How to unshare location on google maps

When you turn off “location history” Google still tracks your location when you use several of its key services including Maps, search and the weather. Here’s how to really turn all of it off.

A report from the Associated Press has highlighted that the feature called location history is just one of the systems that Google uses to track your location for personalised services, local search and other purposes such as advertising.

When you turn off location history, Google stops automatically recording your location for features such as the Maps timeline, but it warns you that “some location data may be saved as part of your activity on other Google services, like Search and Maps”. When you perform a search, access Google Maps, or get the weather, either manually or automatically through a smartphone widget, Google will still log your location.

To prevent it from doing so you need to turn off another setting called “Web & App Activity”.

To do so on an Android device follow these steps:

• Head to settings.
• Tap on Google then Google Account
• Tap on the data & personalisation tab and then on web & app Activity
• Toggle Web & App Activity off

To turn off location history:

• Head to the Data & personalisation tab as above
• Tap on location history and toggle the setting off for each phone or device connected to your Google account

To do so for iPhones, iPads and computers:

• Click on this link to take you directly to the activity controls page (you may have to sign into your Google account to access the page)
• Toggle the web & app Activity setting off
• The toggle for location history is directly below the web & app Activity setting, which you can also toggle off

Alternatively you can navigate to the setting by following these steps:

• Open Google in your browser and sign in to your account
• Click on your profile picture in the top right corner and on the Google account button
• Click on Personal info & privacy then my activity
• Click on activity controls
• Toggle off web & app activity

To review and delete your recorded activity, including location data, Google’s My Activity panel allows you how to delete individual and group events.

You can also delete your location history in your Google Maps timeline by clicking on the bin icon.

• Google has been tracking Android users even with location services turned off
• Fitness tracking app Strava gives away location of secret US army bases

Sharing your location with your friends and family is fun, but there can be underlying risks if you’re not careful about it. Having your location shared can give way to potential online threats and stalkers and can interfere with your privacy. 

So, if you want to keep yourself or your child safe from online risks, it’s important to stop sharing locations altogether.

Now, let’s jump into the content on how you can do exactly that on most platforms along with some tips at the end. 

How to Stop Sharing Location on Android/iPhone?

We recommend getting an overview of which apps have access to your location. You might’ve shared your location through Google, Snapchat, or similar apps.

So, let’s look at the process to stop sharing your location from your phone’s settings as well as apps. 

Turn Off Location Settings

If you want to quickly turn off all location services on your phone, here’s how you can do it:

On Android

Go to Settings. Scroll down and look for options related to Privacy, Connection, or Location itself. Tap on it and slide the toggle to turn it off. Alternatively, you can swipe down on your home screen and access the Quick Panel. Tap on the Location icon to turn it off. 

On iPhone 

1. Open Settings.
2. Go to Privacy.
3. Tap on Location Services.
4. Slide the toggle to turn off all location services. 
   

Stop Location-Sharing on Google Maps 

If you want to keep your location setting turned on but only want to turn it off for a specific person via Google Maps, here’s what you can do: 

1. Open Google Maps and tap on the profile icon. 
2. Go to Location Sharing.
    
3. Select the person with whom you want to stop location-sharing. 
4. Tap on Stop. 

If you’re using Google Maps on a PC, click on the three horizontal lines to open the menu. Click on Location Sharing. Then, tap on Stop to remove the users of your choice. 

Turn Off Location on Find My for iPhone

If you want to stop sharing location on your iPhone, you can turn off location-sharing for everyone via the Find My app. Here’s what you’ll need to do: 

1. From the Find My app, go to the Me tab. 
   
2. Slide the toggle on the Share My Location to turn it off. 

If you only want to turn off location-sharing for one person, you can follow these steps: 

1. Go to the People tab. 
2. Select a person and scroll down. Then, tap on Stop Sharing My Location. 
   

Turn On Ghost Mode on Snapchat

Within Snapchat, it’s easy for your friends to see your real-time location. If you want to turn this off, turn on Ghost Mode. This mode will display a ghost emoji on your Bitmoji and will prevent your friends from seeing your location. You can follow these steps to turn this mode on: 

1. Open Snapchat and tap on your profile from the top-left corner. 
2. Scroll down until you see the Snap Map section. 
3. Tap on Sharing Location. Doing so will lead you to a new page. 
4. Slide the toggle to turn on Ghost Mode. 
   
5. Snapchat will ask you how long you want to have this mode turned on. You can choose either three hours, 24 hours or until you turn it off. 

On Contacts and Messages for iPhone

Other ways you can turn off location on an iPhone are via Contacts and Messages. Go to Contacts and open a profile. Tap on the Stop Sharing My Location option. 

You can also do this from the Messages app. Select a person with whom you’re sharing your location from your Messages. Tap on the profile details and tap on Stop Sharing My Location.

If I stop sharing my location will they know?

Due to privacy concerns, most apps will not send a notification to the other person if you stop sharing your location. So, you won’t have to worry about people finding out your location status.

However, if people check the apps to see your location, they can notice that you’ve stopped sharing your location.

For example, you can see the “[User] has stopped sharing location with you” status on Google Maps. Additionally, when you’re using the Snapchat Map, you can see that the people who’ve stopped sharing their location have a ghost icon. 

How can I see who I shared my location with on my iPhone? 

It’s important to learn how you are sharing your location, especially with the people who have access to it.

An easy way to check this is through the settings. Go to Settings and tap on your Apple ID profile. Select the Find My option. On a new page under the Family section, you can view the details of the people who have access to your location. 

How to Block Friend Requests on Location-Sharing Apps?

If someone is spamming you requests asking to gain access to your location, you can take these steps to block such requests. 

On Find My app

1. Go to the Me tab on the Find My homepage.
2. Slide the toggle to turn off the Allow Friend Requests option.
   

On Google Maps

Whenever you get a request, tap on Block on the user. Once you’ve blocked the person, s/he can no longer request your location. 

If you ever want to go back and unblock someone, tap on your profile icon in Google Maps. Go to Location Sharing and then tap on More. Go to Blocked Users and tap on Remove next to the person of your choice. 

How do I know if someone is tracking my location?

You won’t get a notification if someone is tracking your location. However, there are some possible signs to look for when someone is illegally tracking you.

• Your phone’s battery gets overheated or runs out faster than normal. 
• Your data usage increases drastically. 
• Some apps can crash suddenly.
• Your phone’s screen might light up even when there’s no notification. 
• There are some unrecognizable new apps on your phone. 

In such cases, it’s best to turn off all location and tracking permissions on your phone.

How to View and Delete My Location History?

If you want to check your location history, here’s how you can do it on either an Android phone or an iPhone. 

1. Open the Maps app. 
2. Tap on your profile icon. 
3. Go to Your Timeline. Then, tap on More. 
4. Go to Settings and Privacy.
    
5. Below the Location Settings, select Delete all Location History. 
   

Besides that, you can also choose to automatically delete history, delete location history range, and more.

How do you stop sharing your location with someone?

How do I hide a location on Google Maps without them knowing?

How do I turn off my location without the other person knowing?

Can someone see when you stop sharing location?