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TurnOffLocation Apps Facebook & Messenger

App guide

How to turn off location on Facebook and Messenger

Facebook and Messenger carry separate switches, and they do different things. Stopping a live location ends one chat's share; taking each app's location permission away in your phone's settings is a different switch with a different result. Meta documents who can see a live location, but not a notice to anyone when you stop one.

Do they get told?Meta documents who can see a live location in a Messenger chat — only the people in that chat — and that it turns off by itself after one hour or when you stop it. It does not document a notice to anyone when you stop a live location, remove a location from a post, or take the Facebook or Messenger app's location permission away. Meta's Location Settings page adds that with Location Services off it may still estimate your location from things like check-ins, events and information about your internet connection.

Take location away from the Facebook app

in iPhone Settings
Path
  1. Settings
  2. Privacy & Security
  3. Location Services
  4. Facebook
  5. Never

From the vendor’s own page · iOS (current release), read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Facebook Help Center — Turn on Location Services for Facebook (iPhone App Help), Facebook Help Center — How Facebook's Location Settings work (iPhone App Help)

Do they get told?Whether anyone is told when Facebook's location access is set to Never is not documented on Meta's location pages. What Meta does document is what it may still have: with Location Services off it may still estimate your location from things like check-ins, events and information about your internet connection.
Who can still see you
Off
The Facebook app on this iPhone
Facebook can no longer read your position from this phone, so a new post or check-in has nothing to tag you with.
Still on
Messenger and every other app
This is one app's permission. Messenger, Instagram and everything else on this iPhone keep their own.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection. Your carrier still places you by cell tower.

Meta's page names the choices on this screen While Using the App, Ask Next Time or Never.

Take location away from Messenger

in iPhone Settings
Path
  1. Settings
  2. Privacy
  3. Location Services
  4. Messenger
  5. Never

From the vendor’s own page · iOS 14 and later as named on Apple's page (dated 2026-01-14), read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Messenger Help Center — Change your location settings for Messenger on iOS, Apple Support — Turn Location Services and GPS on or off on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

Do they get told?Whether the people in a chat are told when Messenger's location access is set to Never is not documented on Meta's Messenger pages. What is documented is the share itself: a live location turns off by itself after one hour, or you can stop it at any time.
Who can still see you
Off
The Messenger app on this iPhone
Messenger can no longer read your position, so it cannot start a live location or refresh one you already sent.
Still on
Facebook and every other app
This is one app's permission. The Facebook app, Instagram and everything else on this iPhone keep their own.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it uses your location and IP address to display live location, and your carrier still places you roughly by cell tower.

Meta's Messenger article prints this screen as Privacy; current iOS and Apple's own page name it Privacy & Security.

Stop sharing your live location in a chat

inside the Messenger app
Path
  1. Chats
  2. the chat
  3. the live location message
  4. View location
  5. Stop sharing location

From the vendor’s own page · Messenger iPhone app, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Messenger Help Center — Send your live location in a chat on Messenger (iPhone App Help)

Do they get told?Whether the others in the chat are told when you stop a live location is not documented on Meta's Messenger pages. What is documented is who could see it: only the people in that chat, and the share turns off by itself after one hour if you do not stop it first.
Who can still see you
Off
The people in that chat
Your live location stops updating for them. The map in that chat no longer follows you.
Still on
Other chats, and Messenger itself
A live location you started in another chat keeps running, and Messenger keeps its location permission on this phone.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it uses your location and IP address to display live location. Your carrier and any site you open still place you roughly.

Meta's page also says a live location turns off automatically after one hour.

Remove the location from a post

inside the Facebook app
Path
  1. the post
  2. Options
  3. Edit post
  4. Location
  5. Remove
  6. Save

From the vendor’s own page · Facebook iPhone app, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Facebook Help Center — Edit or remove the location on a Facebook post or photo (iPhone App Help)

Do they get told?Whether anyone is told when you remove a location from a post is not documented on Meta's page, and it does not describe what people see afterwards. What is documented is the limit and the cause: you can only edit your own post or photo, and Meta says the way to stop posts including your location is to turn off Location Services in your phone's settings.
Who can still see you
Off
Anyone who opens that post
The place name comes off the post you edited. Only that post changes.
Still on
Your other posts and check-ins
Every other post keeps the location it was published with, and the Facebook app keeps its location permission.
Still visible
The picture and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection, and the photo may still show the place.

The same page gives a separate path for a photo: Menu, your name, Photos, the photo, then Location in the top right.

Turn off Location History

in iPhone Settings

No app-specific path is sourced for this version yet. Take the app’s location permission away in your phone’s own settings instead — that works whichever menus the app ships — and the vendor’s own help page is linked below.

No app-specific path sourced · iOS 14 and later as named on Apple's page (dated 2026-01-14), read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Apple Support — Turn Location Services and GPS on or off on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, Facebook Help Center — Facebook and Location (topic hub), Facebook Help Center — How to find your Facebook settings

Do they get told?Meta's Facebook and Location hub lists no Location History article, and no Meta page read on 2026-09-17 prints a path for turning one off, so what anyone is told is not documented either. What is documented is the device switch, and Meta's own line that with Location Services off it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection.
Who can still see you
Off
The Facebook app on this iPhone
Set to Never, the app cannot read a new position, so nothing new goes into any location record Meta keeps for you.
Still on
Anything Meta already holds
Changing a permission does not delete location data already collected, and Messenger keeps its own permission.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and information about your internet connection.

Meta's settings guide says Location now sits below Permissions in the Facebook app's Settings menu, but no Meta page prints what that screen holds.

Take location away from the Facebook app

in Android Settings
Path
  1. Settings
  2. Apps
  3. Facebook
  4. Permissions
  5. Location
  6. Don't allow

From the vendor’s own page · Android (current release), read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Facebook Help Center — Turn on Location Services for Facebook (Android App Help), Facebook Help Center — How Facebook's Location Settings work (Android App Help)

Do they get told?Whether anyone is told when Facebook's location permission is set to Don't allow is not documented on Meta's location pages. What Meta does document is what it may still have: with Location Services off it may still estimate your location from things like check-ins, events and information about your internet connection.
Who can still see you
Off
The Facebook app on this phone
Facebook can no longer read your position from this phone, so a new post or check-in has nothing to tag you with.
Still on
Messenger and every other app
This is one app's permission. Messenger, Instagram and everything else on this phone keep their own.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection. Your carrier still places you by cell tower.

Meta's two pages differ on the name of this choice: the Facebook article prints Don't allow, its Location Settings page prints Deny.

Take location away from Messenger

in Android Settings
Path
  1. Settings
  2. Apps
  3. Messenger
  4. Permissions
  5. Location
  6. Don't allow

From the vendor’s own page · Android 11 and up as named on Google's page, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Android Help — Change app permissions on your Android phone

Do they get told?Whether the people in a chat are told when Messenger's location permission is set to Don't allow is not documented by Meta or by Google. What is documented is the share itself: a live location turns off by itself after one hour, or you can stop it at any time.
Who can still see you
Off
The Messenger app on this phone
Messenger can no longer read your position, so it cannot start a live location or refresh one you already sent.
Still on
Facebook and every other app
This is one app's permission. The Facebook app, Instagram and everything else on this phone keep their own.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it uses your location and IP address to display live location, and your carrier still places you roughly by cell tower.

Meta publishes no Android step list for Messenger's own permission, so this is Google's path for the same screen.

Stop sharing your live location in a chat

inside the Messenger app
Path
  1. Chats
  2. the chat
  3. the live location message
  4. View location
  5. Stop sharing location

From the vendor’s own page · Messenger Android app, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Messenger Help Center — Send your live location in a chat on Messenger (Android App Help)

Do they get told?Whether the others in the chat are told when you stop a live location is not documented on Meta's Messenger pages. What is documented is who could see it: only the people in that chat, and the share turns off by itself after one hour if you do not stop it first.
Who can still see you
Off
The people in that chat
Your live location stops updating for them. The map in that chat no longer follows you.
Still on
Other chats, and Messenger itself
A live location you started in another chat keeps running, and Messenger keeps its location permission on this phone.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it uses your location and IP address to display live location. Your carrier and any site you open still place you roughly.

Meta's page also says a live location turns off automatically after one hour.

Remove the location from a post

inside the Facebook app
Path
  1. the post
  2. Options
  3. Edit post
  4. Location
  5. Remove
  6. Save

From the vendor’s own page · Facebook Android app, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Facebook Help Center — Edit or remove the location on a Facebook post or photo (Android App Help)

Do they get told?Whether anyone is told when you remove a location from a post is not documented on Meta's page, and it does not describe what people see afterwards. What is documented is the limit and the cause: you can only edit your own post or photo, and Meta says the way to stop posts including your location is to turn off Location Services in your phone's settings.
Who can still see you
Off
Anyone who opens that post
The place name comes off the post you edited. Only that post changes.
Still on
Your other posts and check-ins
Every other post keeps the location it was published with, and the Facebook app keeps its location permission.
Still visible
The picture and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection, and the photo may still show the place.

The same page gives a separate path for a photo: Menu, Photos, the photo, then Location in the top right.

Turn off Location History

in Android Settings

No app-specific path is sourced for this version yet. Take the app’s location permission away in your phone’s own settings instead — that works whichever menus the app ships — and the vendor’s own help page is linked below.

No app-specific path sourced · Android 11 and up as named on Google's page, read 2026-09-17 · checked 2026-09-17 · source: Android Help — Change app permissions on your Android phone, Facebook Help Center — Facebook and Location (topic hub), Facebook Help Center — How to find your Facebook settings

Do they get told?Meta's Facebook and Location hub lists no Location History article, and no Meta page read on 2026-09-17 prints a path for turning one off, so what anyone is told is not documented either. What is documented is the device switch, and Meta's own line that with Location Services off it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and your internet connection.
Who can still see you
Off
The Facebook app on this phone
Set to Don't allow, the app cannot read a new position, so nothing new goes into any location record Meta keeps.
Still on
Anything Meta already holds
Changing a permission does not delete location data already collected, and Messenger keeps its own permission.
Still visible
Meta and the network
Meta says it may still estimate your location from check-ins, events and information about your internet connection.

Meta's settings guide says Location now sits below Permissions in the Facebook app's Settings menu, but no Meta page prints what that screen holds.

Location spoofing, fake-GPS apps and mock-location settings are outside this site on purpose. This page describes the settings the app and your phone provide, and what the vendor documents about them.

If someone is tracking you against your will, turning a setting off may not be the safest first step. Read this first.

Related

Before you tap

Question Does airplane mode turn off location? No. Airplane mode is a switch for radios: Apple's page says it "turns off all radios except for Bluetooth", and Google's says Wi-Fi and Bluetooth go off with it. Neither company's airplane-mode page mentions Location Services, GPS or location of any kind. Question How to turn off location without notifying It depends on the app, and only Apple and Snapchat answer it in writing. Apple says the person you stop sharing with won't be notified, and its own safety guide adds that they may notice you have stopped; Snapchat says friends you pick for a location setting aren't notified when you choose them. Life360, Google Maps and Instagram document what the other person's screen shows instead, which is not the same promise. App guide Instagram Instagram has three separate location switches, and turning one off leaves the other two on. The Instagram map at the top of your inbox decides who sees where you are, a location tag is added to one post at a time, and the app's permission in your phone's settings is a third switch that Instagram's own page calls separate from the map. App guide WhatsApp A live location share runs for a set time in one individual or group chat. Stop it inside that chat, or end every live share at once from WhatsApp's own Privacy settings. WhatsApp does not document a notification when you stop, but the chat keeps the location you already shared as a static thumbnail. iOS 27 · iPadOS 27 iPhone & iPad One master switch, one switch per app, and a precise-or-approximate choice underneath each. Most people want the second one. Android 17 Android Android keeps three separate switches: Use location for the whole phone, one location permission for each app, and a precise-or-approximate choice under any app you have allowed. Google documents that with device location off, emergency location services or your mobile carrier can still send your device's location to emergency responders when you call or text an emergency number.