Given advances in wireless technology, parents now have access to many exciting tools, such as Verizon’s Family Locator service, that can help them keep tabs on their child’s wireless device as they head home from school or to a friend’s house. There are also many positive examples of location-based technologies aiding in the rescue of kidnapping victims or lost drivers.
Location information is often obtained using the GPS capabilities now included in most cell phones. This location information can be used by applications (apps) and services on a cell phone such as Verizon’s Family Locator, social networking apps like Foursquare or Facebook Places, and navigation programs such as VZ Navigator and Google Maps. Customers are usually required to sign up for or purchase these apps and services.
If you want to prevent apps and services from using GPS to determine your cell phone’s location, you can typically do so under a “Settings” or “Options” tab on your phone. To simplify things for you, we have provided step-by-step instructions for disabling GPS on the most common types of phones sold by Verizon Wireless. It’s important to remember that turning off GPS on your phone will not affect the use of GPS to determine your phone’s location when making emergency calls to 911, and your phone can usually be located by public safety officials in the case of an emergency.
See below for more details! (Note: disabling GPS on your device may affect the functionality of some apps and other services such as weather, maps, and turn by turn directions).
To Disable GPS on an Android Device:
Step 1: Select the Settings Button from the Main Screen
Step 2: Select the Location Tab
Step 3: Turn Location Settings off by “unchecking” gray boxes to the right
Warning Screens for each setting:
To Disable GPS on the iPhone:
Step 1: Go to Settings on the Main Screen
Step 2: Select General from the Settings Menu
Step 3: Turn “Location Services” to Off
To Disable GPS on a Blackberry:
Step 1: Go to Options on the Main Screen
Step 2: Select “Advanced Options”
Step 3: Select “GPS”
Step 4: On the “GPS Services” Tab, select “E911 Only”
Step 5: Also on the same page, disable “Location Aiding”
To Disable GPS on a Feature Phone like the LG Voyager pictured here:
Step 1: Go to Settings & Tools on the Main Screen
Step 2: Select Phone Settings
Step 3: Select Location
Step 4: Select “E911” Only
To Disable GPS on a Palm:
Step 1: Select the Menu Button
Step 2: Select the Location Services button:
Step 3: Turn Auto Locate Off
