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iPhone hacks: How to stop apps from tracking your precise location on iPhone

Your precise location may be useful for some apps, but not for others, and some apps may track it for ads or other things. Here is how you can disable precise location on iPhone.

Published By: Om Gupta | Published: Nov 10, 2023, 09:03 PM (IST)

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Highlights

  • Precise location means that apps can access your exact location.
  • Approximate location means that apps can only see your general area.
  • Precise location allows apps to use your specific location when it is on.
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If you want to protect your privacy, you may want to limit how apps track your location on your iPhone. Many apps ask for your precise location by default when you first open them, but you may not notice that you can change this setting. Precise location means that apps can access your exact location, such as the building or house you are in. Approximate location means that apps can only see your general area, such as the city you are in. Apple says that this setting allows apps to use your specific location when it is on, and only your approximate location when it is off. news Also Read: Apple iPad Pro Launched In India With New M5 Chip, Ultra Retina XDR Display: Price, Specs

Some apps may need your precise location to work properly, such as navigation or delivery apps. However other apps may not need it and may use it for advertising or other purposes. You can choose which apps can use your precise location and which ones can’t. In this guide, we will show you how to turn off precise iPhone location tracking for apps and services that don’t need it. news Also Read: Apple Launches 14-inch MacBook Pro With M5 Chip And Up To 24-Hour Battery Life: Check Price And Availability

A step-by-step guide on how to stop apps from tracking your precise location on iPhone news Also Read: iPhone 13 vs iPhone 14 vs iPhone 15: Best Deal To Grab This Diwali Under Rs 50000

Step 1: Open the Settings app on your iPhone

Step 2: Tap Privacy & Security

Step 3: Tap Location Services

Step 4: Choose an app from the list that you want to change

Step 5: Tap the toggle next to Precise Location to turn it off

You can also turn off precise location tracking when an app asks for your location for the first time. The main choices when the location tracking dialogue appears after opening an app for the first time are “Allow Once, “Allow While Using App,” and “Don’t Allow.” Just tap the Precise: On button in the top left corner of the dialogue box and change it to Precise: Off.

When you turn off precise location tracking, apps can still see your approximate location. If you want to stop an app from tracking your location at all, choose Never at the top of the app’s location settings. If you want to disable location tracking for all apps, turn off the main Location Services switch at the top of the Location Services settings.