One Tech Tip: How to block your phone from tracking your location

[Olde Hornet]

MSN

Here are some tips to make sure location tracking is kept to a minimum:

App permissions​

Head to your phone's control panel to check permissions.

iPhone users can go to the Privacy & Security tab, and then to Location Services to check settings for individual apps. It's not a good idea to let apps always use your location in the background, according to cybersecurity experts. Instead, get the app to either ask first before using your location, use it only while you've got the app open, or even never let it use your location.

While you're in Location Services, you might notice little arrows that indicate which apps have used your location. Purple means recently, while grey indicates the past 24 hours.

It's a little different for Android phones because there are so many different versions by various device manufacturers. In general, go to settings, and then tap the Location icon, which lets you turn it on or off for all apps.

To tweak settings for individual apps, tap App location permissions, where you'll get choices similar to those in iOS.

iPhone privacy​

Apple has other tools to cut down on third-party tracking that might include location information. On the iPhone's Privacy & Security setting, under the Tracking tab, there's a toggle to Allow Apps to Request to Track. With this switched off, any new app requests will be automatically denied and they will also be stopped from accessing your phone's ad identifier.

 

[buckwheat1911]

MSN

Here are some tips to make sure location tracking is kept to a minimum:

App permissions​

Head to your phone's control panel to check permissions.

iPhone users can go to the Privacy & Security tab, and then to Location Services to check settings for individual apps. It's not a good idea to let apps always use your location in the background, according to cybersecurity experts. Instead, get the app to either ask first before using your location, use it only while you've got the app open, or even never let it use your location.

While you're in Location Services, you might notice little arrows that indicate which apps have used your location. Purple means recently, while grey indicates the past 24 hours.

It's a little different for Android phones because there are so many different versions by various device manufacturers. In general, go to settings, and then tap the Location icon, which lets you turn it on or off for all apps.

To tweak settings for individual apps, tap App location permissions, where you'll get choices similar to those in iOS.

iPhone privacy​

Apple has other tools to cut down on third-party tracking that might include location information. On the iPhone's Privacy & Security setting, under the Tracking tab, there's a toggle to Allow Apps to Request to Track. With this switched off, any new app requests will be automatically denied and they will also be stopped from accessing your phone's ad identifier.

Thanks!