- Setting Up Your Home Screens
- Using a Different Launcher
- Configuring Input Options
- Configuring the Lock Screen
- Choosing Location Settings to Protect Your Privacy
- Encrypting Your Device
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Choosing Location Settings to Protect Your Privacy
Carrying a cell phone is like carrying a beacon that constantly tracks your location, and even a Wi-Fi–only tablet keeps track of your whereabouts so that it can provide map information and other location-dependent data. Besides, electronics devices are exposed to snooping, so it’s essential to choose privacy settings that suit your needs.
Here’s how to choose location settings:
Open the Settings app.
In the Personal section, tap the Location button to display the Location screen. (See the left screen in Figure 3.9.)
FIGURE 3.9 On the Location screen (left), you can turn location tracking On or Off, choose which mode to use, and configure Location Services. On the Location Mode screen, choose how you want Android to track your device’s location.
Set the Location switch to the On position to use location tracking.
Tap the Mode button to display the Location Mode screen. (See the right screen in Figure 3.9.)
Tap the button for the location mode you want to use: High Accuracy, Battery Saving, or Device Only.
Tap the arrow button or the Back button below the screen to return to the Location screen.
Review the apps and services in the Recent Location Requests list to make sure that all are apps you want to use location services.
In the Location Services list, tap Google Location History to display the Location History screen. (See the left screen in Figure 3.10.)
FIGURE 3.10 From the Location History screen (left), you can pause location history tracking or turn it off for a device. To delete your location history, tap the Delete Location History button and then tap the Delete button in the Permanently Delete dialog box (right).
TIPIf you have set up multiple Google accounts on your device, make sure the Location History screen is showing the account you want to configure. You can switch accounts by using the pop-up menu at the top of the screen.
If you want to pause location history, set the switch at the top of the Location History screen to Off, and then tap the OK button in the Pause Location History dialog box that opens.
Look at the devices shown on the Location History screen. You can set the switch for a device to Off to turn off location history for that device.
If you want to delete all the location history entries for this Google account, tap the Delete Location History button at the bottom of the Location History screen. In the Permanently Delete? dialog box that appears (see the right screen in Figure 3.10), check the I Understand and Want to Delete box, and then tap the Delete button.
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CAUTION
Deleting your location history entries may stop apps that use your location history from working. Google Now is the app most likely to be affected, but other apps also can be affected.