Get a year of super-useful advice
Solve your tech issues and get expert buying advice whenever you need it, all year for only £49.
Join Which? Tech SupportBy clicking a retailer link you consent to third-party cookies that track your onward journey. This enables W? to receive an affiliate commission if you make a purchase, which supports our mission to be the UK's consumer champion.
Which phone apps are tracking your location? How to check in 30 seconds
See which apps know where you are and quickly review their location permissions on iPhone and Android in just a few taps
With over a decade of experience at Which?, Tom covers everything from tech advice to money-saving tips, and highlights the best deals during major sales events.
Most of us have a wide selection of apps installed on our phones, many of which can access our location. While that can be useful for maps and weather apps, you might find that other apps are requesting more than they need.
On the plus side, checking which apps can track your whereabouts takes less than a minute. Both iPhone and Android have built-in controls that let you review permissions and block location access. Below, we explain how to take control of your location privacy and what to look out for.
Already a Tech Support member? For more help and 1-2-1 technical advice, including buying advice, go to our Tech Support online booking tool.
Seeing an app with location access isn't necessarily a cause for concern. You might have granted permission when using a feature that needed to know where you were.
But location information is personal data. If collected regularly, it could reveal details such as your home address, workplace or places you visit as part of your daily routine.
There's little reason to share that information with apps that don't need it, so pay attention to those with access all the time. Consider restricting permissions if you're unsure why an app needs to know where you are.
Check app permissions on Android
To check which apps can access your location, open Settings and select Location. The exact steps and menu names can vary slightly depending on your phone and version of Android.
From here, you'll see Recent access, which shows apps that have recently used your location, plus App location permissions, which shows your apps grouped by their level of location access.
Once you've tapped App location permissions, pay attention to the Allowed all the time heading. Apps listed here can access your location even when you aren't actively using them.
Tap an app to see and change its level of access. You can choose a more restrictive setting or toggle off Use precise location if the app doesn't need to know exactly where you are.
Check app permissions on Samsung
If you're using a Samsung Galaxy, open Settings > Location > App permissions. You'll see your apps grouped by how much location access they have, including Allowed all the time, Allowed only while in use and Not allowed.
Tap an app to change its permission. You can restrict when it has access to your location or switch off Use precise location if an approximate location is enough.
Check app permissions on iOS (iPhone)
On an iPhone, head to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. This gives you an overview of the apps that have asked to use your location and the access you've given them.
Scroll through the list and look for any apps marked Always. As the name suggests, this setting means an app can access your location even when you're not using it, so it's worth considering whether that level of access is really necessary.
Select an app and you can change its permission. The options vary depending on the app, but can include Never, Ask Next Time Or When I Share, While Using the App and Always. Choosing While Using the App means it can access your location when the app or one of its features is visible on screen.
You can also toggle Precise location on or off. With this switched off, the app gets your approximate location rather than your exact position, which might be all it needs to work properly.
Some apps need your location to work properly
'It's always healthy to question why an app is asking for your location. The best approach is to look at context and whether tracking makes sense for what the app actually does.
'Map apps, taxi and food delivery services are obvious examples where location can be important. For other apps, you might find that limiting access to when you're using the app is enough. Apps that frequently check your location in the background can also use additional battery power.
'If you're unsure, you can always restrict an app's location access and see whether the features you use still work as expected. You can change the permission again later if you need to.'
Adam Speight, Which? smartphones expert
Other app permissions worth checking
- Camera – Video calling and social media apps have obvious reasons to access your camera, but think twice if the request doesn't make sense for what an app does.
- Microphone – Check which apps can use your microphone and remove access from any that don't need it. Calling, voice recording and video apps will need permission for certain features to work.
- Photos – Some apps let you choose between access to your entire photo library or only selected pictures. Consider limiting access if an app only needs the occasional photo.
- Contacts – Messaging and social apps might ask for your contacts to help you find people you know. If you don't use that feature, you might not need to grant access.
While reviewing permissions, look through your installed apps for anything unfamiliar. An app you don't recognise isn't necessarily suspicious, but it's worth checking what it is.
For more details on how to keep your personal information hidden from prying eyes, see our guide to 10 things every smartphone owner should do to keep their data safe.
Join Which? Tech Support
Get a year of super-useful advice
Solve your tech issues and get expert buying advice whenever you need it, all year for only £49.
Join Which? Tech SupportSmartphone image assets created using Mockuphone.
