How to Turn Off Location Tracking on iPhone: 8 Effective Methods

iPhones come with powerful features that let apps and services track your location. While this can be useful for things like maps, ride-sharing, or food delivery, it also raises privacy concerns. Some people worry about invisible tracking by apps and websites for advertising, while others fear that someone they know may be tracking their iPhone location.

Fortunately, iOS gives you plenty of options to take back control. In this guide, we'll show you exactly how to stop tracking on iPhone - including three ways to turn off location tracking, five more methods to prevent someone from following your movements, and four bonus tips to keep your location data from leaking. Let's dive in!

Part 1. How to Turn Off Location Tracking on iPhone

This section covers how to stop apps, websites, and Apple services from collecting and using your location data.

#1. How to Stop App from Tracking on iPhone

Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework makes it easy to stop app from tracking on iPhone. When you disable it, apps can no longer track your activity across other apps or websites, nor can they use your device's advertising ID.

Here's how to stop tracking on iPhone at App level:

Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Tap on Privacy & Security, then select Tracking.
Step 3. Turn the toggle for Allow Apps to Request to Track to the off position. Or you can toggle off for selected apps only.

#2. How to Stop Websites from Tracking You on iPhone

Websites use cookies, trackers, and pixels to follow your browsing behavior. Luckily, Safari has built-in privacy features to fight this. Here's how to turn off location tracking on iPhone when you're browsing on Safari.

Step 1. Go to Settings > Safari. (Or Settings > Apps > Safari)
Step 2. Scroll down to the Privacy & Security section.
Step 3. Toggle on Prevent Cross-Site Tracking to block trackers from following you between sites.
Step 4. Tap Hide IP Address and select Trackers and Websites for added protection.
Step 5. Toggle on Fraudulent Websites Warning and Not Secure Connection Warning.
Step 6. Scroll down to the bottom, tap Advanced > Website Data > Remove All Website Data.

#3. How to Control Location Services on iPhone [System-Level]

If you want to take things further, you can manage or disable Location Services altogether. This gives you direct control over which apps and services can use your location - or cut them off entirely.

Here's how to stop tracking on iPhone at system level

Step 1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
Step 2. Review the app list and adjust settings:

• Choose Never or While Using the App instead of Always.
• Toggle off Precise Location to only share an approximate location.

Step 3. To turn off tracking logs, scroll down to System Services, tap Significant Locations, and toggle it off. Don't forget to Clear History here.

Part 2. How to Stop Someone From Tracking Your iPhone [5 More Ways]

If you're worried that a specific person, maybe a partner, parent, or friend, is tracking your location, these methods will help you take back control. Unlike general app or website tracking, these steps focus on personal privacy and safety.

👉 For a quick walkthrough, you can also watch the video guide on how to turn off location tracking on iPhone with more solutions.

Way 1. Turn on Airplane Mode

One of the fastest ways to stop iPhone tracking is by enabling Airplane Mode. This instantly shuts down all wireless connections - cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and even GPS. When everything is disabled, your iPhone cannot share your location with apps or people.

Here's how to stop tracking on iPhone by enabling Airplane Mode:
Step 1. Swipe down from the top-right corner of your screen to access the Control Center.
Step 2. Tap the airplane icon.

Way 2. Turn Off Location Tracking with a VPN

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) can also be used to turn off location tracking on your iPhone. It works by routing your internet connection through a server in another location, masking your real IP address. While this doesn't completely change or hide your GPS location on iPhone, it does hide your internet location, which is often sufficient for most unsafe apps and websites that track your whereabouts.

The following content will show you how to use a VPN to stop tracking on iPhone:
Step 1. Download a trusted VPN app from the App Store.
Step 2. Open the app and connect to a server in the desired location.

Way 3. Use Another iOS Device to Share Location

If you share your location on apps like Find My but don't want people knowing where you actually are, you can switch the device reporting your location. For example, if you have a spare iPhone or iPad at home, you can set that device as your primary location source.

This trick makes it look like you're at home, even while you're somewhere else. It's particularly useful against apps like Find My or Life360.

Here's how to switch location devices in Find My as an example:

Step 1. On your spare iOS device (logged in with the same Apple ID), go to Settings > [Your Name] > Find My.
Step 2. Toggle on Share My Location.
Step 3. Tap Use This [iPad/iPhone] as My Location.

Way 4. Stop Sharing Location on Find My App

The Find My app is often used by friends and family to track each other's location. If you no longer want this, you can stop sharing your location entirely or just with specific people.

To stop sharing location completely:
Step 1. Open the Settings > Your Profile > Find My.
Step 2. Toggle off Share My Location.

To stop sharing with certain people only:
Step 1. Open the Find My app.
Step 2. Tap the People tab at the bottom.
Step 3. Select the person you want to stop sharing your location with.
Step 4. Scroll up and tap Stop Sharing My Location.

Way 5. Use TunesKit Location Changer to Stop Tracking on iPhone

For maximum control, you can use professional software like TunesKit iOS Location Changer on a computer to "spoof" or fake your GPS location anywhere in the world. Unlike a VPN, this changes your actual GPS signal, so all apps, whether Find My, Life360, Google Maps, or even hidden tracking apps, will believe you're in the new location you set.

Why choose TunesKit Location Changer?

• Works with all location-based apps (social media, games, maps, dating apps, etc.).
• Lets you freely set custom routes and simulate movement.
• No jailbreak or complicated setup required.
• Protects against both personal tracking and app/website surveillance.

Here's how to stop tracking on iPhone using TunesKit Location Changer:

Step 1. Connect Your Phone to Computer

Download and install TunesKit Location Changer on your computer. Then, connect your phone to the computer. TunesKit Location Changer supports both iOS and Android.

Step 2.Fake Location on iPhone to Avoid Being Tracked

After connecting your phone to TunesKit Location Changer, you can begin to change the location on your iPhone. TunesKit Location Changer offers 5 location changing modes and you can select one to change location on your phone. You can set the starting point and destination to before changing you location.

Part 3. Bonus: How to Protect Location Data From Leaking on iPhone

Even if you've disabled tracking, your location data can still leak in subtle ways - through photos, emails, or analytics reports. Luckily, iOS includes several privacy settings that help you lock things down further. Here are four quick tips.

Tip 1. Turn Off Location for Photos and Videos on iPhone

Did you know that every photo you take on your iPhone can include hidden metadata (called EXIF data) that shows the exact location it was taken? If you send those photos to others, they could easily discover where you were.

To prevent this entirely:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Camera.
Step 2. Never.

From now on, your photos and videos will be free from location tags, keeping your whereabouts private.

Tip 2. Protect Your Activity in the Mail App

Marketing emails often hide tracking pixels that report back when and where you opened the message. Apple's Mail app gives you an easy way to block this kind of spying.

Here's how:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Mail > Privacy Protection.
Step 2. Enable Protect Mail Activity.

This hides your IP address and loads remote content privately, leaving advertisers in the dark.

Tip 3. Stop Personalized Ads from Apple

It’s not just third-party apps that track you - Apple also uses your data for its own ad network. While you'll still see ads in the App Store and Apple News, you can prevent them from being personalized with your data.

To turn this off:
Step 1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising.
Step 2. Toggle off Personalized Ads.

Tip 4. Opt Out of iPhone & iCloud Analytics

By default, your iPhone may share diagnostic and usage data with Apple to help improve their services. While this doesn't usually include personal details, it's still data being sent from your device.

To disable it:
Step 1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements.
Step 2. Turn off Share iPhone Analytics, Share iCloud Analytics, or other options you want to toggle off.

Part 4. FAQs on Stopping iPhone Tracking

Part 5. Final Thought

Whether you want to stop corporations from collecting your data or prevent someone you know from tracking your whereabouts, learning how to stop location tracking on iPhone is easier than you might think.

By regularly auditing your settings for app tracking, adjusting location services, and managing Find My sharing, you can take decisive action. And for advanced privacy protection, tools like TunesKit Location Changer let you instantly fake your GPS location. This ensures even hidden tracking apps or intrusive services can’t reveal your true position - giving you maximum freedom and security.

Managing your digital privacy is an ongoing process, but these steps give you a strong foundation for a safer, more private iPhone experience.