Back in 2017, Uber caught major heat for quietly removing the “While Using the App” option for location access on iPhone—essentially forcing users to choose between constant GPS tracking or breaking the app entirely. Fortunately, Apple stepped in with iOS 11 to give users back control. If you’re concerned about apps tracking you unnecessarily (and draining your battery in the process), here’s what you can do right now to lock down GPS access on your iPhone.
1. Check and Change GPS Settings for Each App
To keep your location private and conserve battery life, make sure your apps can only access GPS when they absolutely need to.
Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services
- Make sure Location Services is On
- Tap on each app and change the setting to:
- “While Using the App” (ideal)
- “Never” if you don’t want the app accessing your location at all
⚠️ Some apps like older versions of Uber and Waze didn’t initially support “While Using” mode. Updating to iOS 11 or later now forces them to offer that option.
2. Delete Apps That Demand Constant GPS Access
If an app doesn’t offer the “While Using the App” option and insists on tracking you “Always”, consider removing it.
To delete an app:
- Tap and hold the app icon until it wiggles
- Tap the X in the top-left corner
- Confirm the deletion
Or go to:
Settings > General > iPhone Storage, select the app, and tap Delete App.
3. Update to iOS 11 or Later (If You Haven’t Already)
iOS 11 was a major privacy update. Even if an app didn’t support “While Using the App” location access, iOS 11 forced the option anyway. It also introduced a blue status bar to show when an app is accessing your location in the background.
To update:
- Go to Settings > General > Software Update
- Install the latest iOS version available
💡 Pro Tip: After updating, revisit Settings > Privacy > Location Services and make sure each app’s location access is set how you want it.
4. Reduce Battery Drain from GPS
Location tracking is one of the biggest battery hogs on your iPhone. To stop GPS from running unnecessarily in the background:
- Set most apps to “While Using the App”
- Disable location access entirely for apps that don’t truly need it
- Avoid leaving GPS-heavy apps like Uber, Waze, and Google Maps running in the background
5. Know When You’re Being Tracked
On iOS 11 and later, a blue status bar or blue pill at the top left of your screen means an app is using your location in the background.
If you see that and don’t know why:
- Swipe down to open Control Center
- Tap the app name shown in blue
- Adjust its GPS permissions in Settings