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Martijn Assie
Martijn Assie

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Your Android Phone Is Secretly Tracking You: A Developer's Guide to Real Privacy

As developers, we understand how data flows through systems, APIs, and networks. But when it comes to our own devices, many of us are unknowingly broadcasting our every move. Your Android phone is a sophisticated tracking device that continues monitoring your location even when you think you've turned everything off.

This isn't just about privacy paranoia — it's about understanding the technical reality of how modern smartphones operate and taking informed steps to protect your data.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Phone Tracking

Your phone maintains constant communication with cell towers for basic functionality. This triangulation creates a precise location fingerprint that exists regardless of your privacy settings. But that's just the beginning.

Google has implemented multiple layers of location tracking that work independently of each other. Even with "Location Services" disabled, your device continues broadcasting information through Wi-Fi scanning, Bluetooth beacons, and background services most users never discover.

Why "Location Off" Doesn't Mean Off

When you disable location services in your main settings, you're only turning off the most obvious tracking mechanism. Here's what's still running in the background:

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Scanning

Your phone continuously scans for nearby Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices to improve "location accuracy." This happens even when you're not connected to any networks. Google uses this data to build massive databases of access points tied to specific geographic coordinates.

Technical impact: Every Wi-Fi network and Bluetooth device becomes a location beacon. Your phone creates a unique fingerprint of nearby signals that can pinpoint your location within meters.

Network-Based Location Services

Cell tower triangulation provides approximate location data that apps and services can access even when GPS is disabled. This "coarse" location data is often considered acceptable by privacy policies, despite being accurate enough for detailed tracking.

Google Location Accuracy

Buried in Android's settings is a feature called "Google Location Accuracy" (formerly "Improve Location Accuracy"). This service combines GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and sensor data to create highly precise location profiles that sync across all Google services.

The Hidden Settings You Must Disable

Let's walk through the technical steps to actually disable tracking on Android devices:

1. Disable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Scanning

Settings → Location → Location Services → Google Location Accuracy → Wi-Fi scanning (OFF)
Settings → Location → Location Services → Google Location Accuracy → Bluetooth scanning (OFF)
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Alternative path on some devices:

Settings → Privacy → Ads → Wi-Fi & Bluetooth scanning (OFF)
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2. Turn Off Google Location Accuracy

Settings → Location → Location Services → Google Location Accuracy (OFF)
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This disables the background service that combines multiple data sources for location tracking.

3. Disable Location History and Web & App Activity

In your Google Account settings:

myaccount.google.com → Data & Privacy → Location History (OFF)
myaccount.google.com → Data & Privacy → Web & App Activity (OFF)
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4. Reset Your Google Ads ID

Your Ads ID is a unique identifier that allows cross-app tracking. Reset it regularly:

Settings → Privacy → Ads → Reset advertising ID
Settings → Privacy → Ads → Opt out of Ads Personalization
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5. Disable Emergency Location Service

Settings → Location → Location Services → Emergency Location Service (OFF)
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Note: This may impact emergency services' ability to locate you.

6. Review App-Level Permissions

Many apps request location access they don't actually need:

Settings → Apps → [App Name] → Permissions → Location → Don't allow
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For apps that need location, choose "Only while using the app" instead of "Allow all the time."

Advanced Privacy Techniques for Developers

Network-Level Blocking

Consider using a VPN with DNS filtering to block tracking domains at the network level. Services like NextDNS allow you to block specific tracking endpoints.

Custom ROM Alternatives

LineageOS and GrapheneOS offer Android experiences without Google Play Services, eliminating many tracking mechanisms entirely. However, this requires significant technical expertise and may break app compatibility.

Airplane Mode Testing

To verify your changes are working, enable airplane mode, then turn on Wi-Fi without connecting to any networks. Check if location-based apps can still determine your position.

The Developer's Dilemma: Privacy vs. Functionality

As developers building location-aware applications, we face ethical questions about data collection. Consider implementing:

  • Minimal data collection: Only request location data when absolutely necessary for core functionality
  • Local processing: Process location data on-device rather than sending to servers
  • Transparent permissions: Clearly explain why your app needs location access
  • User control: Provide granular controls for different types of location usage

The Broader Privacy Ecosystem

Phone tracking extends beyond Google's services. Consider additional steps:

  • Social media apps: Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok have aggressive location tracking
  • Weather apps: Often collect far more data than necessary for weather information
  • Shopping apps: Use location for price discrimination and behavioral analysis
  • Navigation apps: Store detailed movement patterns indefinitely

Testing Your Privacy Settings

After implementing these changes, verify they're working:

  1. Check Google Timeline: Visit timeline.google.com to see if new location data appears
  2. Monitor network traffic: Use tools like Wireshark to observe what data your phone transmits
  3. Review app behavior: Notice if location-dependent features still work when they shouldn't

The Technical Reality

Even with all these changes, complete privacy requires understanding that:

  • Cell tower connections always provide approximate location data
  • App fingerprinting can identify devices through sensors and hardware characteristics
  • Network traffic analysis can reveal location patterns
  • Cross-device tracking links multiple devices to single users

Conclusion: Privacy as a Technical Practice

Privacy isn't a single setting you toggle — it's an ongoing technical practice. As developers, we have both the skills to implement these protections and the responsibility to build privacy-respecting applications.

The steps outlined here significantly reduce but don't eliminate tracking. True privacy requires constant vigilance, regular review of settings, and understanding that convenience often comes at the cost of personal data.

Your phone will always know more about you than you might prefer. The question is whether you'll take the technical steps to limit what it shares with everyone else.


Did you find this guide helpful? Share it with fellow developers who care about privacy. Have additional Android privacy tips? Drop them in the comments below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling these settings break my apps?
Most apps will continue working normally. Navigation apps like Google Maps will simply ask for location permission when needed. Weather apps might require you to manually set your location. The main impact is that apps won't be able to track you in the background without your knowledge.

Can I still use "Find My Device" after these changes?
Yes, but you'll need to re-enable location services temporarily when you actually need to locate your device. Alternatively, you can enable location only for the Find My Device app specifically while keeping it off system-wide.

Will this affect emergency services if I call 911?
Emergency Location Service can still function even with location disabled, but for maximum safety, consider leaving this specific service enabled. The privacy trade-off is minimal compared to other tracking mechanisms.

How often should I reset my Google Ads ID?
Reset it monthly or whenever you notice targeted ads becoming too specific. This breaks the tracking chain that advertisers use to build profiles across different apps and websites.

Do these steps work on all Android versions?
The core concepts apply to all Android versions, but menu locations may vary. Samsung, OnePlus, and other manufacturers sometimes move these settings to different locations. Use your device's search function to find "Location Accuracy" or "Wi-Fi scanning" if you can't locate them.

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