Apple holds privacy and security as two of its core values and it’s got some new resources on how to protect your devices, accounts, and personal safety. Let’s look at the recommended steps to check who can see your iPhone location including how to make sure no one can track you.
Apple published a new 20-page support guide called “Device and Data Access When Personal Safety is at Risk.” Whether you’ve got personal safety concerns or it’s just time for a privacy and security checkup, the steps below are useful.
Here’s what Apple advises:
- Turning Location Services off completely
If you need to turn off all possible Location Services and tracking (temporarily or permanently), head to Settings > Privacy
Tap Location Services at the top, tap Turn Off to confirm
Toggle the switch off next to Location Services at the top
Keep in mind some services won’t be able to work with Location Services turned off
Apple highlights when turning this switch off that “Location Services will be disabled for all apps, but your personalized Location Services will be temporarily restored if you use Find My iPhone to enable Lost Mode.”
- What apps can see your iPhone location?
In the same Settings section (Settings > Privacy > Location Services) look further down
Remember you’ll need the main Location Services toggle to be turned on
You’ll see a list of apps (Apple apps and third-party ones)
Tap one to manage individual Location Services
You’ll get the option to allow location access “Never,” “Ask Next Time,” “While Using the App,” or “Always”
Additionally, you can toggle off “Precise Location” if you want to give an app location permission but want it to be less detailed
And when you see the Location Services icons in the status bar of your iPhone, or in the settings we walked through above, here’s what they mean:
- Managing Location Services with Find My
In Settings > Privacy > Location Services tap Share My Location
You can now toggle off the button next to “Share My Location” which will prevent the family and friends you see below from seeing where you are
You can also manage how Find My iPhone works by tapping Find My iPhone
- Who can see your iPhone location with Find My?
Head to the Find My app
Tap a person from the list at the bottom
Swipe to the bottom of the info card
Choose Stop Sharing My Location
Alternatively, you can do the same from Settings > Privacy > Location Services > Share My Location > Family/Friends
- Who can see your iPhone location in third-party apps?
If you’re sharing your location with others in third-party apps, that won’t show up in your main iOS settings
Head back to Settings > Privacy > Location Services to look at what apps have location access
If you’re unsure if an app has access you can turn them all back to “Ask Next Time” or “Never”
Common third-party apps that will have location access to your iPhone include, Google Maps, Facebook, Instagram, other social media apps, Uber/Lyft, other travel, fitness, shopping apps (keep in mind even unsuspecting apps could have or ask for location access)
Source: 9To5Mac
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