How To Keep A Location Frozen In Android Phone For Location Services

Location tracking can be very handy — information technology's user-friendly when an app can tell y'all, say, where the nearby restaurants or gas stations are — but it'due south as well a privacy issue. Do you want all your wanderings registered by Google? Are you comfy knowing that Mark Zuckerberg'south minions know where you are at all times? (Well, not that Mark Zuckerberg has minions, but you know what I mean.)

In this article, we'll take a wait at how to stop location tracking on your Android phone (and your Google account) and how to delete your location history from your Bone and from some of the more popular apps. Every bit always, note that versions of Android can differ, and many manufacturers employ overlays equally well, which can change the locations of diverse commands — only they should be similar enough for you to be able to detect your way. For these instructions, I've used a Pixel 6 telephone running Android 12, but I've included some directions for those with earlier versions of Android.

Cease Google from tracking you lot, menses.

You lot probably know that Google can track your location and movements through its Google Maps app. But y'all may not realize that your Android phone is also tracking your movements and activities through several other built-in apps.

If you really don't want your phone to be tracking any of your movements and activities, in that location is a way to turn tracking off for all (well, most) of them. You simply need to be enlightened that yous're probably going to render many of your apps (such every bit ride-share apps, conditions apps, and, of class, mapping apps) less usable — or in some cases, completely unusable.

Stop Google tracking using a browser

First, we're going to stop Google from saving your information.

Go to https://myactivity.google.com/.
Under "My Google Activity" you'll run across the buttons for three types of activity: Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History. You tin can visit each individually by selecting the appropriate push button.

*Under "My Google Activity" yous'll see the buttons for three types of activity: Spider web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History.*

A more efficient way, though, may exist to go to Activity Controls, constitute in the left-manus menu. This folio volition show you all three controls on the aforementioned folio; in addition, yous can command ad personalization.

Google's activity controls lets you turn off tracking. — *Google'due south activity controls let yous turn off tracking.*

"Spider web & App Activity" covers anything yous've washed on Google apps and services. You can plow tracking off completely, or choose to keep it on only end information technology from saving your history or activeness when y'all use your Chrome browser. You can also turn off "Include audio recordings," which determines if all your audio interactions with Google and / or Google Assistant are saved.
The other relevant category is, of grade, "Location History," which saves information about where you lot've gone with your device. Also, expect for "Devices on this business relationship" and click the downward icon to the right; you'll get a list of all the devices that you have that are currently following your location — since that may include old phones that you are no longer using, this is a skilful affair to check.
We might equally well mention that you lot can too disable your "YouTube History," which includes both your search and scout history, and "Advertizement personalization," which uses your history to choose which ads you lot'll see.

Okay — you've now prevented any more data from existence gathered. But you lot may desire to delete all or some of the information that's already been collected.

Go back to the My Activity folio and click on "Delete activity past" in the left-hand card.
You'll get a pop-up window that lets you lot delete your activeness based on fourth dimension period: the last hour, last day, "All time" (in other words, all dates), or "Custom range" for a specific date range.

A pop-up window that lets you delete your activity based on time period. — *A pop-upward window lets yous delete your activity based on time period.*

If you choose "Custom range," you'll be able to choose a date range. If you lot choose "All time," you can and then filter that info depending on services (such as ads, Chrome, Google Play Shop, etc.). When you're ready, click on "Next."

you can then filter that info depending on services — *You tin can filter your info depending on services.*

You'll then get a preview of some of the activities that will exist deleted. If you're okay with that, select "Delete."

The last step before you delete your activity. — *The last pace before you delete your activeness.*

Incidentally, if you want to make certain that nobody only yous tin can delete your histories, and so select the "Manage activity" link under each category in Activity Controls, and wait for "Manage My Activity verification." If yous enable that characteristic, Google will ask for a countersign whatever time you desire to look at or delete any history in your account.

And if you don't want to worry about manually deleting your stuff, you tin can enable machine-delete in each category (yous'll see the selection inside each category on the Action Controls folio). Y'all'll have the selection to automatically delete your activeness after either three, xviii, or 36 months.

You can now auto-delete your location history. — *Y'all can now machine-delete your location history.*

Stop Google tracking on an Android device

Go to Settings. In the search box on acme, blazon in "Activity controls" and tap it when it comes upwardly.
If you have more i Google business relationship, select the one you want to manage.
Hither, as with the browser version, you lot tin plough off or pause the monitoring of diverse activities, including setting auto-delete and managing a timeline of your activity.

Turn location tracking on and off from the Quick Settings tray

If yous want to be able to plow location tracking on or off every bit yous need information technology, you can practice that, too. One fashion to arrange this is to use the Quick Settings tray (which is what you run across when you swipe downward from the top of your screen). The tray holds a multifariousness of icons for the most oft-used Android features; there is a "Location" icon that lets y'all toggle the location feature on and off.

Swipe down from the summit of the screen. If you're using Android 12, you'll see a series of bubbles for things like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, flashlight, etc. If you're using Android 11 or earlier, it will exist a line of icons. Either way, that'southward your Quick Settings tray. Look for the Location icon (usually, it looks similar an upside-down drop of water).
Not there? With Android 12, swipe beyond to see more than bubbles; otherwise, swipe downwardly.
Still missing? Look for a pencil icon; on a Pixel, it will exist on the bottom of the tray, only some Android interfaces volition take it on summit. Tap on the pencil, and the card will open up further. You can now meet all the icons that are available. What you want to do is make sure the Location icon is in the hands visible function of the tray.
If your Location icon is in the bottom section, hold and drag information technology upward to the visible group.

Y'all'll now be able to chop-chop swipe downward from the top of your screen and toggle Location on and off — for example, if you want to use Google Maps for directions, you lot tin toggle Location on, and so turn information technology back off when you're finished.

Terminate location tracking on Android devices

If you don't feel the demand to block Google from recording all your activities, and only want to terminate the phone from recording your location, it's easy to practise — equally long every bit you pay attention to the details:

Swipe down from the top of the screen so that y'all see your Quick Settings carte du jour, and long-press on the Location icon — or swipe down, tap the Settings icon, and choose "Location."
You're now on the Location page. Find the "Use location" feature at the elevation and toggle information technology off.

You lot'd recall that would exist it, wouldn't you? Just yous'd be incorrect. What is meant by "Utilize location" in Android depends on which sensors are following the location of the device: besides GPS, information technology could be Wi-Fi, mobile networks, or other sensors. So before you lot get out this page, await a little farther downwardly. If you're using Android 12, await for the "Location services" button, otherwise, look for the "Advanced" button and tap on that.

Either way, you'll accept several categories that y'all tin toggle on or off. These can exist (depending on your Android version and your phone's manufacturer):

Google Emergency Location Service. This tells emergency services where yous are if there'south a problem; for example, if your machine goes off the road and the ambulance needs to find yous. You can plough this off if you want, but read the fine impress: "If ELS is off, your mobile carrier may all the same send device location during an emergency call."
Google Location Accurateness. This uses Wi-Fi and other services to aid pinpoint your location. If y'all want to plow off "Use location," you need to make sure this is turned off every bit well. Any app that requires "precise location" (which I'll explain in a bit) needs this to be turned on.
Google Location History. This leads y'all to a page where you tin pause your device'southward collection of your location history. That doesn't become rid of what'due south already been saved; there are instructions for that a little later in this article.
Google Location Sharing. If you're sharing your location with family members or friends, you lot tin can manage it here.
Wi-Fi scanning. This lets apps and services browse for local Wi-Fi networks, even if you have Wi-Fi turned off.
Bluetooth scanning. This lets apps and services search for Bluetooth devices even if Bluetooth is off. Both this and the Wi-Fi scanning are meant to amend location features.

If you tin can't see these last two, become back to the Location page and wait for a "Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning" link.

Disable location tracking for whatever specific app

You tin can observe out which apps actually apply location tracking and only disable it for those that you lot feel don't need it.

Go to the Location page (by long-pressing the Location icon in your Quick Settings tray).
Tap on "App permission" (or, if yous're using Android 12, wait for "App location permissions").
You'll find here a list of all your electric current apps that have permission to access your location either all of the time or only while in utilise. Tap on any to change the permission to either let all of the time, allow just while in use, inquire every fourth dimension, or deny. You lot can also decide whether the app volition exist immune to use "precise location" — in other words, utilise more than GPS to determine where yous are. For that, "Google Location Accurateness," too found on the Location folio.

Sometimes when yous plough off permissions in the Android Settings, the app itself volition continually try to get you to restore that permission. Information technology's irritating, but unless the app lets you say, "No, get out me lone," you lot will either take to live with information technology or become a different app.

Delete your location history

While you can plow off location tracking from your Android telephone's settings, once a service has collected your location info, getting rid of that history takes a footling work. If you want to delete your location history, the first place you need to go is Google; after that, apps that collect this information include Facebook and Twitter.

Delete your Google location history on Android

While y'all can delete location history collected for your Google timeline in the My Activity area (see higher up), you lot tin besides get rid of it easily in Google Maps.

Get to your Google Maps app.
Tap on your profile icon in the upper left corner.
Tap on "Your Timeline."
Select the three dots in the upper correct corner. Tap on "Settings and Privacy."
Scroll down to "Delete all Location History." You'll become a popular-up window that asks you to cheque a box saying that y'all understand that some of your apps may not work properly. Check the box and select "Delete."
You also have the pick of deleting your location history inside a date range or setting the app to automatically delete your location history after 3, xviii, or 36 months.

Delete your Google location history on a browser

Become to https://www.google.com/maps.
Tap on the three parallel lines in the upper left corner of the side panel. (If you don't see the panel, look for the small-scale pointer in the upper left corner and click on information technology.) Select "Your timeline."
Look for the gear icon on the lower right side of the screen. Click on it, and and so on "Delete all Location History." You tin also set the automatic deletion feature hither.

*Look for the gear in your Timeline to delete your location history.*

As with the mobile app, you'll get a pop-up window that asks you lot to check a box maxim that you empathize that some of your apps may not work properly. Cheque the box and select "Delete Location History."

You'll be asked to confirm the history deletion. — *Y'all'll be asked to confirm the history deletion.*

Delete your location history on Facebook

Facebook does keep a separate history of your locations, and if you want to delete that history, you lot can exercise information technology through the mobile app or the browser.

Using the Android app

In the Facebook app, tap the hamburger (three parallel lines) in the superlative correct corner.
Scroll down and tap on "Settings & Privacy."
Tap on "Settings."
Scroll down and tap on "Location" (which is under the "Permissions" subhead). This will have you lot to the "Location Services" page.
You lot can now cull to allow Facebook access your phone'due south location all the time, while using the app, or never.
If yous want to allow Facebook to save a history of your locations (or end information technology from doing and so), tap on "Location History" to toggle information technology on or off. It'southward here that you lot tin can also delete your existing location history.

Using a browser

In Facebook, click on the small pointer next to the Notifications icon in the upper right corner. Click on "Settings & Privacy" > "Privacy Shortcuts."
Click on "Manage your location settings."

*Select "Manage your location settings" under the "Privacy" category.*

On the "Location Settings" page, click on the "View your Location History" push.

*The "Location Settings" folio lets you view your history, delete it, and stop recording it.*

Then click on the gear in the upper left corner. As with the mobile app, you tin now either delete that specific day or delete your entire location history.

You can delete that day's history, or all your history. — *You can delete that day's history or all your history.*

On the "Location Settings" page, y'all can also turn your location history on or off for your mobile devices.

Delete your location history on Twitter

Twitter makes it relatively simple to plough off its location tracking within the Android app.

Tap on your personal icon in the upper left of the homescreen.
Tap on "Settings and privacy."
Tap on "Privacy and safety."
Scroll down until y'all run into "Location information" and tap on it. Yous can then toggle off the boxes that give Twitter permission to collect your GPS and other location information. And don't forget to tap on "Explore settings," which gives Twitter the choice to show nearby content.

You tin delete your Twitter location history as well, but just from your browser.

Go to your Twitter account, click on "More than" in the left column and on "Settings and privacy."
In the left-hand menu, click on "Privacy and safe." Scroll downwardly and select "Location data."

Uncheck "Personalize based on places you've been." Then click on "Add location information to your Tweets."

Uncheck "Add location information to your Tweets." So click on "Delete all location information." And if it asks: yes, you lot are certain.

Update Baronial 25th, 2020, two:37PM ET: This article was originally published on Apr 12th, 2019; information technology has been updated to include the update from Android 9 to Android 10, along with changes to diverse web-based applications.

Update November 30th, 2021, iii:55PM ET: Updated to reflect changes in the Android operating arrangement and in Google, Facebook, and Twitter apps.