If I stop sharing my location will they know? Turning off location-based features on your phone prevents your GPS from being activated, which means it can’t provide your location.
There are a few ways you can hide your location. We’ll discuss them in this article.
Turning off the GPS on your phone does not guarantee that your location will be shared with people you know. You need to look into other settings to make sure that your phone is not sharing your location.
With Find My Phone and iMessage location-sharing, you may feel like your friends and family are keeping their eyes on you.
If you feel like your privacy is being invaded, use the following tips to stop sharing your location.
If I Stop Sharing My Location Will They Know? Why Do I Want to Do So?
If you carry your phone all the time, everyone you know will know where you are.
While this has a lot of benefits, including ensuring your safety, it’s not necessarily a good thing.
Here are some reasons why you should not readily share your location:
1. For Safety Reasons
Sharing your location is a double-edged sword when it comes to safety. Don’t share publicly to fend off creepers. Only send the link of your location to trusted recipients.
2. Wasted Battery Life
If you are on a nature hike in areas with no cell connection, turn off the GPS on your phone to avoid draining your phone’s battery.
3. Don’t Share Location Indoors
Most mapping maps have inaccurate location sharing. If you are at a specific boutique inside the mall, it is best not to share your location.
4. Inadvertent Sharing Of Location With Stalkers
This is particularly dangerous for children. Some apps allow almost anyone to track your phone’s location.
5. Unwanted Ads Or Spam
Companies take advantage of location sharing by sending you targeted ads. Potential thieves may also acquire detailed knowledge of your schedule.
Not broadcasting location does not only benefit you. Some people may not want to be publicly exposed as well.
In this age of social media, always ask permission before you tag your friends or family.
How to Stop Sharing My Location The Correct Way? (iPhone)
Your friends and family want to know where you are and how you do. However, you also need to ensure your safety.
Can you stop sharing location without them knowing? Here are a few things you can do to hide where you are.
Solution #1: Turn on Airplane Mode
The easiest and quickest thing you can do to hide your location without others knowing is turn on Airplane mode on your phone.
- From the Home Screen, tap Settings.
- Toggle the Airplane Mode slider to turn it ON.
- You will see the airplane icon on the status bar.
You may also swipe up on the home screen. When you see the Airplane Mode icon, tap it to activate.
Note: If you enable Airplane Mode, you won’t be able to make phone calls, send and receive text messages, and use your mobile network.
Solution #2: Turn Off Find My iPhone
The Find My iPhone app allows you to share your phone’s location with your family members so that you can track it in case you misplaced it or it has been stolen.
Turn it off if you want some privacy.
- Open the Find My iPhone app.
- Tap the Me icon at the bottom corner and click the Share My Location tab.
- Remove individual members on the Share My Location app list.
- Go to People and select the names from the list.
- Click Stop Sharing My Location.
Note: You should be careful turning this feature off because you won’t be able to track your device too if you lose it.
Solution #3: Turn Off Share My Location
In the Share My Location menu, you will see the list of apps you included to share your current location.
If you’re asking the question, If I stop sharing my location, will they know if I turn off this feature?
The answer is NO.
- Go to Settings and select Privacy.
- Look for Location Services and select it to proceed.
- Find the Share My Location and tap it.
- Toggle the enable button to switch it off.
The person you choose won’t see your location or receive notifications about it. They won’t be able to see you on their friend list either.
Note: If you reactivate the sharing again, your friends and family will notify you that you are starting to share your location with them.
Solution #4: Turn Off Precise Locations
If you don’t have access to another device to share your location, turn off precise Location in the Find my iPhone and iMessage apps.
This means people will see which city you are in but not the exact address.
- Open Settings and select Privacy.
- Select Location Services and tap Find My Phone.
- Tap on the next icon to Precise Location. Make sure it is no longer green.
- Repeat the same process for iMessage.
Once you turn off Precise Location, your loved ones will only get a general sense of where you are, but they won’t be able to point to the exact location.
Solution #5: Hide Location from iMessage Contacts
If you enable sharing your location to your iMessage contacts, you can reverse it with just a couple of taps.
- Open the Messages app.
- Select a conversation with the contact you want to stop sharing your location with.
- Tap the Info icon at the right of the contact’s name.
- Select Stop Sharing My Location.
You can also choose to share your location indefinitely by selecting Share until the end of the day or Share for one hour.
Solution #6: Use a Different Device to Change Your Location
If you have another iPhone, you can use it to change your location. Just remember to use the same Apple ID for both iOS devices.
- Open Settings on your iPhone and navigate to your profile.
- Switch on Share My Location.
- Get another iOS device and open the Find My app.
- Click on the Me icon and navigate to the Use this iPhone as My Location icon. Once you select your iPhone, it will replace your former iOS device to share the location.
Note: Anyone with access will now see the location of another iOS device instead of your iPhone.
Quick Recap:
If you stop sharing your location, will they know? As long as you are thorough about it, then no. Ensure that you turn off other location settings such as iMessage, Find My Phone, and your GPS. This will ensure that your location is hidden until you can share it again.
Last Thoughts
If you want to know the answer to the question, If I stop sharing my location, will they know?
This article will help you understand why you should stop sharing your location and how you can do it.
In this post, you will find the answers to basic questions about location sharing. There are also tips on how to turn off your location so that no one can find out your current location.
If you find this helpful but have another difficulty with your iOS location sharing setup, you will find valuable information in our blog.
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Kevin has over five years of experience working in various Tech startups and providing Technical solutions. He has contributed to many Tech publications and websites.