Many apps store users’ location information for various reasons, such as better user experience and advertising.
You’ve probably noticed that most advertisements relate to your region, and that’s because Instagram has access to your location.
If you are looking for how to turn off your Instagram location, we got your back.
When setting up Instagram, you must have allowed it access to your location. So, you must access the settings app on your phone and go to “Applications”. Next, select Instagram from the listed apps, click on “Permissions”, and turn off the option for location access. Denying Instagram access to your location on your phone is your best chance of turning off location on Instagram.
We will discuss whether or not you should turn off location on Instagram. Next, we will see the steps for turning off location access from Instagram and cover the commonly asked questions about location access on Instagram.
Should Instagram Have Access to Your Location?
Like most apps, Instagram requires access to your location to customize your user experience. Besides, your location determines the kind of advertising you will find on your Instagram, which is a crucial reason Instagram requires access to your location.
Instagram accessing your location feels like them stalking you. Therefore, if you don’t want Instagram to get access to your location, there is an option to disable the feature on your Android or iOS.
However, location access is not entirely a bad idea.
If you are someone who loves keeping your audience updated about your location via posts and Instagram stories, then turning off location access will work against you. Moreover, you will start getting random ads instead of location-specific ones.
How To Turn Off Location on Instagram
You can turn off your location on Instagram using the app on your phone. Follow the simple steps below.
On iOS
- Close your Instagram app.
- Open your iPhone’s settings app.
- Tap on the “Privacy” option.
- Click on the “Location Services”.
- Turn off the location by toggling off the “Location Services” option.
- In the prompt that appears, click the “Turn Off” option.
This option turns off location services on your iPhone for all your apps.
To only turn off location for Instagram, scroll down and tap on Instagram after clicking on “Location Services”. Next, click the option that works best for you. Either set access to the location to “Never” or “When Using the App”. That way, you now have control over Instagram accessing your phone’s location services.
On Android
Denying Instagram access to your location on Android is different than when using iPhone.
Follow the steps below:
- Open the settings on your phone
- Click on “App management” and tap on “App List”.
- Locate Instagram and click on it.
- Select the option for “Permissions”.
- Toggle off the option for “Location”.
That’s it. Instagram will no longer have access to your location.
How To Remove Location from Older Instagram Posts
Turning off location on Instagram doesn’t remove the location from your posts. However, you can edit your posts and remove the location from each post individually.
Follow the steps below:
- Open your Instagram account.
- Locate the post you want to remove its location tag.
- Tap the three dots next to your location and name.
- Click the “Edit” option.
- You will notice the location displayed below your username. Tap on it.
- Click the “X” icon at the top to remove your location from the post.
That’s how to remove the location from published posts. You must repeat the same steps for all your Instagram posts.
Conclusion
We’ve discussed what location access means on Instagram and why enabling and disabling the feature can work to your benefit.
Besides, we’ve seen the steps for turning off location on Instagram for Android and iPhone, including turning off location for published posts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it does. Instagram requests access to your location when setting it up. Therefore, unless you’ve disabled access to your location on your phone’s settings, Instagram will still know your location. Initially, Instagram could only get an estimate of your location, but it currently has access to your exact location.
To turn off location access from your Instagram app, open your phone’s settings app. Go to “Applications” and select Instagram. Once you open the Instagram settings, click the option for “Permissions” and toggle off the location. You can check the detailed steps for Android or iOS described in the article.
