You might be surprised by how many apps on your phone are tracking your location—often without you realizing it. Some apps are upfront and ask for permission the first time you open them, which is a nice gesture we appreciate, but others only mention it in the fine print or assume permission based on settings you agreed to long ago. With so many apps on our phones, it’s easy to forget which apps have access to our whereabouts, and that access can remain active in the background, even when you’re not using the app.
If you’re concerned about privacy or just want more control over who knows where you are, it’s worth taking a closer look at your phone’s settings. Certain popular apps are known to track your location more aggressively than others, and making a few simple adjustments can help protect your privacy without disrupting how you use your device. Here are three apps that may be tracking your location right now.
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1. Facebook
Facebook uses your location to suggest nearby events, connect you with local friends, target ads, and check you in at places. Even if you don’t manually share your location, Facebook may still gather location data from your device, IP address, or activity. To limit this, go to the location settings in the Facebook app and turn off “Location History” and “Background Location.” You can also change your phone’s privacy settings to restrict Facebook’s location access to “Never” or “While Using the App.”
2. Instagram
Instagram tracks your location in a few different ways, mainly in an attempt to personalize your experience, suggest nearby content, and tag locations in posts or stories. Even if you're not actively using location stickers or tagging places, the app may still collect location data based on your IP address, Wi-Fi networks, and device GPS if permissions are granted. To limit this, go to your phone's location settings and switch Instagram’s access to “Never” or “While Using the App.” You can also disable location services entirely for Instagram if you're not using location-based features.
3. Google Maps
Google Maps relies heavily on your location to provide accurate navigation, traffic updates, nearby suggestions, and personalized recommendations. It also stores your location history in your Google account unless you go out of your way to turn this feature off. To manage this, go into your Google account settings and pause or delete your Location History. You can also go to your phone’s app permissions and set location access for Google Maps to “While Using the App” instead of “Always,” which prevents the app from tracking you in the background.
