets location only while it is open on screen.
Always. It can use your location in the background. Few apps need this.

Which Apps Need What

Maps and navigation: While Using the App.
Ride and food delivery: While Using the App, only for the trips and orders you make.
Weather: While Using the App with Precise Location off, since a general area is enough.
Shopping, games, social, news: Never, unless a feature you use depends on it.
Find My and family sharing: Always is reasonable if you rely on them. Decide it on purpose.

Turn Off Precise Location

Tap an app in the list. If the app allows it, Precise Location is a toggle. With it off, the app gets an approximate area instead of your exact spot. Local weather and news work fine that way.

Stop Photos From Carrying Your Location

Photos taken with the Camera app can include where they were taken. Under Location Services, tap Camera and choose Never to stop it. When you share a single photo, you can also open Options on the share sheet and turn off Location for just that photo.

Check System Services

At the bottom of Location Services, open System Services. On recent iOS versions this includes Significant Locations, a record of places you visit often. Apple says this data is end-to-end encrypted and stays on your devices, but you can open it, clear the history, or switch it off if you do not want it kept.

Location data is also something data brokers buy and sell. For the wider picture, see data brokers and the full new iPhone privacy setup.

Common Questions

Will turning off location break my apps?

Only the features that need it. Most apps work fine with Never or While Using the App. If something breaks, turn it back on for that app.

What is the difference between While Using and Always?

While Using only allows location when the app is open on screen. Always allows it in the background too.

Does turning off Location Services stop Find My?

If you switch off Location Services entirely, Find My cannot locate your device. Turn it off per app instead.

Do photos really include my location?

They can. The Camera app can store where a photo was taken, and anyone you share the original file with may be able to read it.

Can websites in Safari see my location?

Only if you allow it. Safari asks first, and you can set that choice per site in Settings.

WANT THIS DONE FOR YOU?

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