Being tracked is one of the consequences of having increasingly integrated and advanced technological ecosystems. The more connected you are to technology, the easier it will be to locate you.
It is no secret to anyone that every time you use an online service or application, you are being tracked by your devices. Most apps and websites monitor your activity and collect your data based on your physical location, shopping and consumption habits, which leave a trail.
So if privacy is your main concern, this could be a headache for you. Fortunately, there are some ways to avoid it, and in this simple guide you will find the best methods to disable location on your Android mobile.
Turn off location services, WiFi connections, and mobile data
If you turn off location services, your device will not be able to track you.
The easiest way to prevent your mobile from tracking you is simply turn off location services, Wi-Fi, and mobile data. Restricting these services essentially makes your device unable to connect to the outside world. If you want to go one step further, you can also activate Airplane mode.
You can do it by accessing your panel Quick setup. Although this solution is not ideal, since you obviously need an active internet connection and a mobile network to use your phone normally; still, if you need peace of mind, this method can help you.
Pause or delete your Google activity
we all know that Google has a huge amount of data about us. This data is divided into three categories: Web & App Activity, Location History, and YouTube History. You can view and manage all this data in the Google app, and by following these steps you can pause your activity:
- open the google app on your device and click on your profile picture.
- Click on Manage your Google account.
- Now go to the tab Data and privacy.
- In the history settings, tap Web and app activity.
- Then tap on Deactivate and then select pause.
- do the same with the location history and YouTube history.
If what you want is to delete all your Google activity, then you will have to comply with the following steps:
- Follow the steps above until you reach the history settings, and tap Web and app activity.
- Click on Manage all web and app activity.
- Then click on the option Filter by date and product in case you only want to remove specific items.
- Choose Remove and then set the time range between Last hour, Last day, All time or set a custom range.
- You can also click on Configure automatic deletion to delete your activity at regular intervals. Here you can select between three, 18 or 36 months.
- Now do the same with the location and YouTube history to completely remove your activity from Google.
Uninstall apps you don’t need
It’s a simple rule of thumb that the more apps you have, the easier it may be to monitor your movements online. Therefore, to minimize your chances of being tracked, it is a good idea uninstall apps from your device that you don’t normally use. This includes pre-installed bloatware apps, social networking apps, dating apps, fitness apps, and much more.
Please note that some pre-installed apps cannot be uninstalled, and in these cases, your only option is disable them to prevent them from running in the background, unless you want to risk rooting your Android phone, which is not a very smart move these days.
Remember that even if you try to disable any type of location on your smartphone, it is very difficult for you to become completely untraceable. As long as your mobile is with you, it is likely that you will send some kind of data to the outside world, even if you are using applications that claim to protect your privacy.
Related topics: Android
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