JamieApple’s iPhones come with location tracking features that allow specific individuals to view your location, which may sometimes pose a serious risk to personal safety.
Apple has recently released a safety guide that explains how to safeguard against being tracked by a stalker, ex-partner, or anyone with harmful intent.
The article provides a quick summary of iPhone location settings. It explains how to check who can access your location and offers steps to prevent others from tracking you.
See Who Can View Your Location Using Find My
When you allow friends or family to access your location, they can track your whereabouts through the Find My app. To find out who can see your location, open the Find My app and tap the “People” tab.
People you have shared your location with and those who have shared their location with you will appear in this list. Anyone viewing your area will be marked “Can see your location.”
If you select a name from the list, you can access settings to stop sharing with that person. Simply tap “Stop Sharing My Location” to prevent them from seeing your location.
Sometimes, people who can view your location might not have the “Can see your location” label. Check each name in the list to be sure.
Open the Settings app, tap Privacy, then select Location Services. After that, choose “Share My Location” to see the family and friends who can view your location.
Tap on any name in the list to turn off location sharing.
Stop People From Seeing Your Location With Find My
There are two ways to stop others from tracking your location using the Find My app, either through the app itself or the iPhone’s Settings app. To use the Find My app:
- Open Find My.
- Go to the “Me” tab.
- Turn off “Share My Location.”
Sometimes, those who can view your location might not have the “Can see your location” tag. To stop sharing your location through the Settings app:
- Open Settings.
- Select Privacy.
- Tap Location Services.
- Choose Share My Location.
- Switch off “Share My Location.”
Keep Location Private While Using Family Sharing
When Family Sharing is enabled, your name appears in the People tab for those you share with. But if you turn off location sharing following the earlier steps, your family won’t view your location.
Even when Family Sharing is on, everyone must agree to share their location. Quickly check your Family Sharing settings to confirm location sharing is off.
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap on Family Sharing.
- Under Shared With Your Family, tap Location Sharing.
- Make sure Share My Location is toggled off. Alternatively, tap on a family member’s name to turn off location sharing for that person.
Check Which Apps Can Access Your Location
Apps may request access to your location. Social apps like Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook could attach location data to your activities.
To see which apps have access to your location:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Privacy.
- Select Location Services.
- Go down the list to view the location access for each app on your device.
- To modify location access, tap an app and choose “Never” to block it from accessing your location on iOS.
There are different location settings like “Always,” “While Using the App,” and “Ask Next Time.” However, these may not entirely stop an app from accessing your location.
“While Using the App” shares your location only when it is open and stops once you close it. “Ask Next Time” will request permission to access your area the next time you use the app. “Always” keeps location access on all the time.
Some apps may show an option for “Precise Location.” If you turn it off, the app will see a general area instead of your location.
Even with location services disabled, apps like Facebook can still estimate your location through your IP address and other methods.
This tracking happens in the background, and users cannot control it directly.
Completely Turn Off Location (Safest Choice)
Disable Location Services to prevent apps or people from tracking your location through your iPhone’s GPS and Bluetooth.
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and select “Privacy.”
- Choose “Location Services.”
- Switch off the “Location Services” toggle.
Extra Steps for Device Protection
Apple advises all users to update their software to the newest iOS version. Each update addresses security issues and fixes flaws that harmful attackers could target.
Ensure that only your devices connect to your Apple ID. Open the Settings app and tap your profile name. If you notice unfamiliar devices, tap on them and choose “Remove From Account.”
Protect your iPhone to keep your privacy secure. Set a passcode and enable Touch ID or Face ID, depending on your device.
Confirm that only your face is added to Face ID and remove any unknown fingerprints from Touch ID.
Setting a strong Apple ID password and avoiding sharing it with anyone is crucial. You can easily change the password if you’ve shared your Apple ID.
With two-factor authentication, no one can access your Apple ID without your consent. Sharing an Apple ID isn’t necessary; instead, use Family Sharing to share apps and other content.
