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8 ways your phone is tracking you - That you can stop now
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You understand that your phone knows where you’re located. This is how GPS works, how Find My sees your location and why you get local ads on Facebook and Google. Like other data on your phone, that location data is a hot commodity for internet marketers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to stand for this kind of data collection. These tactics are legal because the companies behind them give you a choice to opt in or out, but not everyone knows how to change the settings. We’ll show you how to stop your phone from tracking you. Ready to go dark? Let’s get started.
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1. Tweak your phone’s location settings
You can prevent iOS and Android from tracking you, but companies don’t make it easy. The feature is buried inside your device’s privacy settings and, by default, records your daily routine.
Known as “Frequent Locations,” it keeps track of where you are and how long you stay there. It even knows where you live and work based on how long you’re there and when you visit.
If you find this unsettling, you can turn the feature off. Here are the basic steps, but depending on your specific model and operating system, you may need to follow different instructions.
Turn off location settings on Apple devices
- Open Settings.
- Tap Privacy & Security.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap System Services.
- Choose Significant Locations to see the logged record of where you’ve been and toggle it off.
You can also clear your history here by clicking Clear History.
Change location settings on Android devices
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Location or Advanced if you have a work profile.
- At the top, turn Use location off.
- To delete your device’s location cache, tap Delete Location History at the bottom of the screen under Location History.
- Repeat this process for each Google Account you have on your Android device.
Insurers use drones to watch your home
Invasion of privacy? CJ Sveen says his home insurance was dropped after aerial pics were used to spy on his property. Plus, Russian troops smuggle Starlink, Android’s new “Find My Device” feature, and the crazy lengths one hacker went to avoid paying $100,000 in child support.
🕵️ AirTagged and bagged: Guy loses his AirTag-equipped suitcase at LAX, chases the signal, finds his clothes being modeled by squatters in a condemned building not far from the airport. The bag was trashed, but he still got most of his wardrobe back, just … pre-worn. Imagine sprinting after your underwear on Find My iPhone.
📍 Smart ways to use AirTags: I put them on almost everything. If something goes missing, I can find it with the Find My network. Luggage and cars are the obvious picks, but you can also drop one in your kid’s backpack or a toolbox in the shed. Bonus: A four-pack is 19% off right now.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
👟 Heel, yeah: Skechers just launched Find My Skecher, a $50 kids’ pair of sneakers with a hidden AirTag pocket in the heel. Now you can track your kid or their missing left shoe right in Apple’s Find My app. The AirTag slips under a cushy, breathable insole, totally out of sight. Such a great idea!
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Update your iPhone, too: iOS 17.5 is here and it’s a big one — 1.5GB, to be exact. What’s new? An offline mode for Apple News+ and a notification when an unknown Bluetooth device is traveling with you. And you can finally send your phone in for repairs without having to turn off Find My — nice! Hit Settings > General > Software Update, and tap Download and Install.