How do you feel about location tracking? Do you keep tabs on all your friends and family like they’re in The Sims, or are your whereabouts on a need-to-know basis? If you have a smartphone, it’s tough to stay off the grid these days; your mobile carrier, favorite apps, and targeted ads are hard to shake. The good news is that your iPhone has ways to fight back. This week’s launch of iOS 26.3 introduces a precise location feature that puts some space between you and your carrier. But it only takes a few taps to see who has access to your location data and customize your settings.
How to Manage Location Tracking on Your iPhone
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
To manage who has access to your location data, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, and choose the app you want to manage. Since iOS 14, there have been four options:
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Never ensures that location services will never be tracked while using this app.
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Ask Next Time or When I Share will ask how you want to proceed each time you open the app: Allow once, Allow while using, or Don’t allow.
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While Using the App tells the app to only utilize location tracking while it is actively in use on the screen, either in the app or via the on-screen widgets that iOS now supports. Some apps, such as Google Maps and Apple Maps, will also have While Using the App or Widgets as an option.
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Always will permit the app to always track an iOS device’s location, even when the app is not actively being used. Not all apps will have this option available.
If you want to know which apps have been requesting location data the most, look for the arrow icon next to its entry. A purple arrow means the app has used your location recently, while a gray arrow says that your data has been accessed in the last 24 hours. Depending on how often you use a specific app, this icon can help you determine if you need to rein in its data requests.
How to Control Access to Precise Location
If you’re ok with apps using location data but feel uneasy about them knowing exactly where you are, turn off Precise Location and the app will only know your approximate location. This should be sufficient for most apps and services, but you might want to leave it on for things like Uber or Google Maps, where exact location is needed.
New in iOS 26.3 is Limit Precise Location, which restricts how much information is shared with your cellular provider. “With this setting turned on, some information made available to cellular networks is limited,” Apple says. “As a result, they might be able to determine only a less precise location—for example, the neighborhood where your device is located, rather than a more precise location (such as a street address).”
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Apple says this won’t affect signal quality, sharing your location with first responders, or tracking on apps like Find My. However it’s currently limited to devices that have Apple’s C1 or C1X modem, which include the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and the cellular version of the iPad Pro M5. It also requires carrier support, which only includes Boost Mobile in the US right now.
Disable Location for iOS System Services
(Credit: PCMag / Apple)
You can also disable certain backend location-tracking features within iOS System Services. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, scroll to the bottom of the list, and select System Services. You’re presented with a list of items you can toggle on and off. Here’s how they use location tracking:
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Apple Pay Merchant Identification uses your current location to help provide more accurate merchant names when you use your physical Apple Card.
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Cell Network Search tracks cell tower usage and sends data to Apple.
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Compass Calibration uses location tracking to help calibrate the electronic compass.
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Device Management allows you to wirelessly configure devices, like an app for gig workers or a VPN for a school or business.
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Emergency Calls & SOS allows users to discreetly call 911 and uses location data to help assist in the event of an emergency.
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Find My iPhone is a service provided by Apple that will enable you to track an iOS device remotely.
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HomeKit helps make smart homes smarter by using location tracking to do things like opening your garage door or turning on lights automatically.
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Location-Based Alerts permit Apple to use your location to give geographically related alerts or news, like Amber Alerts or severe weather warnings.
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Motion Calibration & Distance are used by fitness or activity apps to track activity accurately.
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Networking & Wireless tracks Wi-Fi usage and sends data to Apple.
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Setting Time Zone uses location tracking to automatically adjust the time when changing time zones.
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Share My Location lets you share your current location with individuals through iMessage or other apps like Find My.
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Suggestions & Search enable location-specific suggestions for Safari and Spotlight.
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System Customization changes system appearance, behaviors, and settings using location data.
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Significant Locations tracks and remembers the places that you are at most often and sends alerts based on calendar events or map directions.
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iPhone Analytics helps Apple by occasionally providing the company with information about how a specific iOS device is used.
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Routing & Traffic shares current traffic patterns and speed with Apple to improve Maps.
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Improve Maps allows Apple to use current location to alert iOS users to the estimated time to get to their frequent locations.
Many of the items on this list are safe to disable. Features like Cell Network Search and Networking & Wireless are not necessary for everyday usage. Others, like HomeKit or Motion Calibration & Distance, are only useful if you use home automation or fitness tracking. If you don’t want to share unnecessary data with Apple, you can disable iPhone Analytics.
If you’re worried about when your phone is using location data, turn on Status Bar Icon under System Services. This will show a black arrow icon in the status bar any time system services access your location.
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As PCMag’s editor of how to content, I have to cover a wide variety of topics and also make our stories accessible to everyday users. Considering my history as a technical writer, copywriter, and all-around freelancer covering baseball, comics, and more at various outlets, I am used to making myself into an expert.
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My job as how-to guru means I use just about every gadget under the sun, so I can figure out how everything works. I work from a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 11, but also have a very large Dell Inspiron 17 3000 and Apple silicon MacBook. I also have a Google Pixel 6a for personal use and use a Galaxy Z Flip 4 for additional Samsung-related testing. For iOS coverage, an iPhone 13 mini works like a charm, though it’s already becoming a little long in the tooth.
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