How to disable geolocation on Android, iPhone, Windows 10

In a world where all the apps we install spy on us and collect data on everything we do, one of the most dangerous invasions of privacy is undoubtedly geolocation, that is the ability of every modern smartphone and PC to track ours. position in real time and also to reconstruct all the routes made throughout the day, including stops and parking!
Although geolocation is essential for the operation of some apps (for example Google Maps or Waze), no one forbids us to turn off any functionality and use the phone without any active tracking service.
In this guide we will show you all the steps to take for disable geolocation on Android, on iPhone and on Windows, so as to no longer be tracked when we reach a place or visit a particular point of interest.

How to disable geolocation on smartphones and PCs

Unfortunately, on modern devices it is not enough to disable the GPS module to disable geolocation, since even the system services can track the device even with the GPS option turned off. In the following chapters we will show you all the additional steps required to completely disable any kind of location tracking.

How to disable geolocation on Android

If we have a smartphone or tablet with an Android operating system, we must first of all disable the GPS functions by opening the app Settings, finding the menu Geolocation O Location and turning off the switch next to the item Access to my location.

After deactivating the GPS module on the phone, we scroll to the same page to quickly access the Google’s geolocation settings, which are respectively:

• Google location history
• Accuracies of geolocation
• Geolocation service for emergencies

Pressing on all the menus indicated above will open screens of configuration of Google services, where simply turn off the switches shown to turn off the invasive Google tracking (which operates independently of GPS, thanks to Google Play Services).

The same menus for configuring Google’s geolocation can be viewed by opening the app Settings, pressing on the voice Googleby selecting the item Manage your Google account, pressing on the Data and personalization tab and finally pressing on the item Location history.

On the subject of “Google tracking” we invite you to read our guides Check your Google Maps history and turn it off e How to disable Google position tracking.

How to turn off geolocation on iPhone

If we use an iPhone and are afraid of being tracked when we move or when we visit a new location, we can disable geolocation by opening the app Settings, pressing on the menu Privacy and turning off the switch next to the item Location services.

Disabling this button will disable all iPhone geolocation features, including those integrated by Apple. From this point of view, Apple is definitely ahead of Google in respect of privacy, since it really only takes a single button to turn off any geolocation.
If we do not want to track our phone in case of theft or loss (which is however not recommended, but which leaves the tracking system active via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), just open the app Settings, press high up ID Apple, we select the menu Where is it, we press on Find my iPhone and disable every item on the screen.

If, on the other hand, we choose to leave geolocation active for navigation apps but do not want to be tracked by Apple system services, simply open the app again. Settings, take the path Privacy -> Location Services and, with the localization active, we scroll the page, open the menu System services and we deactivate every voice present.

To learn more about privacy on iPhone and Apple services, we recommend that you read our guide Privacy settings on iPhone to be activated for protection.

How to disable geolocation on Windows 10

With the arrival of Windows 10, PCs can also be geolocated to offer personalized services, to run searches on Cortana’s location or to use tracking systems in case of theft or loss of the laptop.
If we do not want to be located when we use the computer we open the Start menu at the bottom left, we open the app Settings, let’s get into the menu Update and security then we select the menu Find my device.

If next to the item Find my device we see the option set to Qualified, we press the button Edit and disable the device tracking system.
To disable any localization system on Windows 10 let’s take the path Settings -> Privacy -> Path, press the Edit button at the top and turn off the switch on the item Location access on this device.

From now on, Windows will never use Wi-Fi data to track our approximate location, so we don’t fear being spied or tracked when we use our laptop outside the home.
On desktop PCs it is practically a completely useless function since the computer will always be in the same place on the desk!

Conclusions

If we particularly care about our privacy but do not want to give up modern devices, we can safely disable any tracking system on any modern smartphone or computer and take advantage of the device without the fear of “leaving a trace” on the Internet.

Do we want to deactivate or falsify our location when we use a phone, a PC or a web browser? All we have to do is read our guides Disable location tracking in Chrome, Firefox and on PC or fake it e How To Fake GPS And Location On Android To Look In A Different Place.