Plenty of apps ask for location access when first installed, and most people tap Allow without thinking twice. Months later, a weather app, a shopping app, or a game that has nothing to do with maps may still be tracking location in the background. The good news is that both iPhone and Android let you review this app by app and switch access to Never or Don’t allow whenever you want.
This article walks through exactly where to find app location permissions on iPhone and Android, how to tell which apps genuinely need location and which ones probably do not, and how to move an app from always-on access to while using or off completely. It sticks to privacy permission settings for apps, not phone call or caller ID settings, which live in a different part of your phone.
By the end, you should be able to open your settings, scan the list of apps, and make a quick decision about each one without guessing what a menu label means.
Contents
- What to Check First Before Changing Anything
- How to Find Location Settings on iPhone
- How to Find Location Settings on Android
- Spotting Apps That Do Not Need Location Access
- Switching From Always-On to While Using or Never
- iPhone vs. Android: Key Differences
- If Location Settings Do Not Work as Expected
- Things to Watch Out For
What to Check First Before Changing Anything
Before diving into settings, it helps to think about why an app might need location in the first place. Maps, navigation, weather, ride-share, and food delivery apps have an obvious reason to know where you are. Many other apps, including games, retail apps, and social media, may request location for features that are optional, such as tagging photos or showing nearby deals, rather than something the app cannot function without.
It is worth taking a few minutes to think through your own habits. If you rarely use a feature like store locators or local search inside a given app, that is a hint the location permission may not be doing much for you. On the other hand, apps you use daily for navigation or fitness tracking outdoors likely depend on accurate, ongoing location data to work properly.
Another thing to check first is whether you want to adjust individual apps or turn off location services for the whole device. Turning off location services entirely is a broader move that can affect maps, navigation, and any app that relies on your position, so it is usually better to start with individual app permissions rather than the device-wide switch.
Finally, keep in mind that on iPhone, an app only shows up in the location settings list once it has actually requested access. So if you install a new app and do not see it right away in Location Services, that likely means it has not asked for your location yet.
💡 Key point: Start by reviewing individual app permissions rather than switching off location for the entire device, since the device-wide option can break maps and navigation features.
How to Find Location Settings on iPhone
On iPhone, all app location permissions live in one central place, which makes reviewing them fairly straightforward. The path does not typically change much between iOS versions, though Apple occasionally adjusts wording slightly.
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security, then tap Location Services.
- Scroll through the list of apps to see their current access level.
- Tap any app to see its specific permission options.
- Choose Never to fully block that app’s location access.
- If you would rather share an approximate location instead of blocking access completely, turn off Precise Location for that app.
- To turn off location access for every app and service at once, use the Location Services toggle at the top of the same screen.
Each app’s settings page shows the options that apply to it, which can include choices like Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App, or Always, depending on how the app is built. Not every app offers every option, so do not be surprised if one app’s menu looks different from another’s.
If you cannot remember the exact menu name, use the search bar at the top of the Settings app and type Location. This usually jumps straight to the relevant screen even if Apple has renamed or moved things in a newer iOS version.
How to Find Location Settings on Android
Android offers two main ways to review app location access: browsing by permission level, or checking a specific app’s settings directly. Because Android is used by many manufacturers, the exact wording and screen layout can vary by brand and version.
- Open Settings, then tap Location.
- Tap App location permissions.
- Review the apps grouped under headings such as Allowed all the time, Allowed only while in use, and Not allowed.
- Tap an app to change its access. Choose Don’t allow to block location entirely.
- If you prefer a middle ground, look for options like Allow only while using the app or Ask every time, when the app supports them.
- If the app offers it, turn off Use precise location to share only an approximate location instead.
There is also a second route that works well when you already have a specific app in mind. Touch and hold the app’s icon on your home screen, tap App info, then go to Permissions and tap Location to adjust it from there.
If your phone’s menu names do not match what is described above, look under Privacy, Permission manager, or Apps in Settings instead, since manufacturers like Samsung, Google, and others sometimes organize these menus a little differently. The search bar inside Settings is often the fastest way to find the right screen regardless of how it has been renamed.
To turn off location access for the entire device rather than app by app, go back to Settings > Location and turn off the main location toggle at the top of that screen.
Spotting Apps That Do Not Need Location Access
Once you are looking at the full list of apps and their permissions, the next step is deciding what to actually change. A simple way to approach this is to sort apps into three rough categories: apps that clearly need location, apps that might benefit from it but do not require it, and apps that have no obvious reason to know where you are.
Apps that clearly need location include navigation and maps apps, ride-share and delivery apps, weather apps that show local forecasts, and fitness apps that track outdoor routes. These are reasonable candidates for While Using the App or, in some cases, Always if the feature depends on background tracking, such as route recording that continues while your phone is locked.
Apps that might use location but do not strictly need it include social media apps, photo apps, and retail or shopping apps. These often use location for features like tagging where a photo was taken, showing nearby store inventory, or personalizing ads. If those features are not something you use, setting these apps to Never or Don’t allow is unlikely to affect anything you actually rely on.
Apps that have no obvious reason for location access include many games, utility apps like flashlights or calculators, and single-purpose tools that do not involve maps, local search, or delivery. If an app in this category is listed as Allowed all the time on Android or has Always access on iPhone, that is generally worth a second look.
💡 Key point: Apps with no clear connection to maps, delivery, or local search rarely need Always or Allowed all the time location access, so these are usually the easiest ones to switch off.
Switching From Always-On to While Using or Never
Rather than jumping straight to fully blocking an app, it can help to think of location permission as a dial rather than a simple on-off switch. Both iPhone and Android offer middle-ground settings that let an app work normally while you are actively using it, without letting it track your location in the background.
On iPhone, this middle setting is While Using the App. It allows the app to access your location only when it is open and in the foreground, which is often enough for apps like weather or local search that do not need to know where you are once you have closed them.
On Android, the equivalent setting is Allow only while using the app, found in the same menu where you would choose Don’t allow. Some apps also offer Ask every time, which prompts you for permission each time the app wants your location, giving you a chance to say no on a case-by-case basis.
A practical approach is to start by moving any app currently set to Always or Allowed all the time down to While Using the App or Allowed only while in use, unless you have a specific reason it needs background tracking, such as a fitness app recording a run. From there, for apps that clearly do not need location at all, choosing Never or Don’t allow is the more direct option. It is a good idea to revisit this list every so often, since new app updates can sometimes reset permissions or introduce new features that request access again.
iPhone vs. Android: Key Differences
While the overall idea is the same on both platforms, the menu structure, terminology, and available options differ in a few practical ways.
| Feature | iPhone | Android |
|---|---|---|
| Main settings path | Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services | Settings > Location > App location permissions |
| Full block option | Never | Don’t allow |
| Approximate location option | Turn off Precise Location | Turn off Use precise location (if offered) |
| Device-wide off switch | Location Services toggle | Location toggle in Settings |
| Alternate access route | Not applicable; one central menu | Long-press app icon > App info > Permissions > Location |
One notable difference is that Android menu names and exact steps can vary by manufacturer, Android version, and device model, since companies like Samsung, Google, and others customize their settings apps. iPhone settings tend to be more consistent across devices because Apple controls both the hardware and the operating system.
Another difference is availability of options. Not every app on either platform offers every choice. Some apps only offer a basic allow or block choice, while others provide the fuller range including While Using the App, Always, or Ask every time. This depends on how the app itself was built rather than something you can change from the settings menu.
If Location Settings Do Not Work as Expected
Occasionally, changing a location permission does not seem to have the expected effect, or an app keeps asking for access after it was denied. A few common issues and fixes can help sort this out.
- If an app stops working correctly after you deny location access, that is expected in some cases, since certain features genuinely depend on knowing your location to function.
- If you cannot find a specific app in the main permission list on Android, check Settings > Apps, tap the app, then tap Permissions to see its location setting directly.
- If an app does not show a Location permission at all under its app info, that generally means it has not requested device location, according to Google’s own guidance.
- On iPhone, if an app is missing from the Location Services list, it likely has not asked for location access yet, so it will not appear until the first time it requests it.
- If changing a setting does not seem to take effect right away, closing and reopening the app, or restarting the phone, can sometimes help the new permission register properly.
Since these settings intersect with privacy and personal data, it is a good idea to check the phone manufacturer’s or app’s official help page, or contact their support team, if a permission change behaves unexpectedly or you need details specific to your device model.
Things to Watch Out For
A few cautions are worth keeping in mind as you go through this process. First, changing an app’s location permission through your phone’s settings controls that app’s access to your device’s location through the operating system. It does not necessarily control location sharing or data that the app or its company may collect through other means, such as account settings, web activity, or third-party services tied to that app.
Second, turning off location services for the entire device is a much broader change than adjusting one app. Doing this can affect maps, navigation, weather accuracy, and any other feature that relies on knowing your location, so it is generally better to handle this app by app unless you have a specific reason to turn off location everywhere.
Third, denying location access to an app may cause it to behave differently than expected, such as showing generic results instead of local ones, or disabling a feature altogether. This is a normal trade-off, and in most cases you can switch the permission back if you find the feature was more useful than expected.
Finally, remember that permission menus and wording can shift with software updates on both iPhone and Android. If a menu name mentioned here does not match what you see, searching for Location in your settings search bar is usually the fastest way to find the current version of that screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will turning off location access delete my location history?
Adjusting app permissions in your phone’s settings changes future access going forward. It does not automatically delete any location history the app may have already collected or stored on its own servers.
Q. Can I set different location access for different apps at the same time?
Yes. Location permission is set per app on both iPhone and Android, so you can allow one app Always or Allowed all the time while setting another to Never or Don’t allow.
Q. Does denying location access stop an app from working completely?
Not always. Many apps still function without location access, though features tied specifically to your position, such as local search results or route tracking, may not work as expected.
Q. Why does an app I never opened still show up in my location settings?
On both platforms, apps can appear in the location settings list once they have requested access, even if you only opened them briefly or granted access during setup rather than active daily use.
Q. Is there a way to be asked every time an app wants my location?
Some apps support an Ask every time option on Android, which prompts for permission each time the app requests location, rather than granting standing access.
Q. Do these settings also control location sharing with family or friends through separate apps?
These settings control an app’s access to your device’s location feature. Location sharing features built into a separate app’s own account settings, such as sharing with contacts, are typically managed within that app rather than through this system-level permission.
Q. Why do Android menu names look different from what is described here?
Android menu names and paths can vary by manufacturer, Android version, and device, so checking under Privacy, Permission manager, or Apps in Settings is a reliable way to find the equivalent screen.
Quick Summary
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| iPhone location menu | Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services |
| Android location menu | Settings > Location > App location permissions |
| Full block on iPhone | Choose Never for the app |
| Full block on Android | Choose Don’t allow for the app |
| Middle-ground option | While Using the App (iPhone) or Allow only while using the app (Android) |
| Approximate location | Turn off Precise Location or Use precise location |
| Device-wide off switch | Turn off Location Services (iPhone) or Location (Android) |
A simple first step is to open your phone’s location permission list today and scan for any app set to Always or Allowed all the time that has no obvious connection to maps, delivery, or navigation. Adjusting even a few of those settings is a quick way to bring app permissions in line with how you actually use your phone.
This article is based on public information available at the time of writing. Menus and steps may change with app or device updates.