Choose which apps use your Android phone’s location

You can let apps use your phone’s location to take actions for you or give you information. For example, apps can use your phone's location to display commute traffic or find nearby restaurants.

Important: Some of these steps work only on Android 11 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

Find which apps use your phone’s location

  1. Swipe down from the top of the screen. 
  2. Touch and hold Location . If you don't find Location :
    1. Tap Edit  or Settings . Then drag Location  into your Quick Settings.
  3. Tap App location permissions.
  4. Under ”Allowed all the time," “Allowed only while in use,” and “Not allowed,” find the apps that can use your phone's location.
  5. To change the app's permissions, tap it. Then, choose the location access for the app. Learn about app permissions.
Tip:  If these steps don’t work for you, get help from your device manufacturer.

Stop an app from using your phone’s location

You can control which apps can access and use your phone’s location and when. For example, you could let Google Maps use your phone's location to give you driving directions, but not share your location with a game or social media app.

  1. On your phone's home screen, find the app icon.
  2. Touch and hold the app icon.
  3. Tap App info .
  4. Tap Permissions and then Location.
  5. Select an option:
    • All the time: The app can use your location at any time.
    • Only while using the app: The app can use your location only when you're using that app.
    • Ask every time: Every time you open the app, it’ll ask to use your location. The app can use the setting until you close it.
    • Deny: The app cannot use your location, even when you’re using the app. 
  6. If you've allowed location access, you can also turn Use Precise Location on or off.

Tip: To stop all apps from using your phone's location, learn how to turn off location settings.

Learn how an app can use your phone’s location

Important: If an app has permission to use your phone's location, it can use your phone’s approximate location, precise location, or both.

  1. On your phone's home screen, find the app icon.
  2. Touch and hold the app icon.
  3. Tap App info .
  4. Tap Permissions and then More More and then All permissions.
  5. Under "Location," you can find the type of location the app requested. If you don't find "Location," this app hasn’t asked for your phone’s location.

Types of location apps can request:

  • Approximate location: The app can tell that your phone is in an area about 3 square kilometers.
  • Precise location: The app can tell your phone’s exact location.
  • In the foreground: The app can use your location only when the app is open on your screen or when you ask the app to do something.
  • In the background: The app can use location info at any time, even if you aren’t using it.

Why apps ask you to change location settings

  • "Change location setting?": The app needs your phone’s location turned on to work properly.
  • "Improve location accuracy?": If location is already turned on for an app, the app can ask you to turn on more settings or sensors to better find your phone's location.
  • Wi-Fi connection: An app can ask you to turn on Wi-Fi or let your phone look for Wi-Fi networks. Scanning for Wi-Fi helps find your phone's location more accurately.
  • Google Location Services: Let apps find your phone’s location more accurately. Learn how Google Location Accuracy improves your location info. Google Location Accuracy is also known as Google Location Services.

Change other location settings

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