Why smartphones are watching us and how to wean them from this

Modern smart phones know where are their owners, and store data about the visited places. Layfhaker tell you how to prevent your device to collect them.

Perhaps you've never thought about it, but if your phone is equipped with GPS-module and you have not changed geolocation settings, gadget remembers the places where you spend time, and stores them in a special magazine. And it does not matter whether you are using an iPhone or any Android-smartphone.

Authorized to collect such statistics are giving yourself, accepting the terms of use.

Apple and Google to explain this behavior by the fact that the information gathered is used to provide relevant results from their services. For example, in iOS location data used for weather reports, route maps and geotagging in photos. In the Android location history helps Google provide better routes and more accurate search results.

How to view your location history

To view the log with the history of the last places visited on iOS, go to "Settings» → «Privacy» → «Location Services» → «System Services» → «haunted places." Here in the "History" will be shown the place where you spend time most often. Each entry, you can open and view the location on a map.

Android-relevant statistics, too. View it in the section "Location» → «Location History."

In addition, the Last visited places are displayed Web version of Google Maps no matter what device you use Google services. Here gathered more detailed statistics: locations are shown as dots on the map, there is a division on dates. If enabled, you can see exactly where you were at any given day.

How to disable the collection of data about the location and remove them

Despite the company's assurances of anonymous usage data, you can prevent this type of interference in your life. Make it simple:

• on iOS you need to turn off the switch "haunted places" in the same section of system services. There is also a button "Clear History", which will erase all data.
• on Android right toggle switch is in the "Location History" geolocation settings. To erase the data, press the button "Delete Location History" and confirm the deletion.

After these manipulations your smartphone fails to remember where you spend time, and will not keep a history of the last places visited.