Apps and defaults
Per app location
Most people call this setting location access for one app.
Each app's location access is set individually to Never, Ask Next Time, While Using the App, or Always.
This setting is present on your iPhone.
- We have this path on file but have not yet confirmed it against an official source.
Where to find it - iOS 16 and later
- Settings
- Privacy & Security
- Location Services
- App name
What it does
While Using grants location only when the app is on screen. Always allows background checks and is worth granting to very few apps. Precise Location is a separate switch within each app's screen.
What changes
When it is on
The app receives location at the level you chose.
When it is off
The app cannot read your position.
Should you turn it on?
Good reasons to turn it on
- Maps, weather and delivery tracking need it.
Good reasons to turn it off
- Always access lets an app build a movement history.
- Most apps work perfectly with While Using.
Battery
Helps
Privacy
Helps
Performance
No real change
Cellular data
No real change
Storage
No real change
Out of the box: Denied until an app asks.
Questions people actually ask
- What does Always location access mean?
- The app can check your position even when it is not open, which is how background tracking works.
If it is not working
- Review anything set to Always. Very few apps genuinely need it.
- A purple arrow means the app used location recently.