How to Control Location Permissions for System Services on Your iPhone
Your iPhone has access to more of your data than you may be aware of, and taking control of what it can track is important. Your location is provided to certain apps and features, but you may not know that iPhone’s system services also have complete access to your location unless you disable it.
We’ll discuss the various system services that have access to your location and teach you how to disable them on your iPhone or iPad.
What Are System Services Under Your iPhone’s Location Services?
Your iPhone’s system services include various built-in processes and features to ensure optimal functionality and enhance user experience. When we talk about System Services under Location Services, it implies that these built-in features require your location to function properly. It’s important to note that the location data collected is anonymous.
Some practical examples of these services include Find My iPhone, which is one of the many ways to find your lost iPhone, and Emergency Calls & SOS, which uses your location during emergency calls to provide accurate data to responders.
However, other location-based system services like Compass Calibration and Location-Based Suggestions are less frequently used and can be turned off to protect your privacy and prevent battery drainage.
How to Limit Location Permissions for Your iPhone’s System Services
There’s a specific place in your iPhone’s Settings app where you’ll find all location-based services are placed. While you can choose to turn off Location Services altogether, here’s how to disable location permissions for your iPhone’s system services:
- Open Settings and go to Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services at the top.
- Scroll down to the bottom and tap System Services.
- You will see many features that use your location, like Compass Calibration, Motion Calibration and Distance, and System Customization. Toggle off the ones you don’t need.
Take Control of Your iPhone’s Location Services
As you can see, many system services rely on your iPhone’s location, and you may not even be aware of it. Some of these features are essential and effective; others, not so much.
So, disable the services that aren’t essential to protect your privacy while maintaining good performance at the same time. It’s important to use your smartphone features wisely, especially with the tech world advancing at such a quick pace.