One of the most relevant features that arose with the birth of smartphones was GPS location. This allows Google and other applications know your geographical position to provide you with a much more precise service that adjusts to your needs according to the area in which you are. Tools like Maps use it and offer you event alerts in your area, so you can better plan your day.
While this feature is extremely useful, many people don’t like the idea of having it on all the time as this means that the mobile will be constantly connected to the internetor what is the same, consuming (wasting) your data plan as if you were a millionaire. That is why many choose to deactivate it and not use it unless it is completely necessary (your partner asks for your location on WhatsApp).
In this article we are going to teach you how to activate and deactivate the GPS location of your Android or iOS mobile and delete the location history. In addition, you will learn more features of this function and what happens when it is working and what stops happening when you turn it off, so that you can evaluate for yourself how necessary it is for you.
Steps to activate and deactivate the GPS location of your Android phone and prevent Google from storing our location
Activating GPS location is quite simple. On Android it is a particularly easy process to carry out that will not take more than a couple of touches. In fact, you have two ways to accomplish this task.
Below we show you each of the steps you must take to do this.
Disable by quick settings
The first option you have is to use the “Quick settings” of the mobile. To access them you simply have to touch the status bar at the top of your smartphone screen and slide your finger down, which will display a small curtain. In it, you will see a series of functions that you can easily activate or deactivate.
To turn location on or off You simply have to tap on the corresponding icon, which is identified with an inverted drop as you can see in the image.
From the mobile location settings
The second way you have to activate or deactivate this option on your mobile is by browsing the “Settings” of your mobile. What you have to do is enter this phone application and touch on “Location settings” found in the section “Permissions”. Once there you will see a switch in the option “Access to my location”which you must turn on or off depending on whether you want to activate or deactivate your location.
Manage location history
Among the many, location history is one of the main ones, although for many users it is completely unnecessary. This is hosted on linked to your device and allows you to carry a continuous recording of where you are to offer you special features based on your geographic locationlike custom maps in Maps, real-time traffic notifications, and more.
The problem with it is that it also consumes data constantly, so you probably want Google to stop doing it for good.
To manage this Android feature you must do the following:
- Enter the mobile settings and follow the route “Google” > “Google Account” which will open your account settings interface.
- Once there follow the route “Data and personalization” > “Account activity controls” > “Location history”which will show you the option to enable or disable this feature for all or a specific device.
After this, your Android will no longer continue to store your location history and will stop consuming that data that bothers you so much. When this feature is turned on, Google uses the information to customize many of its reports, such as weather notifications, traffic notifications, and more.
this one too It is a protection measure because if your mobile is stolen, you can track it from the web version, turn it off, and even delete the information inside it to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. When this tool is disabled, you already you will no longer be able to receive personalized notifications and basically you lose all the benefits that Google has for you for that extra data consumption.
Delete location history
Another thing you can do is delete location history google stores in the cloud to offer you all those extra features that we already mentioned.
To do this you simply have to do the following:
- Enter the “Settings” of your mobile and follow the route “Accounts” > “Google account” > “Data and personalization”.
- Once here you must touch on “Your Account Activity Controls” > “Location History” > “Manage Timeline”. This will open the Google Maps app.
- When you’re in Maps, touch “Settings” and then touch the option “Delete all location history” or if you want to remove only a part of it tap “Delete a period of location history” and determine the dates from which you want to do the cleaning.
After this, the location history will be completely deleted and when you activate the function it will start to be done from scratch, as if you were just using the mobile.
How to enable or disable the geolocation of your iPhone or iPad device and delete the browsing history?
Despite being direct competitions, Android and iOS are more alike than you think, so on Apple devices, turning location on or off is as easy as doing it on a Google-powered smartphone. On this occasion you also have two ways to perform the task.
Here we show you how to do it both ways:
For quick settings
The first way you have to activate or deactivate the location of your Apple device is with the quick settings menu. For that you have to do touch at the bottom of the screen and drag it up, and touch the icon corresponding to the location to turn it on or off.
By advanced settings
To do this same task through the normal mobile settings you simply have to do the following:
- You just have to follow the path “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Location”.
- Once there you will see a switch to turn the location on or off, just touch on it to move it at will.
Delete iOS Location History
iOS also has a tool for meticulously keeping track of all the locations you’ve been to in the past. If you want to remove it completely, you simply have to follow the steps that we explain below:
- Go into “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Location”.
- Once there, go down until you find the option “System Services”, and inside it touch on “Recent Locations”.
- This will show you all the locations you have been to since you got your iOS. To remove them simply touch on “Delete history” and confirm the decision in the dialog box that will appear.
If you no longer want Apple to record the locations you visit, simply turn off the toggle switch “Recent Locations” so that you no longer have permission to do so.
What happens when the location of my mobile is activated or deactivated?
Every action brings with it a reaction, and this is something that is seen in all things in life and also in the tools that we turn off or on on our mobile. Location is a tool that is considered essential in today’s smartphone universe.so before turning it off or on you should know the consequences that this could bring to you.
When location is on
When you have the GPS of your mobile turned on applications that need this information will be able to access it to offer you functions or services based on it. This also occurs with various services of Google Y Manzana, who need this data to personalize the reports they offer you.
Secondly, you can share this information with other users so that they can arrive in a more precise way where you are, without forgetting the possibility of being able to track your mobile in case you lose it or suffer a theft.
Even the ads you see will be affected., since advertisers pay for their advertisements to be viewed by users in a certain region. So that if you have the location turned on you will be able to see exclusive ads for your location.
If location is off
If you turn off the location of your mobile the applications they will not be able to access this data, so it is more than likely that many of its functions will be limitedwhich occurs both with third-party apps and with those of Google and Apple respectively.
Also, You will not be able to share your location with other users and the ads you see will be based on your IP address.. In addition, if you lose your device you will not be able to track it and even if you have the location history active, the places you go with the GPS turned off cannot be recorded.
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