Going further · Step 9 of 13

Photos and location

Your photos and apps can show where you live and where you go.¹⁶ A few settings on your phone, and a careful look before you post, make that harder.

Location hidden inside your photos

When your camera can use your location, it saves where each photo or video was taken inside the file. This is called metadata.¹ People you share the photo with may be able to see that location and learn where it was taken.¹

Google Photos notes that photo files you send outside of Google Photos keep the location your device saved.²

Stop your camera from saving location

iPhone: In Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Location Services, then Camera, and choose Never. Apple says photos can hold location only if the Camera app has access to Location Services.¹

Android: Open your Camera app's settings and turn off the location setting. Google notes that this setting is different depending on who made your phone.²

Remove location before you share

iPhone: When you share from the Photos app, tap Options and turn off Location.¹ You can also remove the location from a photo you already took, from that photo's info.¹

Google Photos: You can choose whether locations are shared in each shared album, link, or conversation.² If you use partner sharing, all photos you share include location details.² Google Photos can't change a location that your camera added.² So turning off camera location first is the simplest fix.

If you use another photo app, look in its help pages for how it handles location.

Check the background

Hiding the location data is not the whole story. Google warns that even if you hide your photos' locations, people can guess where they were taken from landmarks in the photo.²

Before you post, look at the whole picture, not just the person in it. Watch for:

• your house number, front door, or the outside of your home
• street signs and nearby landmarks
• car license plates
• mail, packages, or anything else with your address
• school or work badges, logos, and uniforms
• what shows through a window

Crop or blur these, or take the photo somewhere else. Think about posting after you leave a place instead of while you are still there.

Apps that know where you are

Some apps ask for access to your location, contacts, or photos. The FTC suggests turning off permissions that apps don't need.⁵

Location data can say a lot. In a 2022 case, the FTC said phone location data sold by a data broker could pinpoint people's comings and goings, and that its staff could trace one device to a single-family home.⁶

iPhone: In Settings, go to Privacy & Security, then Location Services, and pick an app to choose how it can use your location.³ You can also turn off Precise Location for an app, so it gets only your approximate location.³

Android: In Settings, go to Location, then App location permissions.⁴ For each app, you can allow location all the time, only while you use the app, ask every time, or not allow it.⁴ You can also give an app your approximate location instead of your exact location.⁴ Steps can differ by phone.⁴

People you share your location with

Some apps let you share your live location with people. With Google Maps location sharing, the people you share with can see your device's recent location even when you aren't using Google apps, and your battery level.⁹ Location sharing that made sense once may not make sense now.

• Find My on iPhone: You can stop sharing your location with a person. Apple says the person isn't notified, but they will no longer see you in their list.⁷
• Safety Check on iPhone (iOS 16 or later) lets you review and stop sharing your information with people and apps. It is in Settings, under Privacy & Security.⁸
• Google Maps: Tap your profile picture, then Location sharing. Tap a person, then tap Stop.⁹

Also check any family, fitness, or messaging app you use for its own location sharing settings.

Be careful if you think someone who might hurt you is watching your phone. For hidden tracking apps, the FTC warns that cutting off someone's access could tip them off, and they may escalate.¹⁰ If you reach out for help, don't use the device that might be monitored.¹⁰ The help link at the top of this page lists free support.

What to do

1. Turn off location for your camera app.
2. Before you share a photo, remove its location and check the background.
3. Go through your apps' location permissions. Use "never" or "while using" where you can, and turn off precise location for apps that don't need it.
4. Review who can see your location in Find My, Google Maps, and any other app you use to share it.
5. If you think someone is tracking you, get help before you change anything.

Last checked: November 8, 2026