Where to find location settings on your iPhone

Location settings on iPhone live in the Settings app under Privacy. Open Settings, tap Privacy, then tap Location Services. From there you can turn location services on or off entirely, or control which apps can see your location. Every iPhone has this menu in the same place, whether you use iOS 16, 17, or later.

The Privacy menu also shows you which apps have requested location access and what level of access each one has. You'll see three options for each app: Never, While Using, or Always. Never means the app cannot see your location at all. While Using means the app can access your location only when you have it open. Always means the app can see your location even when it's running in the background.

Key Takeaways

  • Location Services is found in Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and you can turn it completely off or control it app by app.
  • Each app can be set to Never, While Using, or Always — choose While Using for most apps unless you have a specific reason to grant Always access.
  • Turning off Location Services entirely will disable GPS, maps, weather location, and any app that needs to know where you are.
  • Your iPhone shows a small arrow icon in the status bar whenever an app is actively using your location.
  • System Services like Find My, Maps, and Weather have their own location toggles under Location Services, separate from individual apps.

Turning Location Services completely on or off

At the top of the Location Services menu is a toggle switch. If it's green, Location Services is on. If it's gray, it's off. Tap the toggle to switch it. When Location Services is off, no app can see your location, and features like Find My iPhone, Maps navigation, and weather based on your location will not work.

You may want to turn Location Services off entirely if you're concerned about battery drain or privacy and don't need location-based features. However, most people leave it on and instead control which individual apps can access location. That way Maps still works when you need it, but a social media app cannot track you in the background.

Controlling location access for individual apps

Scroll down in the Location Services menu to see every app that has ever asked for location permission. Tap any app name to see its current setting. The three options are Never, While Using, and Always. Tap the option you want.

For most apps, While Using is the right choice. It lets the app know where you are when you're actively using it — Maps needs this to give you directions, for example — but prevents it from tracking you when the app is closed. Always should be rare. Only apps like Find My, your phone's emergency services, or a fitness app you want to track background activity should have Always access. If an app asks for Always and you don't recognize why it needs it, choose While Using instead.

Managing System Services location settings

Below the list of apps, you'll see a section called System Services. This controls location access for iPhone's built-in features like Find My, Maps, Weather, and Siri. Tap System Services to see the full list. Each one has its own toggle.

Find My should usually stay on if you want to be able to locate your iPhone if it's lost. Weather and Maps can stay on if you use them. Siri can use your location to answer questions like "What's near me?" — turn this off if you don't want Siri to know where you are. At the bottom of System Services, you'll also see Status Bar Icon, which shows a small arrow in your iPhone's status bar whenever any app is using location. This is helpful to know when something is actively tracking you.

Understanding the location arrow icon

When an app is actively using your location, a small arrow appears in the status bar at the top of your screen. A solid arrow means an app is using location right now. A hollow arrow means an app used location recently but isn't using it at the moment. If you see an arrow and don't know which app caused it, swipe down from the top right to open Control Center, then look at the app that's currently running.

This icon is a quick way to catch apps that are using location when you don't expect them to. If you see an arrow and realize an app shouldn't need your location, go back to Location Services and change that app's setting to Never or While Using.

Changing location for specific features

Some iPhone features let you control location separately. If you use Find My to locate family members or your devices, you can turn that on or off in Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services > Find My. Weather location can be toggled in the same menu under Weather. Maps uses whatever location setting you've chosen for the Maps app itself.

If you want Maps to work but don't want other apps to see your location, you can set Maps to While Using and set everything else to Never. Your location settings are independent for each app, so you have full control over what each one can see.

What happens when you change location settings

Changes take effect when ready. If you turn off Location Services entirely, GPS stops working right away and any app trying to use location will either fail silently or show an error. If you change a single app from Always to While Using, that app can no longer track you in the background starting that moment.

Apps do not get notified when you change their location permission. They straightforward lose access. The next time the app tries to use location and finds it doesn't have permission, it may ask you again or straightforward stop using that feature. Some apps store location data they collected before you changed the setting — changing the setting only stops future collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I set location to a fake location or change what location my iPhone reports?

Not through the standard Settings menu. iOS does not have a built-in way to spoof your location or report a false location to apps. Some apps designed for testing or privacy may offer this, but they require special setup and are not part of iPhone's standard location controls.

Why does an app keep asking for location permission even after I said no?

Some apps ask every time they launch if you've set them to Never. Others ask once and remember your choice. If an app is repeatedly asking, you can go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, find the app, and set it to Never. That should stop the requests. If it continues, the app may have a bug or be designed to ask repeatedly.

Does turning off location services affect my phone's ability to make emergency calls?

No. Emergency services can locate your iPhone through your cellular network even if Location Services is off. Turning off Location Services only affects apps and features that rely on GPS. Emergency calls will still work and can still be traced by emergency responders.

What's the difference between While Using and Always?

While Using means the app can see your location only when you have it open and active. Always means the app can see your location even when it's closed or running in the background. Always uses more battery and raises more privacy concerns, so use it only for apps that genuinely need background location tracking, like navigation or fitness apps.

Can I see a history of where my iPhone has been?

Not through Location Services settings. However, some apps like Maps and Photos store location history separately. To view or delete location history in Maps, open Maps, tap your profile picture, then tap Location Services. In Photos, go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and check which apps have access. Individual apps control their own history storage.