Android is a widely popular operating system for mobile devices managed by giant tech company, Google. It was launched in 2003 to not only become an adversary for Apple’s iOS, but to even outperform Apple and establish a leading position in the market. Android is used by many giant manufacturers of tablets and smartphones, including: Samsung, Motorola, LG, Sony, Huawei and recently Nokia. One of the many reasons behind Android’s popularity is that is extremely affordable compared to Apple’s notoriously expensive products. In addition, while iOS is a closed software that does not allow its users to make any modifications. For example, users can only install apps from what is available on the App Store which in itself follows strict policies and imposes several restrictions to app owners. On the other hand, Android software is much more flexible in this area. It is customisable and users can make a lot of modifications to it because it is an open source software.
Android comes with all the necessary as well as nifty features needed for any mobile device (e.g: smartphones and tablets). Android users can get access to all apps on Google Play Store, customise apps, connect to Wi-Fi or mobile data, use touchscreen, GPS (location services), and many more. GPS or geolocation service are one of the integrated featured in any Android software to add awareness to a user’s geographical location in which they can use to identify their location, track their devices or simply share their favourite moments and places on social media platforms. Numerous applications require a GPS feature to be enabled, such as: Google Maps. On the other hand, as much as Android location services are crucial to some, Android VPN users may disagree sometimes, especially when running VPN speed tests on their Android devices as this feature may interfere with the speed test leading to inaccurate results. This happens because most speed test websites use the GPS feature instead of the device’s IP address to provide the VPN user with results. For this reason, if you want to run an accurate speed test, it is better to turn off the GPS feature.
Another reason for disabling GPS, is that some Android users are very keen on maintaining their privacy and would rather have their location be kept private. In this guide, we will show you how to disable GPS on your Android device.
Disabling GPS or Location on Android Devices
The following steps should apply to any Android device, whether a mobile phone or a tablet.
1- Go to the “notifications bar” on your Android device by swiping down from the top.
2- If you have “Quick Settings” on your handset, you will find “Location” or “GPS” icon in which you can tap on to enable or disable.
3- If your Android device does not have “Quick Settings”, you can go to your home screen and launch “Settings” from there.
4- In some Android versions, you can find “Location” or “GPS” under “Accounts”. In other versions, you may find it under “Privacy”, and in some other versions, you can simply search for it.
5- Once you find “Location” or “GPS”, swipe the button next to it to disable it.
Congratulations! You have successfully disabled the GPS or location on your Android device.
