How to Manage Location Services on iPhone & iPad

Manage which apps can access your location to save battery and protect privacy.

Save 10-20% battery and protect your privacy by managing app location permissions.

Why This Matters

Location Services uses GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular to determine your location. This can:

• Drain battery significantly
• Allow apps to track your movements
• Use data in background
• Slow down device performance

Battery savings: 10-20% by optimizing location permissions

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Open Settings

Tap Settings on your home screen.

2. Go to Privacy & Security

Tap Privacy & Security (or just Privacy on older iOS).

3. Tap Location Services

Tap Location Services at the top.

4. Review App Permissions

Scroll through the list and tap each app to adjust its location access.

Location Permission Options

For each app, you can choose:

Never

• App cannot access location ever
• Best for privacy
• Best for battery
• Use for apps that don’t need location

Ask Next Time Or When I Share

• App asks permission each time
• Good for occasional use
• Moderate battery usage
• Recommended for most apps

While Using the App

• Only when app is open and in use
• Balanced privacy and functionality
• Moderate battery usage
• Good default choice

Always

• Even when app is closed or in background
• Highest battery drain
• Use sparingly
• Only for navigation, fitness trackers, Find My

Recommended Settings by App Type

Navigation Apps (Maps, Waze, Google Maps)

Setting: While Using the App Why: Only need location while navigating

Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Setting: Ask Next Time or Never Why: Don’t need constant location tracking

Weather Apps

Setting: While Using the App Why: Only need location to show local weather

Fitness/Health Apps (Strava, Nike Run Club)

Setting: While Using the App (or Always for automatic tracking) Why: Need location during workouts

Shopping Apps (Amazon, eBay)

Setting: Never or Ask Next Time Why: Rarely need location for shopping

Camera App

Setting: While Using the App Why: For geotagging photos (optional)

Find My

Setting: Always Why: Need to track device location when lost

Additional Location Settings

Precise Location

For each app, you can toggle Precise Location:

On:

• Exact GPS coordinates
• More accurate
• Higher battery usage

Off:

• Approximate location (city-level)
• More private
• Lower battery usage

Recommendation: Turn off for apps that don’t need exact location (weather, news).

System Services

At the bottom of Location Services, tap System Services to manage:

Disable these for battery savings:

• ✅ iPhone Analytics
• ✅ Popular Near Me
• ✅ Routing & Traffic
• ✅ Product Improvement
• ✅ Significant Locations

Keep enabled:

• ❌ Emergency Calls & SOS
• ❌ Find My iPhone
• ❌ Set Time Zone

Battery Impact

Location Services battery usage:

• GPS (Always): 15-25% battery per day
• GPS (While Using): 5-10% battery per day
• Wi-Fi/Cellular location: 2-5% battery per day
• Disabled: 0% battery usage

Privacy Considerations

What apps can see:

• Your exact location (with Precise Location on)
• Your approximate location (with Precise Location off)
• Location history (if app stores it)

What Apple sees:

• Minimal location data for system services
• Can be disabled in System Services

Best practices:

1. Only grant location to apps you trust
2. Use “While Using” instead of “Always” when possible
3. Disable Precise Location for apps that don’t need it
4. Periodically review and revoke unused permissions

How to See Which Apps Recently Used Location

Status Bar Icons:

• Purple arrow: App currently using location
• Gray arrow: App recently used location
• Hollow arrow: Geofence (region monitoring)

In Settings:

• Apps with recent location use show a purple or gray arrow

What Happens When You Disable Location?

You’ll lose:

• Location-based reminders
• Automatic time zone updates
• Geotagged photos
• Navigation features
• Location-based app features

You’ll keep:

• All other app functionality
• Battery life
• Privacy

Disable Location Services Completely

To turn off all location services:

1. Settings > Privacy > Location Services
2. Toggle off Location Services at the top
3. Confirm

Warning: This disables Find My iPhone, navigation, and all location features.

Our Recommendation

Best balance:

• Navigation apps: While Using the App
• Fitness apps: While Using the App (or Always if needed)
• Social media: Never
• Shopping apps: Never
• Weather: While Using the App (Precise off)
• Camera: While Using the App
• Find My: Always

Result: Save 10-20% battery while keeping useful features.

Works on iPhone and iPad

Location Services settings work identically on iPhone and iPad running iOS 6 or later. Newer iOS versions offer more granular controls like Precise Location.

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