Manage your Android device's location settings

Y'all tin use location-based services such every bit getting better local search results, like commute predictions and nearby restaurants based on your phone'south location, when you turn location on in settings.

Sympathize the location settings available on your phone

Important: When you turn off location on your phone, apps and services tin can't get your phone's location. You tin still get local results and ads based on your IP accost.

Tip: Apps have their own settings. Learn how to manage app location settings.

Turn location on or off for your phone

  1. Swipe downwardly from the height of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Location .

Help your phone get a more accurate location (Google Location Services a.k.a. Google Location Accuracy)

Turn your phone's location accuracy on or off

When Google Location Accuracy is on

When you have Google Location Accurateness turned on, your phone uses these sources to get the near accurate location:

  • GPS
  • Wi-Fi
  • Mobile networks
  • Sensors (such as accelerometer)

Google may collect location data periodically and use this data in an anonymous way to ameliorate location accurateness and location-based services.

When Google Location Accuracy is off

When you plough off Google Location Accuracy, your phone uses GPS and sensors, like accelerometer, to make up one's mind location. GPS can be slower and less accurate than other sources.

When Google Location Accuracy is off, GPS, Wi-Fi, network, and sensor data are not used or nerveless past Google Location Accurateness.

For Android 12 and college, you tin can manage each app's permission to access precise location. This is dissimilar from Google Location Accuracy, which is a location setting for your device that allows your phone to use more sources for the most accurate location.  Even with Google Location Accurateness on, you tin grant an app only approximate location permission if you don't want to allow it access to your device'south precise location.  If you turn off Google Location Accurateness, apps may not be able to get your device's precise location. Learn how to manage app location permissions.

Fix Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning

To aid apps get amend location info, you tin can let your telephone browse for nearby Wi-Fi access points or Bluetooth devices.

Android 12 & college

  1. Swipe down from the peak of the screen.
  2. Touch and concord Location .
  3. Tap Location services.
  4. Turn Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on or off.

Android eleven & lower

  1. Swipe down from the elevation of the screen.
  2. Bear upon and hold Location .
  3. Tap Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning.
  4. Turn Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on or off.

Transport your location in an emergency

To aid offset responders find you chop-chop, your phone'southward location can be sent when you lot dial or text an emergency number. For example, dialing 911 in the US or 112 in Europe.

If Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) works in your state and on your mobile network, and you oasis't turned off ELS, your phone volition automatically send its location to first responders using ELS. If ELS is off, your mobile carrier may still send the device'south location during an emergency call or text.

Plow Android Emergency Location Service on or off

You lot tin can turn Emergency Location Service on or off at whatsoever time.

How Emergency Location Service works

ELS is only activated when you lot telephone call or text a local emergency number.

During your emergency call, ELS may employ Google Location Accuracy and other information to become the well-nigh accurate location possible for the device.

Your phone sends its location to authorized emergency partners for the purpose of helping emergency services locate you. Your location is sent directly from your phone to emergency partners.

Afterwards a completed emergency call or text during which ELS was agile, your telephone may transport deidentified usage and analytics information to Google for the purpose of analyzing how well ELS works. This data doesn't include the location sent to authorized emergency partners, and doesn't identify yous.

If y'all utilise an older Android version

Cull location settings (Android 9.0)

To change location settings:

  1. Open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security & Location And thenLocation.
    • If you have a piece of work contour, tap Advanced.

So, choose an option:

Choose location mode (Android 4.4—8.1)

  1. Open up your phone's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security & Location and then Location.
    • If you lot don't notice "Security & Location," tap Location.
  3. Tap Fashion.
  4. Select a manner:
    • Loftier accurateness: Use GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and sensors to become the most accurate location. Use Google Location Services to help estimate your telephone's location faster and more accurately.
    • Battery saving: Use sources that utilize less battery, similar Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Use Google Location Services to help guess your phone'south location faster and more accurately.
    • Device but: Use GPS and sensors. Don't employ Google Location Services to improve location accuracy. This tin can guess your phone's location more slowly and employ more battery.

Choose location access (Android 4.i—4.three)

You lot tin control what location information your telephone can use.

  1. Open your phone'due south Settings app.
  2. Under "Personal," tap Location access.
  3. At the elevation of the screen, plow Access to my location on or off.
    • When location access is on, pick either or both of:
      • GPS satellites: Lets your phone estimate its location from satellite signals, like a GPS device in a auto.
      • Wi-Fi & mobile network location: Lets your phone employ Google Location Services to assistance estimate its location faster, with or without GPS.
    • When location access is off:
      Your phone can't find its precise location or share it with any apps.

Tip: If you take a tablet that more than than ane person uses, each person tin accept dissimilar location access settings.

Was this helpful?

How can nosotros better it?