To turn on location on an iPhone, open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services and turn on the Location Services switch at the top. It turns green when it’s on. Then scroll down the same screen and give each app you want to use your location, such as Maps or Weather, a permission like While Using the App.
The path is the same on every current iPhone, including iOS 26 and iOS 27. If the switch is gray and won’t move, a Screen Time restriction is almost always the reason; the fix is further down this page.
How to turn on Location Services
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap Privacy & Security.
- Tap Location Services at the top of the list.
- Turn on Location Services. The switch turns green and the list of apps below it becomes active.
That’s the master switch. When it’s off, no app can see where you are, and Find My can’t show your iPhone’s location on a map. When it’s on, each app still needs its own permission, which you set next.
Your iPhone works out its position from GPS, Wi-Fi, cellular networks and Bluetooth, according to Apple’s Location Services privacy page. Indoors, where walls block GPS, it falls back on Wi-Fi and cellular until it can see the satellites again.
How to turn on location for a specific app
Most apps ask the first time they need your location. If you tapped Don’t Allow back then, the app stays blocked until you change it here.
- Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
- Scroll down and tap the app, for example Weather.
- Choose how much access it gets (the options are explained in the table below).
- Leave Precise Location on if the app needs your exact spot, such as for turn-by-turn directions or a ride pickup.
Some apps show fewer choices. An app that has never asked for background access won’t offer Always, for instance.
Which location permission should you pick?
| Option | What the app can do | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Never | No access to your location | Apps that have no reason to know where you are |
| Ask Next Time Or When I Share | The app asks again next time, and you pick Allow Once, Allow While Using App or Don’t Allow | Apps you rarely use for location |
| While Using the App | Uses your location only while the app or one of its features is on screen | Maps, weather, shopping and food delivery apps |
| Always | Uses your location even when the app runs in the background | Location-based reminders, home automations, fitness tracking |
Turning off Precise Location shares only your approximate area. That’s enough for a local weather forecast and keeps your exact address private.
How to check whether location is on and which apps use it
Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services. If the top switch is green, location is on. Each app’s current setting (Never, While Using, Always and so on) appears next to its name.
You can also watch the status bar. A small arrow appears at the top of the screen or in Control Center when an app is using your location. In the app list, a small arrow next to an app marks one that has used your location recently.
To see where your iPhone thinks you are right now, open Maps. Your position shows as a blue dot. A larger blue circle around the dot means the phone can only estimate your location, and the size of the circle shows how rough that estimate is.
Why can’t I turn on Location Services?
If the Location Services switch is dimmed and won’t move, Screen Time is locking it. This is common on a child’s iPhone or on a phone that once had parental controls set up.
- Go to Settings > Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions. Enter the Screen Time passcode if asked.
- Tap Location Services.
- Select Allow Changes.
Go back to Privacy & Security > Location Services; the switch should now work. If the phone is managed through Family Sharing, the organizer has to make this change from their own iPhone under Settings > Family > [child’s name]. A work or school iPhone may have location locked by the organization, and only its IT team can change that.
Location is on but wrong or not working
If apps say they can’t find you, or your position jumps to the wrong street or city, work through these in order:
- Check the app’s own setting under Location Services. An app set to Never or with Precise Location off will show a vague or missing location.
- Turn on Wi-Fi, even if you aren’t connected to a network. Nearby Wi-Fi networks help your iPhone pinpoint you indoors and in cities.
- Go to Settings > General > Date & Time and turn on Set Automatically.
- Restart your iPhone and install any update in Settings > General > Software Update.
- If nothing helps, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy.
Note: Reset Location & Privacy doesn’t erase your data, but every app loses its location and privacy permissions. Each one asks again the next time it needs access, so expect a round of pop-ups.
Several different tasks get lumped under “location on iPhone.” Location Services only controls whether your phone and its apps can know where you are. For the rest:
- Send your location to a friend: see how to share your location from Messages or Find My, including one-time pins and ongoing sharing.
- Find your own lost iPhone: Find My must be set up before the phone goes missing. Here’s how to turn on Find My iPhone, and what to do if your iPhone is already lost.
- See a family member’s iPhone on a map: they have to share their location with you first. Our guide on locating an iPhone from another iPhone covers the consent-based options.
Common questions about iPhone location
Does Location Services drain the battery?
Apps set to Always can, because they check your position in the background. Switching rarely used apps to While Using the App or Never trims that without turning location off for everything.
Can emergency services find me if Location Services is off?
Yes. Apple says your iPhone’s location may be used when you place an emergency call, whether or not Location Services is turned on.
How do I turn location back off?
Use the same switch in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services, or set individual apps to Never. Our guide to turning off location on iPhone explains what stops working when you do.
Matthew Roberts is the founder and editor of ARS Digitech. He started the site to answer the iPhone questions his friends and family kept asking him, and it has grown into a library of iPhone and iOS how-to guides. Matthew writes and maintains every tutorial on the site, checking steps and menu names against Apple’s official support documentation and updating guides when an iOS release moves a setting.