The Silent Tracker
Your iPhone is equipped with a highly accurate GPS chip. By default, iOS allows dozens of applications to access this hardware to provide localized data: the Weather app checks your city to provide a forecast, Google Maps tracks your driving route, and the Camera app embeds your exact GPS coordinates into the metadata of every photograph you take. If you are attending a sensitive protest, traveling to a private location, or simply want absolute assurance that no software on your device can track your physical movements, you must sever the connection between the operating system and the GPS hardware.
How to Turn Off Location Services
You can completely disable the GPS hardware via the system privacy settings.
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
- Scroll down the main list and tap on Privacy & Security.
- Look at the very top of the screen and tap on Location Services.
- You will see a master toggle switch at the top labeled Location Services.
- Toggle this switch to the Off position (the green background will disappear).
- A severe warning prompt will appear, confirming that this will disable location tracking for all apps. Tap Turn Off.
The Blackout
The change is absolute and instantaneous. The iPhone immediately cuts power to the GPS chip. The Weather app will no longer know what city you are in, the Maps app will not be able to provide turn-by-turn directions, and your photographs will no longer contain location metadata. The device is completely dark on the grid.