If we do not want to be tracked when we use the smartphone, you can completely disable geolocation on Android, iPhone and on Windows 10 PC.
Learn how to disable geolocation on your Android, iPhone, or Windows 10 device. Protect your privacy and control your location information.
Certainly, I can provide a concise guide on how to disable geolocation services for Android, iPhone, and Windows 10 in a tabular format:
| Operating System | Steps to Disable Geolocation |
|---|---|
| Android | 1. Open the Settings app. |
| 2. Tap on Location or Security & Location (varies by device). | |
| 3. Toggle off the Location switch. | |
| iPhone | 1. Open the Settings app. |
| 2. Tap on Privacy. | |
| 3. Select Location Services. | |
| 4. Toggle off the Location Services switch. | |
| Windows 10 | 1. Click on the Start Menu. |
| 2. Select Settings (gear icon). | |
| 3. Click on Privacy. | |
| 4. Select Location from the left menu. | |
| 5. Toggle off the Allow access to location on this device. |
Keep in mind that disabling geolocation services might affect the functionality of certain apps or services that rely on location data.
In a world where all the apps we install spy on us and collect data on everything we do, one of the most dangerous invasions of privacy is undoubtedly geolocation, that is the ability of every modern smartphone and PC to track ours. position in real time and also to reconstruct all the routes made throughout the day, including stops and parking!
Although geolocation is essential for the operation of some apps (for example Google Maps or Waze), no one forbids us to turn off any functionality and use the phone without any active tracking service.
In this guide we will show you all the steps to take to disable geolocation on Android, iPhone and Windows , so as to no longer be tracked when we reach a place or visit a particular point of interest.
How to disable geolocation on smartphones and PCs
Unfortunately on modern devices it is not enough to deactivate the GPS module to deactivate geolocation, since even the system services can track the device even with the GPS option turned off. In the following chapters we will show you all the additional steps required to completely disable any kind of location tracking.
How to disable geolocation on Android
If we have a smartphone or tablet with an Android operating system we will first have to disable the GPS features by opening the Settings app , finding the Geolocation or Location menu and deactivating the switch next to the item Access my location .
After disabling the GPS module on the phone, scroll down the same page to quickly access Google’s geolocation settings , which are respectively:
- Google location history
- Accuracies of geolocation
- Geolocation service for emergencies
By pressing on all the menus indicated above we will open the configuration screens of the Google services , in which it is sufficient to turn off the switches shown to disable the invasive tracking by Google (which operates independently of the GPS, thanks to Google Play Services ).
We can view the same menus for configuring Google’s geolocation by opening the Settings app , pressing the Google item , selecting the Manage your Google account item , pressing the Data and personalization tab and finally pressing the Location History item .
On the topic “Google tracking” we invite you to read our guides Checking the Google Maps history and deactivating it and How to deactivate Google position tracking .
How to turn off geolocation on iPhone
If we use an iPhone and are afraid of being tracked when we move or when we visit a new location, we can disable geolocation by opening the Settings app , pressing the Privacy menu and deactivating the switch next to Location Services .
Disabling this button will disable all iPhone geolocation features, including those integrated by Apple. From this point of view, Apple is definitely ahead of Google in respecting privacy, since it really only takes a single button to turn off any geolocation.
If we do not want to trace our phone in case of theft or loss (which is however not recommended, but which leaves the tracking system active via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), just open the Settings app , press at the top on Apple ID , select the menu Where it is , we press on Find my iPhone and disable every item on the screen.
If, on the other hand, we choose to leave the geolocation active for the navigation apps but do not want to be tracked by the Apple system services, simply open the Settings app again , go to the path Privacy -> Location services and, with the localization active, scroll to the page, we open the System Services menu and disable every item present.
To learn more about privacy on iPhone and Apple services, we recommend that you read our guide to Privacy Settings on iPhone to be activated for protection .
How to disable geolocation on Windows 10
With the arrival of Windows 10, PCs can also be geolocated to offer personalized services, to make searches on Cortana’s location work or to use tracking systems in case of theft or loss of the laptop.
If we do not want to be located when we use the computer, open the Start menu at the bottom left, open the Settings app , go to the Update and security menu and then select the Find my device menu .
If next to the item Find my device we see the option set to Enabled , press the Edit button and disable the device tracking system.
To disable any localization system on Windows 10, let’s go to the Settings -> Privacy -> Path path , press the Edit button at the top and turn off the switch on the item Access to the position on this device .
From now on, Windows will never use Wi-Fi data to track our approximate location, so we don’t worry about being spied or tracked when we use our laptop outside the home.
On desktop PCs it is practically a completely useless function since the computer will always be in the same place on the desk!
Conclusions
If we particularly care about our privacy but do not want to give up modern devices, we can safely disable any tracking system on any modern smartphone or computer and take advantage of the device without the fear of “leaving a trace” on the Internet.
Do we want to deactivate or falsify our location when we use a phone, a PC or a web browser? All we have to do is read our guides Turn off location tracking in Chrome, Firefox and on PC or fake it and How to fake GPS and location on Android to look in a different place
