iOS 13 Tip: How To Disable Location And Bluetooth Access On iPhone

Many apps available on iPhones often use Bluetooth access under their users’ noses. However, Apple has given the power to iPhone owners to prevent this from happening and protect their own privacy with the latest iOS 13 update.

To check your Bluetooth settings on your iPhone, go to the Settings menu and find the Privacy option. The Bluetooth settings will show you a list of apps relying on this feature and allow the user to tick the ones they need.

It would be smart to turn off all Bluetooth use for all apps except the ones that are frequently used. However, some apps cease to work properly without Bluetooth use. Based on those few conditions, users can decide which apps could continue using Bluetooth.

Other than Bluetooth use, some apps also use location details behind the user’s back. To prohibit apps from doing this, the Privacy options in the Settings also has the “Location Services” button. The user will then be showed a list of their apps which can now be edited.

The choices for location checks for each app are Never, Ask Next Time, While Using The App and Always. Again, the user will have to check which apps they use often and which ones will stop functioning correctly without the location information.

Many apps often rely on Bluetooth and location information to work correctly, such as predicting and suggesting what the user might need in their vicinity. However, these apps often do these secretly, which could be a breach of privacy for users. These sensitive information could be used against the user, and it doesn’t help that the user never consciously agreed to send out the information.

Both of these features are only available in the iOS 13 update. Older iPhones may not have this update as Apple often leaves out their past devices when it comes to new updates as new technology also comes out.

Later this year, Apple is planning to release new services and apps which could also have these Bluetooth and location trackers. Again, it’s up to the iPhone user to manage these settings.