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Allow precise or approximate location for one iPhone app

Go to Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services, choose the app, select the allowed timing and toggle Precise Location as needed. An app may still restrict a feature if it requires precise or background location.

Go to Settings › Privacy & Security › Location Services, choose the app, select the allowed timing and toggle Precise Location as needed. An app may still restrict a feature if it requires precise or background location. First, confirm Location Services is on and choose the app from the system list.

Part of Settings Paths by Platform and Version

What this covers

  • An installed iPhone app requesting system location access

What it does not cover

    Try in this order

    0 of 9 completed

    1. Establish the exact starting state

      Reversible

      Confirm Location Services is on and choose the app from the system list.

    2. Separate the fault or decision boundary

      Reversible

      Distinguish Never, Ask Next Time, While Using and Always from the separate Precise Location switch.

    3. Apply the narrowest correction

      Reversible

      Grant only the minimum timing and precision the feature genuinely needs.

    4. Check that Location Services is on and find the app

      Reversible

      Open Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services and make sure the master switch is on. Then scroll the list to the app you want and open it to see its current setting.

    5. Choose the timing that the feature really needs

      Reversible

      Never blocks all use, Ask Next Time or When I Share asks each time, While Using the App allows it only when the app is open, and Always allows it in the background. Most apps work well with While Using the App.

    6. Decide whether the app needs Precise Location

      Reversible

      The Precise Location switch is separate. Leave it on for navigation, ride hailing and delivery. Turn it off for weather, news and shopping apps that only need your general area, then open the app and test the feature.

    7. Open the app's own entry in Location Services

      Reversible

      Go to Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services and tap the app. Changing it there affects only that app.

    8. Prefer While Using the App, and turn Precise Location off if the app does not need it

      Reversible

      That leaves the app able to use your location on screen while blocking background tracking, and gives it only an approximate position.

    9. Verify before escalating

      Reversible

      Return to the app and reproduce the map, arrival or local-content feature.

    Apple

    The four location permissions and the precision toggle

    Each app's location setting has exactly these choices on iPhone.

    Never
    Prevents the app from accessing Location Services information.
    Ask Next Time Or When I Share
    Lets you choose Always While Using App, Allow Once or Don't Allow the next time the app asks.
    While Using the App
    Allows access only when the app or one of its features is visible on the screen.
    Always
    Allows access to your location even when the app is in the background.
    Precise Location
    A separate toggle controls whether an app receives your exact location or an approximate one.
    Where it is
    Settings, Privacy & Security, Location Services, then the app.

    Stop boundary

    When this stops being a self-service repair

    • !Do not grant Always to an app you do not recognize or do not need in the background, and review the list from time to time for apps that have a purple or blue indicator.

    Evidence ledger

    Sources behind this answer

    01
    Apple Turn Location Services and GPS on or off on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

    Apple's per-app Location Services path including the Precise Location toggle the page describes.

    Exact questions

    Common questions about “Allow precise or approximate location for one iPhone app”

    What is the difference between Precise and approximate location?+

    Precise shares your exact position, while approximate shares a region of a few miles, which is enough for weather or local news.

    Why does an app ask me to change to Always?+

    Some features, such as arrival alerts or tracking a run, need the location in the background. Grant Always only if you want those features.

    Will turning off location break the app?+

    It may limit features such as maps and local results, but the app should still open. You can turn it back on later.

    Does Location Services affect Find My?+

    Find My has its own location switch inside Location Services. Do not turn it off if you rely on finding a lost device.

    What is the difference between While Using and Always?+

    Apple says While Using allows access only when the app or a feature is visible on screen, while Always also allows access in the background.

    Where do I review all location permissions?+

    In Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services, where each app is listed.

    Wrong device or version?

    Match the path before repeating the steps.

    Match another device