Google has been improving Android’s security and privacy with each new iteration of Android. It is more difficult now for someone to see your location on an Android phone, depending on your settings. However, since Android itself is a tracking device, there is a chance someone will still see your Android phone’s location.
It depends on who can see your location before you label it bad. If you are sharing your location with a friend or family, in case of an emergency, having access to your whereabouts is not bad or malicious. Nevertheless, there are apps that can help individuals access these details without your consent. Also, you might have wanted to share your location with someone for a few minutes but forgot to turn it off.
The reason you should be worried about people or apps that have access to your Android phone location is that you are with your device almost all the time. If someone has this information, they can track your whereabouts. Hence, it is necessary to ensure that only trusted people and families have access to this. In this guide, we will explore different location-sharing features on Android. You will learn how to configure and disable them.
Who can see your location on Android? How to ensure no one can track you using your phone
In Android 12, Google tweaked app permissions. Instead of sharing a precise location, you can share an approximate location or turn it off entirely. Since some apps need your GPS to function properly, like Maps, Weather, Uber, and others, location services will be needed from time to time. Since not every app need permission, there are apps that might be sharing your location without you knowing.
The best way is to turn off location services entirely
When you disable location services, all the apps are blacklisted from seeing your whereabouts. While that might seem a good idea, as no one would be able to track you, those you are sharing your location with would not be able to do so either. That, of course, defeats the aim.
Additionally, if you are using Find My Device for your device, with location disabled, you will not be able to locate it if you misplaced or lost it. Most times, you might be able to see the device when you search for it, but there will be no GPS signal, though that might be changing. It’s now possible to locate devices that are switched off, and perhaps it will be possible to discover phones with location services turned off.
It is easy to turn off location services on Android. Swipe down from the top of your screen to reveal the Quick Settings. Tap on Location to turn it off. You can do that via Settings>>Location.
How to know apps that see your location
On the same location page, you can see apps that have recently been able to access your location. You can adjust the permission taping on Apps location permissions. This offers you a chance to take control of apps to give access. There are three options for each app – Allow only while using the app, Ask Every time, and Don’t Allow. Below the screen, you can deny the app your premise location, but only when you didn’t select “Don’t Allow.”
Location Sharing in Maps and Find My Device
The Find My Device now works as Google Maps for sharing and tracking locations. Once you open the app and visit the people’s tab, you will see everyone who knows where you are. Also, the list of people sharing their location with you, and you can turn it off if you cannot remember who they are.
On Google Maps, the process is probably the same. Open the app, head to your profile picture, and tap on it. Click on Location Sharing and check for everyone seeing your location. If you notice any stranger on the list, tap on the name and select stop.
Check if someone has their Google account logged in on your device.
Have you ever thought of that? If someone had their account on your device, they would be able to pull your location history from their end. Head to Settings>>Google Services. Open it and tap on your profile name to see all the Google accounts logged in on your device.
Google sign-in activity
If someone has access to your Google account, you will get a notification of someone who tried signing into your account, their location, and type of device. From that information, you can guess who the person might be, as only a close friend or family can know your details in most cases.
Nevertheless, it’s never a good thing for someone to sign into your account without your consent. They can pull your location and that’s not a good thing. Hence, if you ever get a notification of a sign-in from a different device, head to myaccount.google.security. Change your password and enable 2-step verification with your phone number.
Conclusion
While we cannot completely stop our Android phone from tracking our location even after disabling location services, there are a few things we can do to limit the amount of information it gets. Ensure only apps that require a location to work have their permission granted. This means that even if someone pulls your location, they won’t have all your information data.
