If you don’t want people tracking you through your Android phone, it can be pretty tricky to find the option to turn it off. Fortunately, Google is now making it a lot easier to find and disable the Location Sharing option by adding a toggle to the base Android settings. It’ll also add a list of all users that are currently tracking your location, so you’re always on top of who you’re sharing your data with.
Google Makes It Easier to See Who You’re Sharing Your Location With
As spotted by Android Headlines, Google is adding the Location Sharing toggle into the main Android settings. Location Sharing lets you share where you are with a list of trusted people, which is great if you’re meeting up with a stranger.
Unfortunately, it’s not inherently obvious where you need to go to adjust your Location Sharing settings. Right now, the easiest way to set it up is to go through Google Maps. Fortunately, with this new update, you can access the options straight from the stock Settings app on your phone.
This change will also give you a glance at everyone who has access to your location. If you enable the feature, Location Sharing will give you a link you can give to friends or family so they can track you. As such, whether you like sharing your location with others or not, this new feature is bound to be a huge help.
Keep in mind that this only disables the Location Sharing feature, which specifically handles your contacts tracking your location. Check out how to control which apps can see your location on Android if that’s more of your concern.
How to Use the New Location Settings on Android
Once this feature arrives on your phone, you should see it pop up when you visit Settings > Google > All Services. It’ll appear in the list of services with the name Google Location Sharing. Tap on that, and you’ll have access to your location settings.
Do remember that if you disable location sharing, it does not notify anyone who is tracking your location. It will instead show them your last known location until you turn it back on. As such, if you plan on disabling your location sharing, be sure to warn everyone before they assume the worst has happened to you.
