Manage your Android device'southward location settings

You tin can use location-based services such equally getting better local search results, like commute predictions and nearby restaurants based on your phone's location, when you turn location on in settings.

Understand the location settings available on your phone

Important: When you lot turn off location on your telephone, apps and services can't go your phone's location. Yous can still get local results and ads based on your IP address.

Tip: Apps have their own settings. Learn how to manage app location settings.

Plow location on or off for your phone

  1. Swipe down from the superlative of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Location .

Assist your phone become a more than accurate location (Google Location Services a.k.a. Google Location Accuracy)

Plow your phone's location accuracy on or off

When Google Location Accuracy is on

When y'all have Google Location Accuracy turned on, your telephone uses these sources to get the nearly accurate location:

  • GPS
  • Wi-Fi
  • Mobile networks
  • Sensors (such as accelerometer)

Google may collect location data periodically and use this data in an anonymous way to improve location accuracy and location-based services.

When Google Location Accuracy is off

When you lot turn off Google Location Accurateness, your phone uses GPS and sensors, like accelerometer, to determine location. GPS can be slower and less accurate than other sources.

When Google Location Accurateness is off, GPS, Wi-Fi, network, and sensor information are non used or collected by Google Location Accuracy.

For Android 12 and higher, you can manage each app'south permission to access precise location. This is different from Google Location Accurateness, which is a location setting for your device that allows your phone to employ more than sources for the most accurate location.  Even with Google Location Accuracy on, yous can grant an app only approximate location permission if you don't want to allow it access to your device'south precise location.  If you plough off Google Location Accuracy, apps may not be able to get your device'due south precise location. Learn how to manage app location permissions.

Fix Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning

To help apps go improve location info, y'all tin can let your phone scan for nearby Wi-Fi access points or Bluetooth devices.

Android 12 & higher

  1. Swipe downwardly from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Location .
  3. Tap Location services.
  4. Turn Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on or off.

Android 11 & lower

  1. Swipe downward from the top of the screen.
  2. Touch and hold Location .
  3. Tap Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning.
  4. Turn Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning on or off.

Send your location in an emergency

To assist first responders discover you speedily, your phone'due south location can exist sent when you dial or text an emergency number. For instance, dialing 911 in the United states or 112 in Europe.

If Android Emergency Location Service (ELS) works in your country and on your mobile network, and yous oasis't turned off ELS, your telephone volition automatically send its location to first responders using ELS. If ELS is off, your mobile carrier may however send the device's location during an emergency call or text.

Turn Android Emergency Location Service on or off

Y'all can turn Emergency Location Service on or off at any time.

How Emergency Location Service works

ELS is only activated when you call or text a local emergency number.

During your emergency call, ELS may utilize Google Location Accuracy and other information to become the most accurate location possible for the device.

Your telephone sends its location to authorized emergency partners for the purpose of helping emergency services locate you. Your location is sent directly from your telephone to emergency partners.

After a completed emergency telephone call or text during which ELS was active, your telephone may send deidentified usage and analytics data to Google for the purpose of analyzing how well ELS works. This information doesn't include the location sent to authorized emergency partners, and doesn't place yous.

If y'all use an older Android version

Choose location settings (Android 9.0)

To change location settings:

  1. Open your device's Settings app.
  2. Tap Security & Location And thenLocation.
    • If you lot have a work contour, tap Avant-garde.

And then, cull an choice:

Cull location mode (Android four.4—8.one)

  1. Open your phone'due south Settings app.
  2. Tap Security & Location and then Location.
    • If you don't observe "Security & Location," tap Location.
  3. Tap Mode.
  4. Select a fashion:
    • Loftier accuracy: Use GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile networks, and sensors to get the nearly accurate location. Utilize Google Location Services to help estimate your telephone's location faster and more accurately.
    • Battery saving: Utilise sources that utilise less battery, like Wi-Fi and mobile networks. Use Google Location Services to help estimate your telephone's location faster and more accurately.
    • Device merely: Use GPS and sensors. Don't utilize Google Location Services to better location accuracy. This can estimate your phone'south location more slowly and use more than battery.

Choose location access (Android iv.1—4.3)

You can control what location information your phone can use.

  1. Open your phone's Settings app.
  2. Under "Personal," tap Location access.
  3. At the elevation of the screen, plow Access to my location on or off.
    • When location access is on, option either or both of:
      • GPS satellites: Lets your phone estimate its location from satellite signals, like a GPS device in a car.
      • Wi-Fi & mobile network location: Lets your phone apply Google Location Services to help approximate its location faster, with or without GPS.
    • When location access is off:
      Your phone tin can't find its precise location or share it with any apps.

Tip: If you lot accept a tablet that more than than one person uses, each person can accept different location access settings.

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