Help Disable Location Services

[PotatoPhun]

Hi,

I have a Sony Xperia Z3v. This is my first Android phone, and I'm loving it so far, but there are some things about it that annoys me. Recently, it's been bothering me to no end that my phone is constantly locating my position. The location blinker is always going, and it won't go away at all. It seems like it's Google Location History that is making this happen the most. My question is how do I get this app in particular to stop tracking my location?

I know there's the location setting in Settings, but I don't want to completely turn off my location since then Google Maps and my Weather widget wouldn't operate appropriately. When I try to go into the actual Google app itself and click on the location setting there, it takes me directly to my location settings. So it seems like the only way for me to stop the Google app from tracking my location is to completely disable all location services. So does anyone know of a way that I'm missing to selectively disable location services?

My phone is currently on the Android 4.4.4 software.

 

[Hadron]

You can turn off Google Location History in the location settings. Traditionally using device only mode for location means that Google don't track you constantly - it's when you enable wireless location ("low power" or "high accuracy" modes) that it also reports "anonymous" location info. I personally use GPS only most of the time, which works fine for my purposes.

 

[potatophun]

I'm not able to turn off the location individually under location settings. When I click on the app in there, the only option it gives me is to either force shut down or disable the app.

If I'm not able to turn off the location settings, then it's there a way I can disable the location symbol from constantly blinking? It really is an eyesore to look at every minute.

 

[Hadron]

The symbol should not be constantly blinking (unless it's trying to use GPS indoors, but only a mapping app should be that persistent). You really can't just turn off Google Location History? It's right there in Settings > Location on my phone (different model). It sounds like you've used Settings > Apps instead (that's the app management page you describe there).

You should also be able to disable location completely from the settings. Turning it off app-by-app only works if the app has an option to turn off location use (a few do) or if you can access the "hidden" permission management features (possible with an app in 4.3, requires root from 4.4.2).

 

[potatophun]

I'm able to turn off location settings completely, but I don't want to have to do that since then my weather app won't function properly. I was able to turn off Google Location History, but my phone still states that Google Location Services is trying to track my location.

I'm really new with Android, so I don't know much about rooting. I did try App Ops, but that doesn't seem to work on my phone. It keeps crashing when I try to open it.

 

[Hadron]

Location services (as opposed to location history) may be involved if any app is asking for location. So unfortunately it's now a matter of guessing what app might be checking your location .

If you are on 4.4.4 then no, App Ops won't work without root.

 

[potatophun]

Ah, that's a shame. Thanks for the responses anyway!