How to block my phone from being tracked? The apps we use and the modern features of your smartphones can allow anyone to track your location and activities legally and illegally. Companies and agencies can access your information when you download their app. There are some apps that we allow tracking for valid reasons such as fitness trackers or navigation.
They will be able to access your details which we sometimes prefer not to have. Through these apps, hackers and cybercriminals may gain access to your current whereabouts, habits, and sometimes, your financial information. If you think hackers or unauthorised tracking is happening on your smartphone, you can try these ways to prevent them from tracking you.
- How to Turning off WiFi and Data Connection
- How to Disable the Location-Based Feature
- How to Use Privacy Browsers and VPN
- How to Wiping Out Records of Activities
- How to Block my Phone from Being Tracked (iPhone and Android)
- How to Switch off Allow Apps to Request to Track
- Other Ways to Stop Someone from Tracking your Location
- Conclusion
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- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Turning off WiFi and Data Connection
Since most of the apps access our details, disabling all your connections is the easiest way to prevent hackers from gaining access to your smartphone. You can do this by turning them off or switching to Airplane Mode. This process shutdowns all radio and wifi connections.
Below are the steps for turning them off:
- Switch to Airplane Mode by toggling the shortcut or quick menu.
- Tap the Airplane Mode icon to turn it on or tap the mobile data or wifi connection to turn it off.
- While you are on these options, you will not be able to have any access online.
How to Disable the Location-Based Feature
You may also prevent hackers and cyber criminals from knowing your exact location by disabling your GPS radio. This process deactivates your GPS which uses your mobile phone’s location.
Follow the instructions below on how to block the location services feature on your iPhone or iPad:
- Open your iPhone or iPad’s Settings from the main menu.
- Select Privacy.
- Choose Location Services from the menu.
- Select which app you would like to prevent from using your location services feature.
- If you choose to prevent all apps, you may move the slider on the top of the screen.
- If you choose specific apps only, you may also turn them off individually.
For Android devices, you may try these steps in turning off the location services Feature:
- Open the Settings from the main menu.
- Select Location.
- Open Google Location Settings.
- Turn off Location Reporting and Location History.
The Location Reporting feature provides the location information on the apps that you are currently using, while the Location History stores all your location data in case you need it in the future. Apps like Google Maps and Waze are solely dependent on your device’s location. If you use these apps frequently, you will not be able to use them once you turned off the Location Services feature.
How to Use Privacy Browsers and VPN
Whenever you can, always use private browsers and VPN for better security privacy since they do not log the IP data used. These are easy to use and usually run on iPhone, iPad, and Android devices smoothly. Since it does not show your IP address, companies that provide ads online base on your phone’s location. You can limit your ad tracking through the processes below:
If you are using an Android device, these steps are to be followed:
- Go to Settings.
- Select Google.
- Select Ads.
- Toggle Opt Out of Ads Personalization from the menu.
If you are using an Apple device and you do not like to turn off the location services completely, you can try this method:
- Go to Settings from the main menu.
- Select Privacy.
- Select Location Services.
- Choose System Services which is at the bottom of the list.
- Turn off Location-Based Ads.
How to Wiping Out Records of Activities
Clearing your device’s history will remove all the saved activities in the device. To do this,
Follow the step-by-step guide below:
- Sign in to your Google account.
- Open your account settings.
- Choose Manage Your Data and Personalization.
- Choose Location History.
- Pause the recording of the location history by ticking the blue button.
- A message will prompt ensuring that you are already decided in changing this setting.
- Go back to Activity and Timeline.
- Choose the Delete button found on the page.
- A message will prompt again to make sure that you are not deleting it accidentally.
- Confirm the deletion.
How to Block my Phone from Being Tracked (iPhone and Android)
We all know that Apple has security features on its iOS. These security features prevent your iPhones from unauthorized tracking and unwanted actions. Before the app access your location, you need to confirm first if you are allowing this action. However, some apps do not function properly if these app requests are denied. To automatically deny all location requests on iPhone,
Follow these steps:
- Go to Settings from your main menu.
- Choose Privacy.
- Choose Setting.
How to Switch off Allow Apps to Request to Track
Though Apple has a feature to let your family members track your device for emergency purposes, hackers and cybercriminals use this as an advantage on their side without you knowing their actions. To prevent someone from tracking you,
Use these steps:
- Look for Find My on your device.
- Choose People.
- Choose from the list who you want to stop from getting your location.
- Click Stop Sharing My Location to confirm.
Other Ways to Stop Someone from Tracking your Location
The most effective way to prevent sharing of your location is to turn off your device completely. With this option, you will not have to use data and wifi connections that are used by hackers. However, you will not be able to use your phone during this process.
Conclusion
Now that you can access maps on your smartphones, knowing your exact location is important. Some people also track their family members through the location services feature of various mobile phones. However, these can also be used by hackers and cybercriminals in accessing your details. In case you wanted to stop sharing your location, just follow the steps mentioned above.
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