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How to Turn On/Off Location Services on the iPad

Some apps require that you turn on Location Services

By Daniel Nations Daniel Nations Writer University of Texas at Arlington Daniel Nations has been a tech journalist since 1994. His work has appeared in Computer Currents, The Examiner, and other publications. He is a developer who has published apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play marketplace and Amazon Appstore; he also has worked as a data analyst and DB administrator. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on October 14, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section How to Turn Off Location Services for All Apps at Once How to Temporarily Disable Location Services How to Manage Location Services for One App

What to Know

To turn on/off Location Services on all apps, go to Settings > Privacy > toggle Location Services on or off.Turn on/off Location Services for an app: Settings > Privacy > Location Services > tap app > choose option.Options include Always, While Using the App, and Never. This article explains how to turn Location Services on and off on iPads running iPadOS 15, iPadOS 14, and iPadOS 13.

How to Turn Off Location Services for All Apps at Once

While Location Services can come in handy in many situations, you should disable it if you're concerned about apps knowing your location. Another reason to disable Location Services on the iPad is to save some battery power.
Location services are probably turned on for your iPad, so here's how to shut off location tracking for all your apps at once: Open the iPad's Settings by tapping Settings. Scroll down and tap the Privacy menu item. Tap Location Services at the top of the screen. Tap the toggle switch next to Location Services to off/white to disable the feature. When asked if you're sure, tap Turn Off. With Location Services off, apps won't be able to see your location, and you won't be able to use services like Find My Friends. The iPad's location-tracking sensors are fairly accurate at pinpointing your location. An iPad that can connect to a cellular network also includes an Assisted-GPS chip to help determine the location, but even without GPS, it works almost as well using Wi-Fi triangulation.

How to Temporarily Disable Location Services

You can quickly turn Location Services off and on through the Control Center on your iPad. To do so, swipe down from the upper-right corner of the screen and tap the airplane icon to turn on Airplane Mode. While this method will shut down Location Services for all your apps in just a moment or two, it also stops your phone from taking or making calls and connecting to networks via cellular or ​Wi-Fi.

How to Manage Location Services for One App

While it is easier to disable Location Services for all the apps at once, you can also toggle the setting off for single apps so that they can't identify your location. Every app that uses location services asks your permission first, but even if you allowed it before, you can still disallow it. Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services on your iPad. Scroll down through the list of applications and tap whichever one you want to disable (or enable) Location Services for. You have several options to define when Location Services can use your data. Most have only three, but a few may have an additional one that varies by app. Tap the option you want to assign to the app. Never means the app can't use your location at all.While Using the App means the app can see and use your location when the app is open.Always means that the app can read your location whether or not the app is open. The Always choice isn't always available, but you should avoid using it on apps you don't trust. Your settings will save as soon as you select them. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Turn on Location Services on a Mac How to Enter Low Power Mode on the iPad How to Get Rid of the Hollow Arrow on iPhone How to Disable Facebook Places Location Tracking How to Turn Off Android Phone Sensors How to Turn On Location Services on iPhone or Android The 18 Best Tips to Get More iPad Battery Life (Updated for iPadOS 15.5) How to Open the iPad's Settings How to Use Lockdown Mode on iPad How to Fix an iPad That Won't Update How to Fix a Floating Keyboard on an iPad How to Manage Android App Permissions How to Set up and Use iCloud on the iPad How to Turn iPad On and Off (Every Model) How to Disable the Control Center on the iPad Lock Screen How to Turn Off Google Location Tracking Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies