Use location services

About location information

You can let your phone use GPS, Wi‑Fi networks, mobile networks, and sensors to estimate your location. Apps that have your permission can use this information to deliver location-based services, such as the ability to check in, view traffic, find nearby restaurants, or tag your photos with the location where you took them.

Turn location on or off

To control what location information your phone can use:

  1. Go to Settings > Location.

  2. Turn Use location on or off to give or remove permission to use your location information.

    When it's off, your phone can't find your precise location or share it with any apps. However, turning this off disables many useful features and apps.

TipTo add a Location tile to quick settings, open quick settings. Tap edit icon and then drag the Location tile where you want it.

Review apps using your location

To see which apps have recently accessed your location:

  1. Go to Settings > Location > App location permissions.

    You'll see apps listed by those allowed all the time, some of the time, and not allowed.

  2. To change permissions, tap the app name, then select the location access you want.

Review services using your location

  1. Go to Settings > Location > Advanced.

  2. Tap a service to open its settings:

    • Earthquake alerts: Sends you an alert about nearby earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or more. (Not available in all countries.)
    • Emergency Location Service: Sends your location to emergency responders when you call or text an emergency number.
    • Location Accuracy: Improves location accuracy for Maps and Find Hub.
    • Google Location History: Clear saved location details and turn location history on or off.
    • Google Location Sharing: View who’s sharing your location, change sharing duration, and stop sharing.
    • Carrier Location Access: Improves carrier services and analytics.
    • Wi‑Fi scanning: Allow or prevent apps and services from scanning for Wi-Fi networks at any time, even when Wi-Fi is off.
    • Bluetooth scanning: Allow or prevent apps and services from scanning for nearby Bluetooth devices at any time, even when Bluetooth is off.

Fix an issue

Issue: Location isn't working

After each step, check to see if the issue is fixed.

  1. Turn location off and then on again.
  2. Turn airplane mode on, wait 15-20 seconds, then turn it off again.
  3. If you're using a case, remove it and check if GPS is working. The case might be obstructing the sensor.
  4. Check if Battery saver is on. To save power, when Battery saver is on, your phone disables location services.
  5. Turn your phone off and then on again.
  6. Check for updates to the Maps app. After updating the app, restart your phone.
  7. Clear the cache and data for the Maps app.

  8. Use safe mode to see if apps you installed are causing the issue and uninstall as needed.

    If location works correctly in safe mode, a 3rd party app is probably causing the issue. A lot of apps use your phone's location. If these apps end up with corrupted files, it can affect your phone’s location too.

Issue: Location isn't accurate

Turn accuracy on:

  1. Go to Settings > Location.
  2. Tap Location services > Location Accuracy.

  3. Turn Improve location accuracy on .

    When this setting is on, your phone uses GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and sensors to get the most accurate location.

    When it's off, your phone uses only GPS to find location, which can be slower and less accurate.

Let your phone scan for nearby Wi-Fi networks or Bluetooth devices:

  1. Go to Settings > Location.
  2. Tap Location services.
  3. Turn Wi‑Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on .