How to enable or disable location services on an iPhone or Android phone

• Disabling location services can enhance your privacy or extend battery life, but it can make your phone less convenient.
• You can turn location services on or off from the Settings app on an iPhone or Android.
• You can control location services globally, or use the Settings app to control location permission for each app.
• Visit Insider’s Tech Reference library for more stories.

Location services are among the most important permissions you can grant (or deny) on your phone. Many apps rely on location services to do their job. Your map app, for example, needs permission to use location services to know where you are and provide driving or walking directions. Other apps that rely on knowing your location for only some features may partially function if location services are not enabled. 

Whether you use an iPhone or an Android device, it’s easy to turn location services on and off globally, or enable location services for specific apps. 

How to enable location services on Android

By default, your Android phone enables the overall location service, though you need to grant permission to each app you install. If location services have been turned off for your Android phone, you can switch it back on with a few taps. Start the Settings app and tap Location. If it’s off, turn on Use location by swiping the button to the right.

You should also check individual apps. If you want to make sure a specific app has enabled location services, tap App location permissions and find the app in the list. Tap the app and choose Allow only while using the app or Ask every time. In general, Allow only while using the app is the more convenient and more common choice.

How to disable location services on Android

If you want to enhance your privacy or extend your phone’s battery life, you might want to disable location services — though this will make using your phone substantially less convenient because so many apps depend on knowing where you are. If you want to disable location services globally — so no apps can know where you are — start the Settings app and tap Location. If it’s on, turn off Use location by swiping the button to the left.

Alternately, you can disable location services only for specific apps. On the Location page in Settings, tap App location permissions and find an app in the list. Tap the app and choose Don’t allow. Alternately, you can select Ask every time, which means you’ll get to decide if you want to enable location services for that app every time the app launches. This isn’t very convenient, but it’s a versatile choice. 

How to enable location services on iPhone

If location services have been disabled for your iPhone, you can turn it back on with a couple of taps. Start the Settings app, then tap Privacy. At the top of the page, tap Location Services and, if disabled, turn it on by swiping the button to the right. 

Location services may be turned off for individual apps as well. To ensure location services are on for a specific app, find it in the list on the Location Services page and tap the app when you find it. Now choose any option other than Never. Most apps will work best when set to While Using the App, though if you want the app to know where you are even when the app isn’t running, you can choose Always. 

How to disable location services on iPhone

You can disable location services globally for every app on your phone at once, or just for specific apps. This can enhance your privacy or conserve battery life. 

Start the Settings app, then tap Privacy. At the top of the page, tap Location Services and, if location services are turned on, you can disable them all at once by swiping the button to the left. Confirm you want to do this by selecting Turn Off in the pop-up window.

Alternatively, you can disable location services for individual apps. In the list of apps on the Location Services page, find an app for which you want to restrict location services. Tap the app and choose Never.