How to Turn Location Sharing On or Off (iPhone & Android)

You can control location sharing at any time using your phone’s settings.

iPhones and Android phones both let you decide when an app can access your location history, and those choices determine whether updates are shared or paused.

Understanding where these controls live makes it easier to manage your privacy, set boundaries, and avoid confusion about when your location is visible.

Location Sharing: Where Control Really Lives

Location sharing starts at the device level. Your phone decides whether an app can see your location data, how often it can update, and whether that access is always on, only while the app is open, or turned off completely.

That means every location sharing app follows the same rule: it can only work with the permissions you give it.

Turning Location Sharing On or Off on an iPhone

When you’re sharing your location on an iPhone, the controls live inside Location Services.

To manage location access for an app:

• Open Settings
• Tap Privacy & Security
• Tap Location Services
• Scroll and select the app you want to manage
• Choose one:
  • Never
  • Ask Next Time or When I Share
  • While Using the App
  • Always (if available)

To turn Location Services off entirely:

• Open Settings
• Tap Privacy & Security
• Tap Location Services
• Toggle Location Services off

If access is turned off, your updates will stop. When access is turned back on, and your phone has a connection, updates will resume.

Turning Location Sharing On or Off on an Android

Android also uses system-level permissions.

To manage location access for an app:

• Open Settings
• Tap Location
• Tap App location permissions
• Select the app
• Choose one:
  • Allow all the time
  • Allow only while using the app
  • Ask every time
  • Don’t allow

To turn off your location entirely:

• Open Settings
• Tap Location
• Toggle “Use location” off

This applies whether you’re using a locator app for Android phones or any other tool that relies on location access.

How Apps Use Your Settings

Apps can’t override your phone’s choices. If location permissions are off, your updates will pause. Similarly, if your device has no data connection—or is in airplane mode—updates will pause.

Once both permissions and a connection return, your updates can continue automatically. This is true for any locator app and for every other app that depends on location data.

Using Location Sharing for Families

Many people use family location sharing during school routines, commutes, or holiday travel days. 

Turning sharing on when it’s useful and pausing it during downtime keeps communication clear without feeling intrusive.

Setting expectations ahead of time also helps. For example, some families share their location during travel and pause it once everyone has arrived and settled in.

Staying in Control of Location Sharing

Turning location sharing on or off is one of the simplest ways to manage privacy while still staying connected. 

When you understand how your phone handles these settings, you can decide when sharing makes sense and when it doesn’t.

Closr is a location sharing app designed to work with your device’s permissions, not override them. It reflects your choices, pauses when you pause, and shares only within private circles so you can stay connected without any added pressure.