Is it safe to share your location with a third-party website or app?

Have you ever been using an app when a notification pops up asking you to grant location permission? You may need to grant this permission to get details of your location or find nearby places.

Sharing your location with apps and websites can provide a lot of benefits, such as getting directions or finding restaurants. But with these benefits come privacy and security concerns. Is it really safe to let these apps know your location? And what steps can you take to protect your personal data while using these features?

But what about those times when you’re not sure why an app needs your location? You start wondering — who’s getting this information and what are they doing with it? Is it safe to tap the “allow” button? Check out Can my phone be tracked when location services are disabled?

Is it safe to give a website or app location permission?

There’s no definitive answer to whether it’s safe to share your location. It might be a good thing, but it really depends on who’s asking and what they plan to do with it. It’s like giving out your home address — you probably wouldn’t give it to a random stranger, but you would share it with the late-night pizza delivery guy, right?

Apps and websites often want to access your location to get more specific information than just your general area from your IP address. This is especially true for devices with GPS, which can pinpoint your location to within a few hundred feet. But all of this detailed location data stays private on your device. If someone wants it, they’ll have to ask for permission first. That’s why your device will prompt you before sharing your precise location with an app or website.

The main advantage of allowing location access is how useful and convenient it is. Take navigation apps like Google Maps, for example — without location permission, getting directions would be like having to manually type in your starting point each time. You’ll also appreciate giving location permission to weather apps that give you real-time updates based on where you are. This kind of precise information is incredibly useful when you’re deciding whether to bring an umbrella or sunglasses that day.

Beyond navigation and weather, location data enables ride-sharing apps like Uber to know where you are to match you with nearby drivers. Social media apps can suggest nearby places or events to check out or make it easier to tag your posts. Some apps, like email or finance apps, use it to enhance your security — if you notice unusual activity based on your location, you’ll know something strange might be up and alert you. Check out how to manage Location settings on your Android device.

But when is it not safe to grant location permissions?

Sharing your location with apps and websites can be useful in most cases, but you need to be careful about which options you trust with this information. Where you are and where you go is actually a very private business. It makes sense that one of the reasons companies collect your data, especially your location, is to know where you are so they can show you local ads. But really, just using your general location from your internet connection should be enough. They shouldn’t need your permission to know exactly where you are.

So, when should you think twice before letting a website or app know where you are?

The big red flag is when an app asks for your location but doesn’t really need to know such details. For example, if a basic calculator or document viewer suddenly wants to know your location — that’s weird! These apps can do their job just fine without tracking your whereabouts. That kind of request should probably make you think something fishy is going on, or that the apps just want to collect unnecessary data about you. These shady apps and websites could log your entire location history if you let them, building up a really detailed picture of where you go every day. In the wrong hands, all of this information could be used for stalking, identity theft, or other similarly nefarious activities.

Another thing to watch out for is granting location access to apps from untrustworthy places. If you download an app from a third-party app store instead of an official one, it’s more likely to be suspicious. Official stores do a better job of screening apps, so apps that collect your data or contain viruses are less likely to get in.

Also, monitor whether the app wants constant access to your location. Most modern devices allow you to control when the app accesses your location. You can set it to Allow only while using the app (or similar) instead of Allow all the time (or something similar), which is a great compromise. Not only does it prevent constant tracking from aggressively draining your battery, but your location will remain private unless you're actively using the app.

Ultimately, if you allow apps or websites to use your data or current location, you are subject to their terms, privacy policies, and practices. You should review those terms and practices to understand how they use your location and other information. You can now see How do smartphones and apps know your location?