{"id":96527,"date":"2025-08-20T10:01:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/96527\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T10:01:07","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T10:01:07","slug":"how-to-stop-your-iphone-and-android-from-secretly-tracking-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/96527\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stop your iPhone and Android from secretly tracking you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!\n <\/p>\n

You know that little GPS icon that pops up when an app is using your location? That\u2019s the polite part. The tip of the iceberg. The warm handshake before your phone whispers your every movement to Big Tech<\/a> behind your back.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Your phone has more than one way to know where you are. Cell towers, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth beacons and even background pings track you. If you have an old smartphone, you can enter to win a new iPhone 16 Pro at www.komando.com\/win.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not here to scare you or tinfoil-hat this.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I\u2019m here to help you take back control. I tested these steps myself, but your phone\u2019s menus might look a little different depending on the make and model. Poke around your settings and you\u2019ll find it.<\/p>\n

YOUR PHONE PREDICTS AN EARTHQUAKE<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Hands <\/p>\n

Your phone has more than one way of knowing where you are. (iStock)<\/p>\n

iPhone: The sneakiest setting<\/p>\n

Apple keeps<\/a> a “Significant Locations” log buried deep in your settings. It\u2019s meant to make your Maps smarter and improve recommendations, but it\u2019s also a detailed history of where you\u2019ve been.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to find and clear it:<\/p>\n

Go to Settings\u00a0> Privacy & Security\u00a0> Location Services.Scroll to System Services. Tap Significant Locations.Use Face ID or your passcode to unlock it, then review your history.Tap Clear History, and if you don\u2019t want it tracked anymore, toggle it off.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re there, review your Location Services list and set apps to While Using or Never. Most don\u2019t need 24\/7 access.<\/p>\n

FORGET SEO: HOW TO GET FOUND BY AI TOOLS IN 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\"iPhone <\/p>\n

On iPhones, there’s a “Significant Locations” log deep in your Settings. (Photo by STR\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Android: Timeline and app permissions<\/p>\n

Android\u2019s version is called “Timeline,” and it\u2019s tied to your Google account<\/a>, not just your device. Even if you switch phones, the log follows you unless you turn it off.<\/p>\n

To see it:<\/p>\n

Open Google Maps. Tap your profile picture > Your timeline.Hit the three dots > Location & privacy settings.Under Location Settings, toggle off Timeline. You can also Delete all Timeline data.<\/p>\n

Next, check app permissions:<\/p>\n

Go to Settings\u00a0> Location\u00a0> App permissions.Change any “Allow all the time” apps to “Allow only while using” or “Deny.”<\/p>\n

FOLDABLE PHONES ARE IMPRESSIVE TECHNOLOGICAL MARVELS BUT COME WITH SERIOUS COMPROMISES<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Google <\/p>\n

On Android, Google Maps has a “Timeline” worth disabling if you’re concerned about privacy. (Guillaume Payen\/SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

Pro tip for both<\/p>\n

Even with these off, your carrier still knows where you are when your phone is connected to the network. If you really need to go off-grid, you\u2019ll need to power down or use airplane mode.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n

Get tech-smarter on your schedule<\/p>\n

Award-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.<\/p>\n

National radio and podcasts:\u00a0Airing on 500+ stations across the US, search for Komando in your favorite radio or podcast appDaily newsletter: Join 650,000 folks who read the Current (free!) at www.GetKim.comWatch: On YouTube.com\/kimkomando<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! You know that little GPS icon that pops up when…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":96528,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[165,65235,514,172,74],"class_list":{"0":"post-96527","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mobile","8":"tag-mobile","9":"tag-personal-tech","10":"tag-privacy","11":"tag-tech","12":"tag-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96527","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96527"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96527\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96527"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96527"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96527"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}