Android smartphones can be helpful tools in a multitude of situations, and for a lot of apps and Google services, this is a result of highly precise location tracking. While locating tracking does have its benefits, privacy-conscious users should be aware of how to turn the feature off if they want nothing to do with it.
People often take their smartphones with them wherever they go, and when locating tracking is turned on, it can be used for some pretty handy things. This includes everything from showing the current weather, nearby restaurants, improved search results, and a lot more. It all goes towards making Android feel more personalized to whatever someone is doing, but as with most things, that convenience comes at the cost of diminished privacy.
That may not bother some users, but for those that aren’t too thrilled about the idea, it is possible to disable location tracking and regain some privacy. Per Google’s instructions, open the Settings app and tap the ‘Location’ shortcut. On that page, tap the toggle next to ‘Use location’ to disable it. This will block any installed apps from using the phone’s location for any reason. Doing this will mess up certain functionality for features that rely on user location, so keep that in mind when turning the toggle off. Outside of that, there are a couple of other settings users will want to disable. On that same Location page, tap ‘Location Services.’ Then tap ‘Wi-Fi scanning’ and ‘Bluetooth scanning’ and tap the toggle next to each one to disable them. By default, Android uses nearby Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices to “improve location-based features and services.” On an Android phone where these settings aren’t available? On the Location page, tap ‘Advanced,’ tap ‘Google Location Accuracy,’ and then tap the toggle next to ‘Improve Location Accuracy’ to disable it.
Why It’s A Good Idea To Turn Off Location Tracking
If disabling location tracking makes certain apps less convenient, what’s the point of turning it off? Every user feels different about privacy. Some people would gladly give up their location for better features, but that trade-off isn’t worth it for others. It’s something that each person needs to decide for themselves — meaning there isn’t any right or wrong answer.
For some context about why location tracking leaves certain people uneasy, take this example from Business Insider. The publication reported in May 2021 just how far Google goes to keep tabs on where Android users are. It was reported that Google intentionally made its location settings more difficult to find so people would be less likely to disable location tracking. The report also claims that “Google continued collecting location data even when users turned off various location-sharing settings” and that the company pushed some Android manufacturers (such as LG) to hide their settings “because users liked them.”
That sort of conduct isn’t something that everyone will be on board with. For them, it’s worth breaking some app functionality here and there if it means they’re more difficult for Google to track 24/7. None of this is to say Google’s doing anything nefarious or evil with the location data it collects — simply that the way it goes about collecting it isn’t something everyone is comfortable with.
