Location sharing can be a useful tool for finding friends and family or getting recommendations based on where you are. However, there are many legitimate reasons you may want to turn off location tagging and tracking without the other person knowing, including protecting your privacy, security, and peace of mind.
Fortunately, with the right settings and apps, you can secretly disable location in services like Find My Friends or stop sharing your location data with certain apps and contacts. This guide will provide detailed instructions on how to turn off location across iPhones, Androids, and common location sharing apps while preserving relationships and without raising suspicions.
Understanding Location Sharing and Why You May Want to Turn it Off
Before diving into how to turn off location sharing, it’s important to understand what location sharing is along with reasons you may want to disable it without the other person finding out.
What Does Location Sharing Mean?
Location sharing allows you to share your real-time or recent location data with someone else. This is commonly used to share locations with friends and family for safety reasons or logistical meetups.
Apps like Find My Friends or Life360 let you opt-in to constantly broadcast your location to specific people. Other apps like Snapchat allow temporary location sharing. iPhones also have built-in location sharing options through Find My app and iMessage.
Why Would You Want to Secretly Turn Off Location?
There are a few common reasons you may want to stop sharing location while maintaining trust in relationships:
- Privacy: Constant location tracking can feel like a violation of privacy. You may not want certain people knowing your every move.
- Security: Location data falling into the wrong hands poses safety risks like stalking, burglary, etc.
- Control: You may wish to selectively share your location only at certain times rather than constantly.
- Autonomy: Feeling like you need to check in on your location all the time can cause anxiety or feelings of lost independence.
- Low Battery Life: Constant location monitoring in the background drains phone battery.
- Data Usage: Location tracking uses more cellular data which could raise bills.
Why Do it Secretly?
You may wish to turn off location tracking secretly because directly expressing your desires may:
- Hurt the feelings of loved ones who feel you no longer trust them enough to share your location.
- Raise relationship conflicts if the other person tries coercing you to keep it on.
- Prompt interrogations about your activities, intentions or attempts to override your settings.
Fortunately, there are discreet ways to stop sharing your location on apps and platforms so you can take control of your privacy and security without relationship repercussions.
How to Turning Off Location on iPhones
iPhones have robust built-in settings and options for limiting location tracking. Here’s how to disable location services on iPhones without raising suspicions:
Disable Location Services System-Wide
The first step is turning off location services entirely for all apps and systems:
- Open Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
- At the top, choose “Never” so no apps have access location data.
With location services off system-wide, no person or app will receive your location in real-time. However, they may see the “last seen” location.
To prevent disclosure of past location, turn Location History off:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services
- Toggle Location History to the “off” position.
Now no app should gain access to any precise GPS coordinates or WiFi network data to pinpoint your location.
However, Find My and Find My Friends still may show proximity information. To solve that:
Disable Sharing Location With Contacts
Find My Friends allows constant broadcasting of real-time locations with your contacts. Here is how to disable that without them knowing:
- Open the Find My Friends app.
- Select your profile icon > Location Sharing.
- Either toggle location sharing off for specific people or select “Stop Location Sharing” to disable sharing universally.
The steps are similar in Find My app:
- Open Find My.
- Choose “Me” tab at the bottom
- Tap “Stop Sharing Location” to universally stop broadcasting.
Now your location will show as “unknown” in Find My Friends and Find My.
Limit Location Access in iMessage
You can granularly customize which contacts get access location through iMessage:
- Go to Settings > Messages > Share Name and Photo
- Uncheck contacts you don’t want seeing your location in messages.
Now they won’t be able to access location in conversations.
Review Location Access on Per-App Basis
As a final resort, comb through privacy settings for every individual app like Snapchat, Instagram or Maps and tailor location access. Disable location for apps not needing it.
These iPhone tweaks stop location sharing system-wide or on per app/person level. Apple doesn’t notify people whose location access got revoked so you can secretly disable it!
How to Stopping Location on Androids and Google
Android users have similar settings for limiting location sharing:
Turn Off Location History
Like iPhone, start by disabling absolute location tracking with Location History:
- Open Settings > Location
- Tap Location History and toggle to the off position
However, Google maps timeline may still show where you’ve been. To solve:
- Open Maps Timeline settings
- Choose “Disable” to prevent tracking and delete past history
Pause Location Collection
Further adjust location tracking via:
- Settings > Google > Manage your Google Account > Data & Personalization
- Tap Location History > Pause Location Collection
This prevents constant broadcasting of live location data.
Review App Permissions
Like iPhone, check privacy settings for every app like Maps, Uber, etc. to tailor precise location access on an app-by-app basis.
Disable Location Sharing in Google Pay
An extra step for Android users is to check if location got enabled in Google Pay which lets contacts see places you made payments.
- Open the Google Pay app
- Tap profile icon > Settings > General
- Toggle “Share your general location” off
These Android tweaks stop real-time location collection across the board. Without location history, contacts shouldn’t receive updates on your GPS coordinates.
How to Stop Sharing Location on Find My Friends, Life360 and Other Location Apps
Third-party apps like Find My Friends, Life360, Glympse and more also enable location tracking with contacts. Here’s how to disable that without detection:
Revoking Access on Find My Friends
Apple’s Find My Friends app lets contacts view your location and receive notifications when you arrive/leave places. To revoke that access:
- Open Find My Friends app
- Tap profile icon > Location Sharing
- Select either individual contacts to toggle sharing off or choose “Stop Sharing My Location” to disable globally
They shouldn’t receive notifications about disabling location sharing so you can stealthily stop broadcasts.
Disable Sharing on Life360
Life360 is a popular family tracking app. Turn location off by:
- Opening the app > Choose profile icon
- Tap Location Sharing
- Toggle to “Only Share When Asked” or “Do Not Share”
Now they shouldn’t see your location without permission.
Turn Off Snapchat Location Sharing
Snapchat shows contacts your location if Location Services enabled. Stop this by:
- Opening Settings in Snapchat
- Scrolling to “See My Location” and select “Ghost Mode”
Now you have full control over when to temporarily share locations versus constant broadcasting.
Stop Broadcasting in Glympse
The Glympse app generates a live map showing your real-time location. Halt this by:
- Tapping main menu > Settings
- Under “Sharing Defaults”, choose “Disable Automatic Glympsing”
This prevents constant broadcasting to contacts.
Similar settings exist in other maps/chat apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp, etc. Review permissions, sharing defaults and location settings in all apps.
Most importantly, don’t worry if your disabling of location sharing seems stealthy. Apps don’t notify others that you revoked location access or turned off sharing. No relationship conflicts or interrogations required!
How to Stop Sharing Location Without Them Knowing
Here are a few discreet ways to stop sharing your location with someone without them knowing:
On iPhone:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and turn off location access for all apps. This will prevent your real-time location from being shared.
- In the Find My or Find My Friends apps, go to your profile, select Location Sharing, and turn sharing off for specific contacts or stop sharing altogether. They will not be notified.
- Review location access for individual apps like Snapchat, Instagram, etc and restrict access. Apps don’t notify contacts when you revoke access.
On Android:
- Turn off Location History in your Google account privacy settings. This prevents constant location collection.
- In apps like Maps, Uber, etc, go to app permissions and disable location access specifically for that app.
- In Google Pay, toggle off “Share your general location” in app settings.
For other location sharing apps:
- In Life360, toggle to only sharing your location when asked or turn off completely.
- In Snapchat, go to Settings > See My Location and enable Ghost Mode.
- In Glympse, disable Automatic Glympsing which constantly shares your live location.
- Check settings of any maps, chat or family tracking apps for one-tap ways to stop broadcasting your location.
The key is that no app or platform notifies your contacts when you revoke location access, so you can discreetly opt-out of sharing at any time without them knowing.
Alternatives for Preserving Relationships
If you are concerned about potential relationship fallout from covertly cutting off location access, there alternatives to ease tensions:
Gradually Wean Off Location Sharing
Ease into boundaries by slowly increasing the interval that apps refresh your location data before disabling completely.
Gradually progressing from constant real-time tracking to checking in a few times a day to once a day lowers risk of rousing suspicions when going completely dark. Apps like Life360 support customizing location frequency.
Institute Scheduled Check-Ins
Agree to check in on a fixed schedule even if not sharing constant live data.
Compromise by offering to share locations at certain times rather than 24/7 monitoring. This grants autonomy while providing connecting points.
Agree to regular check-ins to put loved ones at ease if the constant surveillance of location sharing caused tensions.
Explain Security/Privacy Needs
Directly but gently explain you need to prioritize privacy, security, autonomy or device performance.
Reassure them it’s not meant to damage trust while framing it as an obligation to protect yourself. Most reasonable people will understand the rationale once explained respectfully.
By combining secure location disabling settings with alternatives like scheduled check-ins, you can strike a balance between autonomy, privacy and maintaining strong relationships with location sharing contacts.
Why Go Dark? Motives for Location Anonymity
Before diving into the how, let’s explore the why. While some may scoff at the idea of needing to cloak their movements, valid reasons abound:
- Privacy Protection: You might value your personal space and wish to keep your whereabouts private, especially from specific individuals or intrusive apps.
- Safety Concerns: In situations where safety is paramount, like escaping a dangerous environment or avoiding unwanted attention, location anonymity can be a crucial tool.
- Digital Detox: Craving a break from the constant connectivity and digital surveillance? Disabling location tracking can be a refreshing way to reclaim your autonomy.
- Creative Control: Artists, writers, and others who value the power of ambiguity might choose to keep their location fluid for creative purposes.
Whatever your motivation, rest assured that you’re not alone in your desire for location autonomy. Now, let’s get down to business!
Can Your iPhone Be Tracked If Location Services Is off?
Yes, it is still possible for your iPhone to be tracked even if you have turned off Location Services. Here are some ways tracking can still occur and tips to better protect your privacy:
- Your cellular carrier can still determine your approximate location based on which cell tower your phone is connected to at a given time. To prevent this, you would need to put your phone into airplane mode.
- If you disable Location Services but keep WiFi on, services and apps may still be able to deduce your location based on nearby WiFi networks and databases that log the geographic coordinates of routers. Turning WiFi off prevents this.
- Certain iPhone system services like Find My may still use other sensors like gyroscopes, barometers and accelerometers to estimate your location if expressly enabled in settings. Carefully review all permissions.
- If any apps cached your location data prior to turning the services off, they may passively hold your last known locations privately on their servers though won’t actively track any new data.
So in summary – toggling off Location Services prevents active, real-time tracking of your movements via GPS. But to fully eliminate collection of any approximate location data by cellular towers, WiFi signals or sensors, you would additionally need to enable Airplane Mode. Be vigilant in reviewing app permissions as well. With the right safeguards, it is possible to disable location tracking on iPhones.
How to Turning Off Share My Location with One Person?
Here are the steps to turn off sharing your location with just one person while keeping it on for others:
On an iPhone:
- Open the Find My or Find My Friends app
- Tap on your profile icon in the top left
- Select Location Sharing
- You will see a list of all your contacts who you currently share your location with
- Find the person you wish to stop sharing with and toggle the switch next to their name to the off position
That’s all there is to it! This will revoke location sharing access for that one person without notifying them or changing any settings for other contacts.
Similarly in apps like Life360:
- Tap your profile picture
- Choose Location Sharing
- Tap the arrow next to the person’s name
- Select Remove Member
The key across apps is finding the person in your location sharing contacts list and discretely toggling them off while leaving all others on. It will seem like nothing has changed on their end.
How to Stop Location Sharing with Eveyone?
Stopping location sharing with everyone at once is easy across all major platforms. Here are simple steps:
On iPhone:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Privacy
- Select Location Services
- Turn the toggle at the top to the off position to prevent system-wide access
This instantly stops sharing with all individuals and apps. Additionally, go into Find My Friends or Find My apps and tap “Stop Sharing My Location” to disable broadcasting locations there as well.
On Android devices:
- Go to Settings
- Tap on Location
- Turn off the master toggle at the top of the screen
You can likewise go into your Google Account, Timeline settings, and toggle off location history sharing across all Google platforms and Maps.
Within apps like Life360 and Snapchat:
- Open the app and select your profile
- Navigate to privacy settings or location sharing screen
- Choose options like “Only Share When Asked” or simply disable location permissions
It’s quick and easy to universally stop sharing your live or saved locations across all people and apps at once on iPhone, Android or common tracking apps. They do not receive alerts so you can instantly opt-out privately.
How to Turn Off Share My Location in Find My?
Here are simple steps to turn off sharing your location in the Find My app on iPhone:
- Open the Find My app
- Select the “Me” tab at the bottom
- You should see a map view showing your location. Tap your profile icon in the top right corner.
- This opens your sharing preferences. Tap “Stop Sharing Location”
- Confirm stopping sharing by tapping “Stop Sharing” again on the pop-up.
That’s all there is to it! Find My will instantly stop broadcasting your real-time location data to any friends or family members you had previously configured sharing with in the app.
Importantly, Apple does not send any notifications to your contacts alerting them that you have disabled location sharing. So you can turn off Find My location privately without them being any wiser about the change. It will simply show your location as “unknown” moving forward in their apps.
How to Use Another iPhone As Your Location?
Here’s how you can use another iPhone’s location to spoof your actual location in apps:
- On the secondary iPhone, enable location sharing via the Find My app. Make sure location accuracy is set to precise location using GPS and WiFi.
- On your primary phone, install the Burner app (free on the App Store). Burner lets you create temporary phone numbers.
- Create a Burner number and link it to your actual phone number.
- On the secondary iPhone, add the Burner number to your shared contacts in the Find My app.
- Now on your primary iPhone, open the Burner app and accept the Find My friend request from the secondary device.
- In the Burner app on your primary phone, you will now see the location of the secondary device. Copy the latitude and longitude.
- Paste the latitude/longitude into any app on your primary device that relies on location data. The app will now believe your location matches the secondary device.
This allows you to show a different GPS location on your primary iPhone by linking to a secondary device that you control the location of. The Burner app acts as the middleman for spoofing locations.
How to Turn On Airplane Mode?
Here are the quick steps to turn on Airplane Mode on both iPhones and Android devices:
On an iPhone
- Open your iPhone’s Settings app
- Scroll down and tap on “Airplane Mode”
- Swipe the toggle for Airplane Mode to the ON position (it will turn green)
On an Android Phone
- Pull down the Quick Settings menu from the top of your screen
- Tap on the Airplane Mode icon (looks like an airplane silhouette)
- The icon will turn blue when Airplane Mode is enabled. Tap it again to disable.
That’s all there is to it!
Enabling Airplane Mode disables all wireless connections including WiFi, Bluetooth, Cellular networks, GPS, etc. This can maximize privacy and prevent any type of location tracking.
Keep in mind though that you will not receive calls, text messages or access the internet while in Airplane mode outside of WiFi connections. You have to disable Airplane Mode to restore functionality.
How to Turn Off Location Services in Settings?
Here are the steps to turn off Location Services in your device settings:
On an iPhone
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and select Privacy
- Tap on Location Services
- At the top, change the toggle from green (on) to gray (off). This disables location access for all apps.
On an Android
- Open your Settings app
- Tap on Location
- Toggle the master Location switch at the top to the off position
In a Specific App (both iPhone and Android):
- Open Settings
- Tap on the app you want to disable location for
- Select Permissions, Location or App Access
- Toggle location access off or change from Allow to Deny
And that’s it! Flipping those toggles to off or disabled instantly cuts off permission for any apps or services to access your location data. They won’t be able to tap into your GPS coordinates, WiFi network connections, or other sensors.
Let me know if you need any help finding these settings on your specific device!
How to Reset Your Device to Factory Settings?
Here are the steps to fully reset your iPhone or Android device to factory default settings:
Reset an iPhone
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap General
- Choose Reset
- Tap “Erase All Content and Settings”
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Tap through the warning prompts until your device restarts.
Reset an Android Phone
- Open Settings
- Navigate to System > Reset Options
- Tap Factory Data Reset
- Tap Reset Phone
- If prompted, enter your PIN, pattern or password
- Confirm that you want to erase everything – your phone will restart once finished.
Resetting to factory default accomplishes a few things:
- It wipes all data, files, apps and settings – including anything related to location tracking
- It uninstalls all apps you’ve downloaded so they lose permissions
- It reverts device settings back to brand new with tracking off
The downside is you will have to reconnect to WiFi, reconfigure settings, log back into apps and reinstall app data. But for a fresh slate on privacy, a factory reset gives you full control to limit location access going forward in your device’s lifespan.
How to Stop Sharing Location without Notifying iMessage?
Here are the steps to stop sharing your location in iMessage conversations without notifying your contacts:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone
- Scroll down and tap on Messages
- Tap on Share Name and Photo
- This will open your contacts list with toggles to control who can see your shared data in iMessages
- Locate the contact you want to stop sharing location with and toggle Location to the OFF position so the switch turns white.
That’s all there is to it! iMessage will instantly stop including your location when messaging that contact. They will NOT receive any sort of alert or indication that you’ve disabled location sharing on your end. It will simply show your location as unavailable in your messages going forward.
You can toggle location sharing off for multiple or all contacts in your Share Name and Photo settings. And again, this does NOT notify anyone or send any warnings. So you can discretely stop broadcasting your location in iMessages without raising suspicions!
Summary
Location sharing can certainly simplify coordinating meetups, helping find lost family members or getting recommendations near you. However, obligatory broadcasting that compromises privacy is not required to preserve trust and relationships.
As this guide covered, all major platforms like iPhone, Android and common location sharing apps have settings to disable location access without notifying the other person. You can quietly halt constant broadcasting of your GPS coordinates and WiFi-based tracking.
Alternatives like weaning off gradually or instituting agreed check-in times can supplement discreet location disabling as well. This way you safeguard privacy and battery life without damage to important relationships.
With the rapid spread of location-based smartphone capabilities promising both benefits and risks, it’s crucial that individuals have the knowledge and tools to find the right balance for them. Hopefully this guide empowers you to make the optimal choices around location sharing for your unique needs and relationships through transparent settings across all apps and devices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some common FAQs about how to turn off location sharing without the other person knowing:
How can I stop sharing my location on my iPhone without anyone knowing?
Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and switch location access to “Never” for all apps. Also disable Location History in Privacy settings. Then in the Find My Friends and Find My apps, stop sharing your location with individual contacts or disable completely. Apps don’t notify others when you stop sharing location.
Will someone be alerted if I turn off Location sharing on Life360?
No, Life360 does not alert other users if you disable location sharing in the app. Simply open Life360, tap your profile pic > Location Sharing > Only Share When Asked or Do Not Share. Your location will instantly stop being visible without any notifications sent.
Can I prevent Snapchat from accessing my location?
Yes, you can prevent Snapchat from accessing your location without others knowing. Just enable Ghost Mode in the app’s settings. This ensures your location is never available to contacts unless you temporarily share it one time. Disabling location access happens silently in the background.
How do I turn off Google Maps Timeline tracking?
Disable tracking and delete your Maps location history by opening Timeline settings and selecting “Disable.” This instantly opts you out of collection and storage of your past locations. Timeline stops mapping locations without alerting any contacts.
Will my contacts know if I stop sharing my location data with them?
No. All major platforms and location sharing apps including iPhone’s Find My and Find My Friends, Life360, Google Maps, Snapchat, etc. do not notify your contacts if you revoke location access or turn off sharing. You can discretely opt-out at any time without them being alerted.
Is it possible to only share my location occasionally instead of all the time?
Yes! Apps like Life360 support customizing location frequency instead of constant real-time tracking. You can set sharing to only occur several times a day or week. Checking in on occasion preserves privacy while easing relationship tensions over leaving tracking on 24/7.