How to disable location history on Google, Apple, and more

As you go about your day, your smartphone quietly creates location history — a detailed record of where you have been, when, and for how long. And that data can be used to monitor and profile you. The thought of a company (and its partners) knowing the exact address you spend your time at can be unsettling, but it’s a reality that many may not realize.

Big Tech has conditioned us to think that the price for convenience is our privacy. How else could Google Maps predict your commute or recommend a restaurant near a place you visit regularly?

The problem is that location history creates a persistent record of your movements and lets app providers and advertisers build a detailed picture of your life. Everything from your habits, health, and lifestyle can be inferred from this data. Advertisers use location history to target you, data brokers sell it to whoever’s interested, and governments can buy location data to track you — usually without you knowing about it (let alone agree to it). 

In the wrong hands, such as a stalker, abusive partner, or cybercriminal, your location history creates a physical security risk since it can expose your home address, workplace, daily schedule, and any place else you regularly visit.

If this doesn’t sit well with you, you can turn off location history and location services to protect your privacy.

Location services vs. Location history

Within your device settings, you’re likely to see the terms “Location Services” and “Location History.” They might sound like they’re the same thing, but there’s a big difference:

Location services refer to the real-time GPS function that allows your phone to determine your location at any given moment, often used by navigation, weather, and ride-sharing apps.

Location history contains a record of your past visits and routes. Google Maps calls this feature “Timeline,” while Apple calls it “Significant Locations.”

You can disable location history without breaking the apps that rely on real-time location. We’re showing you how to turn off both.

• How to disable Google location history on Android and iOS
• How to disable location history on Apple devices
• How to disable location history on Windows
• How to disable location tracking on browsers
• Manage location permissions for apps
• Use a VPN to keep your location private

How to disable Google location history on Android and iOS

Google has rebranded “Location History” as “Timeline,” but the underlying function remains the same — a log of your precise whereabouts over time, made possible by staying signed in to your Google account. Because Google services are tied to your account, this data collection follows you across Android devices, iPhones, and the web. 

The steps below will guide you through how to turn off your Google location history on Android and iOS, though the exact wording may vary depending on your device.

Turn off Timeline on Google Maps

Timeline data is stored on your device rather than on Google’s servers. While this limits Google’s direct access, the log itself still exists — and if your phone is stolen or accessed by someone else, your full movement history can be exposed.

Here’s how to disable Timeline:

1. Open Google Maps on Android or iOS.
2. Tap your profile picture.
3. Select Your Timeline.
4. Tap the three dots ⋮ in the top-right corner and select Location and privacy settings.
5. Open Timeline (or Location History).

6. Tap Turn off and select Turn off and delete activity.

Disabling Timeline stops new data from being recorded, but does not erase what has already been logged, so you also have to delete Google Maps history.

Delete Google Maps history 

1. Open Google Maps on Android or iOS.
2. Tap your profile picture.
3. Select Your timeline.
4. Tap the three dots ⋮ in the top-right corner and select Location and privacy settings.
5. Select one of the two options:
   • Delete all Timeline data to erase everything that Google has recorded about your routes and visits. 
   • Delete range of Timeline data if you would rather remove records from a period while keeping the rest of your Timeline history.

6. Select Delete to confirm.

Keep Timeline on, but auto-delete older location history 

If you occasionally find Timeline useful — for example, to recall a restaurant you visited while traveling — you don’t have to choose between keeping everything or deleting it all. You can set a retention window so older data is removed automatically from all devices where you’re signed in with the same Google account:

1. Open Google Maps on Android or iOS.
2. Tap your profile picture.
3. Select Your timeline.
4. Tap the three dots ⋮ in the top-right corner and select Location and privacy settings.
5. Select Auto-delete Timeline data.

3. Choose how far back data should be kept before it’s deleted.
4. Select Next, then Confirm.

Disable Web & App Activity

Google’s location tracking has faced repeated legal challenges after a 2018 investigation(nytt fönster) found that Google apps and services continued storing user location even after Location History was turned off, because other settings, like Web & App Activity, kept tracking location in the background. That finding led to a string of state lawsuits and settlements over the following years, but Google never admitted any wrongdoing.

Here’s how to disable Web & Activity:

1. Go to myaccount.google.com and sign in.
2. Go to Data & Privacy and select Web & App Activity.

3. Select Turn off and then Turn off and delete activity.

If you’d rather sidestep Google Maps altogether, European navigation and map alternatives like Organic Maps and HERE WeGo run on non-Google mapping data and don’t require a Google account to use.

How to disable location history on Apple devices

Apple uses Significant Locations for location history on iPhone(nytt fönster) and other iOS devices. According to the company, this feature is stored on-device, end-to-end encrypted, and only used to provide better experiences in Apple apps like Maps and Photos. 

It doesn’t change the fact that a detailed log of your whereabouts still exists. If access to your device is compromised, Significant Locations can reveal exactly where you’ve been. Here’s how to find it, clear it, and turn it off on all your Apple devices:

Turn off Significant Locations on iPhone and iPad 

Significant Locations is buried deep within your device’s system settings. Note that Apple Watch and CarPlay mirror the settings on your iPhone, so following these steps will also stop them from logging your movements:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Select Privacy & Security.
3. Tap Location Services. 
4. Scroll to the bottom and select System Services.
5. Tap Significant Locations.
6. Toggle off Significant Locations & Routes.
7. Select Clear History to delete existing logs.

Turn off Significant Locations on Mac

Macs determine your location using known WiFi networks and can store a list of places important to you to provide a more seamless experience on Apple apps. Here’s how to disable and wipe that data:

1. Click the Apple icon in your menu bar, then select System Settings.
2. Click Privacy & Security from the sidebar.
3. Click Location Services.
4. Under System Services, click Details.
5. Toggle off Significant Locations.
6. Click Details beside the toggle.

7. Under Recent Records, click the three dots icon at the bottom of the section.
8. Click Clear History to delete existing logs.

How to disable location history on Windows 

Windows devices collect and store location history using WiFi, Bluetooth, your IP address(nytt fönster), GPS, and cell towers. Because Windows devices require a Microsoft Account to sign in, your location data is stored in the cloud and accessible to the company.

Microsoft treats location as regular personal data, which may be used for various things including personalized ads and AI training (Copilot(nytt fönster)). If you’re not comfortable with the level of access that Microsoft has to your location history, here’s how to stop it:

Stop location services

Here’s how to turn off location services(nytt fönster) on Windows:

1. Open the Start menu and click Settings.
2. Click Privacy & security (Windows 11) or Privacy (Windows 10).
3. Click Location.
4. Toggle off Location Services.

If you’d rather keep location services(nytt fönster) on but limit which apps can access them, leave the Location Services toggle on, scroll down to Let apps access your location, and toggle off the apps you don’t want accessing location services.

Clear location history

To clear on-device location history on Windows 10:

1. Go to Settings → Privacy.
2. Click Location → Location history.
3. Click Clear.

To delete cloud-stored location data (Windows 10 and 11):

1. Go to your Microsoft Privacy Dashboard on account.microsoft.com.
2. Sign in with your Microsoft account.
3. Go to Privacy → Location.

4. Open Location Activity and click Clear location activity.

How to disable location tracking on browsers

Web browsers are another avenue for location tracking, and they tend to override system settings. Whenever a website asks for your location, and you click “Allow,” that permission usually persists until you manually revoke it.

On a smartphone, revoking location permissions from your browser app stops tracking across websites. On a laptop or desktop, you need to change the permissions within the browser itself (or use private/incognito mode). 

Google Chrome

The following steps apply only to Chrome on desktop. For mobile, see Manage location permissions for apps.

1. Click the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of your browser window. 
2. Click Settings.
3. From the sidebar, click Privacy and security.
4. Click Site settings, then Location.
5. Click Don’t allow sites to see your location.

On the same page, you might see a list of websites that currently have access to your location. Click the trash icon to revoke their access.

Safari 

The following steps apply only to Safari on macOS. For iOS devices such as iPhone and iPad, see Manage location permissions for apps.

1. Open Safari and click Safari in the top menu bar.
2. Click Settings and navigate to the Websites tab.
3. From the sidebar, click Location.
4. In the bottom-right corner, look for When visiting other websites and change the dropdown setting to Deny.

On the same page, you might see a list of websites that currently have access to your location. Click on a website, then select Remove in the bottom-left corner to revoke its access.

Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and others

For browsers other than Chrome or Safari, the steps follow a similar pattern:

1. Open your browser’s settings menu.
2. Look for the privacy section, often named Privacy or Privacy & Security.
3. Look for Location settings and block or revoke site access from there.

Manage location permissions for apps

Apps are a common source of location tracking — and many of them ask for far more access than they need. For example, ride-hailing and fitness apps have a legitimate reason to know where you are, but social media and shopping apps don’t really have a legitimate reason for knowing this sensitive information.

The most important setting to watch out for is Always or Allow all the time. Granting this level of access means the app can track your location in the background, even when you’re not using it.

Regularly reviewing which apps have location access (such as the Instagram “Friends Map” feature) is one of the most effective privacy habits you can build. It’s also a good idea to stop unknown apps running in the background, which may collect your location data. 

Here’s how to review and revoke app location access on your mobile devices:

Android

1. Go to Settings → Location → Location to view all apps which currently have access to your device’s location data.
2. Select an app and choose one of the following:
   • Deny or Don’t allow — This blocks location tracking at all times.
   • Ask every time — The app will ask for permission each time it needs your location.
   • Allow only while using the app — This prevents background tracking.

3. Toggle off Use precise location to limit the app to approximate location data rather than your exact coordinates.*

iOS

1. Go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services.
2. Select an app and change its location access permission to one of the following:
   • Never — This blocks location tracking at all times.
   • Ask Next Time Or When I Share — The app will ask for permission each time it needs your location.
   • While Using the App — This prevents background tracking.
3. Toggle off Precise Location to limit the app to approximate location data rather than your exact coordinates.*

*Some apps require precise location access to function properly, such as navigation apps like Google Maps, fitness apps like Strava, and ride-sharing apps like Uber. If you use these, keep the Precise Location toggle on, but set it to “While using the app” to preserve more of your privacy.

Use a VPN to keep your location private

Disabling or restricting location tracking goes a long way towards reclaiming your privacy, but things can still slip through. Newly-installed apps may default to full location access, and software updates can introduce new features that log your movements. Regularly reviewing permissions on your devices is important. 

But there’s another source of location data that setting menus can’t touch: your IP address(nytt fönster). Even with location history and tracking disabled, apps and websites can still determine your general location through your IP address. The most effective way to stop this is by masking your IP address with a VPN(nytt fönster).

Proton VPN replaces your IP address with one from our VPN servers whenever you connect, hiding your location(nytt fönster) from websites, apps, advertisers, governments, and your internet service provider (ISP)(nytt fönster).

It also protects your internet traffic with powerful encryption, keeping your online activity private and making it harder for third parties to track where you are and what you do online.