About privacy and Location Services in iOS and iPadOS

Find out how privacy settings and Location Services help protect your personal information on your iPhone, iPad and iPod bear on.

Privacy settings

Privacy settings in iOS and iPadOS assistance give you control over which apps have admission to information stored on your device. For example, y'all can allow a social network app to employ your camera, then you can take and upload pictures to that app. You lot tin also grant admission to your contacts, then a messaging app tin can find any friends who are already using the same app.

In Settings > Privacy, yous can run across which apps you've allowed to access certain data, likewise as grant or revoke any future access. This includes access to:

  • Location Services
  • Contacts
  • Calendars
  • Reminders
  • Photos
  • Bluetooth
  • Microphone
  • Voice communication Recognition
  • Camera
  • Health
  • HomeKit
  • Media & Apple Music
  • Inquiry
  • Files and Folders
  • Motion & Fitness

On your device, you lot tin can select a type of data from this listing to see which apps have asked for permission to use that data. An app won't appear on the listing until information technology has asked for permission to employ your information. You can add or remove permission from any app that has asked for access to data. An app can simply use the data blazon in the setting if you have given the app permission.

If you lot sign in to iCloud, apps are granted admission to iCloud Drive by default. You can as well view and manage apps that are allowed to use iCloud under iCloud in Settings.

If yous allow third-party apps or websites to use your data or your current location, you're subject to their terms, privacy policies and practices. Yous should review the terms, privacy policies and practices of the apps and websites to understand how they use your location and other information. Data that Apple collects volition be treated in accordance with Apple tree's Privacy Policy.

How your device uses Location Services

With your permission, Location Services allows apps and websites (including Maps, Camera, Weather and other apps) to use data from mobile 1 , Wi-Fi 2 and Global Positioning System (GPS) iii networks and Bluetooth 4  to determine your estimate location five .

Apps that can show your location on the screen, including Maps, show your current (approximate) location using a blue marker. In Maps, if your location tin can't be adamant precisely, you'll encounter a blueish circumvolve around the marker. The size of the circle shows how precisely your location can be determined – the smaller the circle, the greater the precision. When Location Services is active, a black or white arrow icon appears in the status bar.

Maps, directions and location-based apps depend on data services. These information services are field of study to modify and may not be available in all geographic areas, resulting in maps, directions or location-based information that may be unavailable, inaccurate or incomplete. Compare the information provided on the device with your surroundings and defer to signposts to resolve whatsoever discrepancies.

Find out more about Location Services and privacy.

Requite apps permission to employ your location

The starting time fourth dimension an app tries to access your location, information technology must enquire for your permission. A prompt will appear explaining which app is asking for permission to use your location, too as the app developer's reason for requesting it.

Some apps ask to use your location simply while the app is in employ. An app is considered "in utilise" when yous're actively using it in the foreground, or when it is using location in the background, in which case a bluish pill will be displayed in your status bar.

If you grant an app While In Use permission, the app may ask you lot for permission to utilize your location when information technology is in the background.

When you allow an app to use your location in the groundwork, your device will remind you from fourth dimension to time that an app is using your location, and will display those locations on a map. You'll as well be asked if you want to go on to allow the app to use your location in the background.

With iOS thirteen and iPadOS thirteen, yous can tap Allow Once to allow an app access Location Services information for simply one session (One Fourth dimension). If yous close and and so re-open the app and it tries to admission your location again, information technology volition inquire for your permission again. Apps won't use your location until they've asked for your permission and y'all've granted information technology.

You can change your mind at whatever time and update your preferences from Settings < Privacy < Location Services.

Turn Location Services on or off

You lot tin turn Location Services on or off at Settings > Privacy > Location Services. You can turn Location Services on either during the Setup Banana procedure or later through the Location Services setting. Yous tin command which apps and system services take access to Location Services data individually. When Location Services are off, apps can't use your location in the foreground or background. This will limit the performance of various Apple tree and third-party apps.

If you would similar to reset all of your location settings to the factory default, get to Settings > General > Reset and tap Reset Location & Privacy. When your location and privacy settings are reset, apps volition stop using your location until you grant them permission.

Settings > Privacy > Location Services.

Settings > Privacy > Location Services > System Services.

Better GPS accuracy

GPS accuracy depends on the number of visible GPS satellites. Locating all visible satellites tin can take several minutes, with accuracy gradually increasing over fourth dimension. To improve GPS accuracy:

  • Make sure you've set the engagement, fourth dimension and fourth dimension zone correctly on the device in Settings > General > Date & Time. If possible, utilize Set Automatically.
  • Continue a clear view in several directions. Walls, vehicle roofs, tall buildings, mountains and other obstructions tin block line of sight to GPS satellites. When this happens, your device uses Wi-Fi or mobile networks to determine your position until the GPS satellites are visible once more.

Crowd-sourced Wi-Fi and mobile Location Services

If Location Services is on, your device volition periodically send the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and prison cell towers to Apple to augment Apple's oversupply-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower locations. If you're travelling (for instance, in a car) and Location Services is on, a GPS-enabled iOS device volition as well periodically send GPS locations, travel speed and barometric force per unit area data to Apple to be used for edifice upward Apple tree'due south crowd-sourced road traffic and indoor pressure databases. The crowd-sourced location data gathered by Apple is stored with encryption and doesn't personally place you.

About Bluetooth, data and Location Services

With iOS xiii and iPadOS 13, an app must ask permission to employ Bluetooth functions except to play audio to a Bluetooth device, which doesn't require permission. Y'all can change your device'south Bluetooth permissions from Settings > Privacy > Bluetooth.

About your location during emergency calls

For rubber purposes, your iPhone's location data may be used when you brand an emergency call to assist response efforts regardless of whether you enable Location Services.

Acquire more

  • Find out more almost using Location Services to runway your location in Maps and other apps in your product's user guide.
  • Find out more well-nigh Apple and Privacy.

i. iPad (Wi-Fi + Cellular models): brand sure Cellular Information is on in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data, even if y'all're non subscribed to a mobile data plan. This volition allow your device to calibrate itself more accurately using network time and location data. In some instances, disabling a SIM Pin may be necessary.
2. iOS and iPadOS devices sold in People's republic of china mainland and Federal republic of germany may utilise the term Wireless LAN (WLAN) instead of Wi-Fi.
three. GPS is available on iPhone and iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular models.
4. Bluetooth interacts with iBeacons to provide a fashion to create and monitor areas that advertise certain identifying information.
5. iOS and iPadOS devices without a mobile connexion simply employ Wi-Fi for Location Services (if a Wi-Fi network is available). Some third-party apps rely on a Wi-Fi connexion for region monitoring. If a device is passcode locked, this feature may exist limited or inaccurate.

Data about products not manufactured by Apple, or independent websites not controlled or tested by Apple, is provided without recommendation or endorsement. Apple assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection, operation or utilise of 3rd-party websites or products. Apple tree makes no representations regarding third-party website accuracy or reliability. Contact the vendor for additional information.

Published Date: