Akp is responsible for geolocation in Android. Mission: Impossible: geolocation on Android without draining the battery

Every time you install an application, you will be presented with a list of permissions that the application requires. Often, users don't even read this list, however, the app you installed may request access to your contacts, messages, and even location, among other things.

It makes perfect sense that you would prefer not to share your location information. It makes sense for some applications to have access to this information—navigation programs, for example—but there are many other applications that should probably be deprived of this ability.

You can approach this problem in two ways: either by using the built-in Android settings, or a separate application that manages permissions.

For Android 6.0 and above

For all applications

You will find the item Location Settings on home page section Settings in your smartphone. Just use the switch at the very top of the section to turn it on or off. Be aware that this option will prevent all apps from tracking your location, even those for which you would like to use GPS, such as Google Maps. If this is not an option for you, check out the next option.

Your Android 6.0 phone's settings menu will look similar

You can also change how your location is shared in three different combinations (for more customization):

High accuracy (function includes GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile networks)

Battery saver (uses Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and mobile networks, but not GPS)

Device only (use GPS only)

Make sure High Accuracy mode is turned on for a more accurate GPS signal

For individual applications

Head to the section Settings > General > Application Settings > Permissions.

There you will find a list of permissions to access your phone's functions - microphone, camera and your contacts list. Here you'll see which app has access to which feature (including Location).

This clearly shows which apps have permissions and which don't.

Click Location to choose which apps you want to allow access to your physical location. Applications like Google Maps or Google Apps, you may want to allow location access for convenience's sake. However, other apps may not have come from a trusted source, or may not need your location at all. In this case, disable access for these applications.

For Android 4.3 – 5.1

For all applications

Exactly the same as in the newer ones Android versions, you can change location settings for all apps with one switch. Follow the section Settings > More > Permissions and use the switch next to Location. When the switch is in the off position, your smartphone does not collect location data.

You can also change the method used to share your location information by clicking Location > Mode. You can use one of the three available modes at your discretion (as shown in the screenshot below).

If you scroll through the section Location, you'll see a list of all the apps that have requested access to your location (see screenshot below). You can then examine individual app settings to see if there is a way to turn off location sharing.

As soon as your device receives an update to the version Android Marshmallow, you'll have more control over permissions for individual apps through the settings menu.

Like apps you've installed additionally, numerous Google services such as Google Now, can also use your location information. This is another parameter that you can control. Below the list of applications, tap Google location data collection and you will see a list of accounts installed on your phone.

You can use your location sharing settings to allow or block access to your location on a per-account basis. The “History” item gives you the opportunity to delete already collected location data.

For individual applications

While it's possible to block access to your location in older versions of Android, you can only block or allow data access for all apps at once. An alternative could be free application AppOps, which can be used to control individual applications' access permissions to your data.

IN Google Play There are several apps with similar names, so make sure you install the correct one. You launch the application, and here is a list of applications that use location information.

Click on the line with the desired application and get a list of permissions it uses.

When you use a map app to find your way, or if you want to log into Facebook to tell your friends where you've been, location tracking is useful.

But apps and services can track your every move, and this can be a serious privacy issue. And on top of everything else, it also drains your battery much faster than usual.

If you don't want companies to track you, read this guide and turn off location tracking on your devices when you don't need it.

You may not know it, but Google tracks your location history unless you disable it yourself. It collects this data from your use of Google Maps. You can turn this off and even manually remove certain locations from your location history. Here's how:

1. Go to this page Google settings.
2. Click the Pause button in the Places You've Been section on the right. To delete individual entries from location history, click Manage History.
3. You can select any date from the calendar on the left, > click Delete all history from that day. If you don't want to track any of your location history, simply click "Delete all history."

Android

Turn off location settings on your Android phone quite simple, but it may affect the functioning of some useful services. Google Now, for example, relies on location data to give you the information you need, even when you're not looking for it. If you still feel like you don't want to share your location with Google, follow these steps.

1. Open Settings > scroll down to Location > Google Location Settings.
2. Now tap Location Reports > Off.
3. Go back, tap Location History > Off. You can also click the "Delete Location History" button below.

iOS

Several apps and system services use your location on iOS to provide features such as apps that are popular in your area and even advertise based on where you are. Here's how to turn it all off:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy.
2. The first option is to turn location services on or off. You can turn them off to turn off tracking completely, but that will mean you'll have to do a few things, like searching for weather data, manually.
3. Scroll down to see which apps have access to location data. You can decide which apps you don't need and disable them. If you have Find My iPhone/iPad turned on, if you turn off location tracking, you won't be able to find your device if you lose it.
4. Scroll down and click System Services. Here you can disable all options except Cell Network Search to stop tracking. Tap Frequent Locations and turn it off.

Windows 8

Turning off location tracking in Windows 8 is quite simple:

1. Click Windows key+ C > click Search > Customize PC Settings in the search bar > click PC Settings.
2. Go to Privacy > Location > Allow Windows and apps to use my location > Off.

BlackBerry 10

The BB10 operating system makes it easy to prevent tracking. Just follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Scroll down to Location Services > turn off traffic data and location-based advertising. You can turn off location services completely.
2. If you just want to disable access to certain applications, open Settings > Application Manager > Go to the Application Permissions screen and change the permissions for the ones you want.
3. Now tap Permissions > Select Location > tap any app you want to disable and select Off.

This will help you disable location tracking on any device. If there is any other way to disable location tracking that you prefer, please share with us in the comments.

Web browsers

If you use a desktop or laptop to browse the Internet, you can disable sharing places in their web browsers. Note that websites can still determine your location using your IP address, but it will be much more difficult. Here's how you can disable it:

Google Chrome

1. Click the menu icon Google Chrome(three horizontal lines)> Settings.
2. Now scroll down and then click on Show additional settings»> Content settings.
3. In the pop-up window, scroll down to the Location section > Don't allow a site to track your physical location.

Mozilla Firefox

1. Enter about:config in address bar> press Enter > press I'll be careful, I promise.
2. Find geo.enabled and double click it to change its value from 'true' to 'false'. This will disable location sharing.

Opera

1. Click the Opera button in the top left corner > Settings. Alternatively, you can use the combination Alt keys+P.
2. Click Websites in the left sidebar > scroll down to Location > Select. Don't allow a website to track my physical location.

Safari

1. Open Safari > Preferences > Privacy.
2. Click "Decline" without prompting.

Internet Explorer

1. Go to Tools > Internet Options or use Alt + X.
2. Click Privacy > Never. Don't allow websites to use your physical location.

Windows Phone

There is no place where you can easily disable tracking without disabling location services entirely on Windows Phone. Here's what you can do if you don't want to turn off location services.

1. Select Settings > Right in Applications.
2. Manually open each app here and disable location.
3. Swipe left (back to system) > WiFi > More > uncheck “send information about WiFi connections.”
4. Login> Feedback> Off You can also go to Settings > Find My Phone > Off, but that's useful feature anti-theft protection that you may not want to disable.
5. For more detailed choices, go to Settings > Location > Off.

This should help you turn off location tracking on any device. If there is any other way to disable location tracking that you prefer, please let us know in the comments.

When it comes to modern technologies There can often be a trade-off between privacy and convenience. The same location feature that can recommend a good coffee shop near you or show your boarding pass at the airport can also cause trouble. But we will tell you how to turn off location tracking in Android OS if you no longer want the device to know where you are.

What locations does Android track?

The very first time you start your Android device, you will be asked if you want to share your location with others. If you select Yes, Google will automatically add your movements to your location history, which you can view in your Google Account.

According to the company Google history locations "helps you get useful information, such as automatic suggestions for your daily commute or improved search results. To do this, a personal map is created with the places you visit.

But if the card has limited access, what's the problem?

We didn't say there was any problem! But not everyone feels comfortable knowing that their every move is being monitored. If you lose your device, the information could be obtained by people with criminal intentions. If you were a burglar, we think you would be interested in knowing where a person lives, when he leaves and when he returns from work.

In addition, it is likely that information about your movements could sooner or later be used against you in court, especially if it indicates that you were somewhere you should not have been. And of course, some people are simply uncomfortable knowing that some private companies are aware of their every move.

What could be the disadvantages of disabling location tracking?

You'll lose some of the functionality that makes Android so convenient. A Google Now that doesn't know your favorite places won't be as useful as apps that rely on location services. On the other hand, by turning off GPS, you save your battery power.

How to disable location tracking in Android OS

There are 2 ways to stop tracking your movements. On your computer, follow the link https://www.google.com/settings/accounthistory> Places you've visited > Manage history, then click on “Disable history”; A pop-up window will display information about which services will be affected by disabling history, and will show a link where you can delete your entire travel history at once.

It's even easier on an Android device.

• Open the Settings menu
• Scroll down the screen to Location
• In the top right corner, you will see an On/Off switch. Using this, you can turn the location service on or off.
• Tap on Location > Location History
• In the same upper right corner you will find a switch with which you can turn off the history of your movements

If you want to delete an already saved history, you can do the following: while in the “Location History” section, click on the “Delete Location History” button located at the bottom of the screen. Once deleted, this information cannot be restored.

How to turn off location tracking on iPad and iPhone

If you have an Android phone and an iOS tablet, or vice versa, then you will also need to check the location settings of the second device. Apple devices can also store your location and share it with apps. To turn off location tracking, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. If Location Services is enabled, you will see a list of applications with the following information: First, you will be shown whether Location Services is enabled for separate application, and, secondly, was it used in Lately information about your location.

There is also another section here - System Services - which allows you to disable the use of location information at the system level, i.e. for functions such as geolocation advertising, browser search suggestions, setting time zones, etc. Just disable any services you don't need.

How to re-enable location tracking on Android

If you suddenly find yourself missing Google Now, or realize that your movements aren't interesting enough for strangers, you can easily turn location tracking back on. This time you will need:

• Open the Settings menu
• Scroll down the screen to “Location”
• Tap on Location > Google Location Settings
• In the upper right corner, drag the slider to the “On” position.
• Click on “Location History” and also drag the slider in the upper right to the “On” position.

You will have to do similar actions with Apple devices: Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and use the buttons to turn location tracking back on.

What do you think? Do the benefits of location services outweigh possible troubles problems that may arise when using them? Share your opinion in the comments!

Main advantage useful option The point is that if you have lost your phone, finding it will not be difficult, the main thing is that the battery does not run out, but even if this happens, a turned off iPhone (or Android) can be found with the help of special services.

One of the main disadvantages is that if the phone is in always working mode, it will start to discharge too quickly. Therefore, for the convenience of gadget owners, the built-in geolocation program can be active or inactive.

The fact is that installing new applications (“weather”, “photos”, “maps”, “notes”, “calendar”, “Double GIS”) requires consent to mandatory geolocation. It is also impossible to use without geolocation navigation system. Without the help of this option, you will not immediately find your way in an unfamiliar city if you need to find a restaurant or overnight accommodation.

But if you're determined to rid your phone of hidden surveillance, it's quite easy to do.

How to disable geolocation

The geolocation icon resembles a drop and is displayed at the very top, where the battery indicator is. It is impossible to confuse the icon with something else. To wipe a drop from the face of the earth, just go to the “settings” of your phone. Select "location" or "privacy". Uncheck “by network coordinates” and “by satellites”.

By disconnecting, you will also protect yourself from possible spies who are trying to get as much information as possible in order to use it for personal gain. But you shouldn’t stress yourself out in vain - to pursue a person, you need good reasons.

On the iPhone, the functions have slightly different names - “privacy” and “location services”. The shutdown principle is the same. Just find the items in the settings and confirm the disabling (you can disable it selectively, leaving the geolocation for navigation and removing, for example, from “photo”). Understanding the settings of any phone is not difficult.

Before you disable the option, no matter which one you have operating system, make sure all applications are turned off. You can enable the function at any time.

Sometimes you may notice that your location on Google Maps is inaccurate or not detected at all (blue dot not shown). This article explains how to troubleshoot such problems.

Note. More precise location determination will help improve search results.

How to find out where you are

How Maps Determines Where You Are

The location is determined by the following data:

• GPS. Signal from satellite (accuracy - up to 20 meters). Note. If you are in a building or on a subway, the information may not be accurate.
• Wi-Fi. Nearest wireless network source.
• Tower cellular communications. Connection point to cellular network(accuracy - up to several kilometers).

How to increase geolocation accuracy

Follow these steps:

How else can you improve geolocation accuracy?

If your location is still incorrect, follow the steps below.

Calibrate the compass

If the beam from the blue dot on the map is too wide or points in the wrong direction, you will need to calibrate your compass.

What does the blue dot mean?

Your current location is indicated on the map by a blue dot. If Google Maps can't pinpoint where you are in this moment, a blue circle will appear around the blue dot. The smaller the circle, the more accurate your coordinates.

Notes

• If there is no blue dot or you see a gray dot, then Google Maps doesn't know where you are. The gray dot marks the last saved location.
• If there are obstacles between you and the cell tower, such as tall buildings, the location may not be determined accurately.

How to see your location on other sites and in other applications

To view your location on Google Maps on other sites and applications, follow the instructions above. However, some things will be different:

• A site or application other than Google Maps will be used.
• The site or application you are using must first be granted access to geodata.
• If you are using Google browsers Chrome or Safari, your location will only be displayed on web pages secured using the https protocol.