Turn Off Life360 Location: Step-by-Step Guide
To turn off your location on Life360, open the app, go to Settings (gear icon), select your profile, then toggle off “Share Location” or choose “Hidden Mode” if you want to temporarily hide your location from family members. This stops your device from broadcasting your GPS position to your Circle, though the app may still show your last known location until you manually hide it.
Background: What Life360 Is and How It Tracks You
Life360 is a family location-sharing app that uses your phone’s GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular data to determine your real-time position. It was designed to help families stay connected—parents can see where kids are, and members can get alerts when someone arrives at home, school, or work. The app runs continuously in the background, even when you’re not actively using it, which is why it can drain your battery and raise privacy concerns.
Your location is shared only with members of your “Circle” (your family or friend group). You can have multiple Circles, and each has its own settings. The app also records location history, so even after you turn off sharing, past data may remain visible to Circle admins unless you delete it.
How Life360 Determines Your Location
Life360 combines several signals to pinpoint your location:
- GPS – most accurate outdoors, accurate to about 5–10 meters.
- Wi-Fi – uses nearby Wi-Fi networks to approximate location indoors or in dense cities.
- Cellular towers – less accurate, but helps when GPS is unavailable.
- Bluetooth beacons – used in some features like crash detection.
The app updates your location every few seconds when you’re moving, and less frequently when you’re stationary to save battery. If you turn off location sharing, the app stops sending your GPS coordinates to the server, but it may still collect data locally on your device.
How to Turn Off Location Sharing (Step-by-Step)
There are two main ways to stop sharing your location:
- Use Hidden Mode – This is the most common method. Open Life360, tap your profile icon (bottom right), then tap the gear icon (Settings). Under “Privacy,” toggle on “Hidden Mode.” Your location will appear as “Location Hidden” to other Circle members. You can set a timer to automatically turn it off after 1, 2, or 4 hours, or leave it on indefinitely.
- Turn off “Share Location” entirely – In the same Settings menu, find “Share Location” and toggle it off. This stops all location sharing, but other members may see a message that you’ve stopped sharing.
Alternatively, you can revoke Life360’s access to your device’s location entirely:
- iPhone: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > Life360, then select “Never.”
- Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Life360 > Permissions > Location, then select “Deny.”
This is the most extreme option—it completely blocks the app from accessing your location, but it also disables features like crash detection and location-based alerts.
How to Choose the Right Method for You
Your choice depends on your goal:
- If you want to appear offline temporarily (e.g., during a surprise party) – use Hidden Mode with a timer.
- If you want to permanently stop sharing – turn off “Share Location” or remove yourself from the Circle.
- If you want to completely block Life360 from knowing your location – revoke device permissions, but note that this may trigger alerts to other members.
- If you want to leave the Circle entirely – go to Settings > Circle, scroll down, and tap “Leave Circle.” This removes you from the group and stops all sharing.
Remember that Circle admins (usually the family organizer) can see when you change settings, so they may ask about it. Be transparent if you’re turning it off for privacy reasons.
Common Problems and Misconceptions
Many users think that turning off location sharing in Life360 also deletes their location history—it doesn’t. The app retains past location data for 30 days (or longer for paid subscribers). To delete history, go to Settings > Location History and tap “Delete All.” Note that this only removes your history, not your Circle’s records.
Another misconception is that Airplane Mode hides your location. While it does stop GPS updates, the app may still show your last known location, and when you turn off Airplane Mode, it will quickly update your position. Some users also try to use a fake GPS app, but Life360 can detect spoofing and may notify your Circle or block your account.
If you turn off location sharing but the app still shows your location, it might be because your phone’s battery saver mode is preventing the app from updating properly, or because you didn’t toggle the right setting. Always double-check that “Share Location” is off in the app’s settings.
Costs and Subscription Tiers
Life360 offers a free tier with basic location sharing, but some features require a paid subscription called “Life360 Plus” (about $4.99/month) or “Life360 Premium” (about $9.99/month). Paid plans include unlimited location history, driving reports, crash detection, and roadside assistance. Turning off location sharing works the same regardless of your subscription tier. However, if you’re on a paid plan, you may lose access to those premium features when you stop sharing.
Safety and Privacy Considerations
Turning off your location can affect your safety and your family’s peace of mind. For example, if you’re a teen and your parents expect to see your location, suddenly going dark could cause worry. It’s important to communicate with your Circle about why you’re disabling sharing.
From a privacy standpoint, Life360 has faced criticism for sharing data with third parties, but the company states it only shares aggregated, non-identifying data. Still, if you’re concerned about your digital footprint, turning off location sharing is a good step. Also, remember that your phone’s operating system may still track your location via other apps, so review your device’s location permissions regularly.
Alternatives to Life360
If you want to stop using Life360 but still need family location sharing, consider these alternatives:
- Apple’s Find My – built into iOS, allows sharing with family members.
- Google Maps Location Sharing – free, and you can share location with specific contacts for a set period.
- Glympse – temporary location sharing with a time limit.
- FamiSafe – parental control app with location tracking.
Each has different privacy policies and features, so choose one that aligns with your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off my location notify my family?
Yes, Life360 typically shows a message like “Location Hidden” to other Circle members when you enable Hidden Mode or turn off sharing. They may also receive a notification if you revoke device permissions.
Can I turn off my location without anyone knowing?
No, Life360 is designed to be transparent. Any change to your location sharing status is visible to Circle members. There’s no way to silently disable it.
Does turning off location save battery?
Yes, because the app stops using GPS and network resources to update your location. This can significantly extend battery life, especially if you were using the app constantly.
How do I delete my location history?
Open Life360, go to Settings > Location History, and tap “Delete All.” This removes your stored location data from the app’s servers, but it may take a few minutes to process.
What happens if I leave the Circle?
You’ll stop sharing your location with all members, and you’ll no longer see their locations. You can rejoin later by accepting a new invitation, but your location history from the previous Circle is deleted.
Can I use Life360 without sharing my location?
No, Life360’s core function is location sharing. If you don’t want to share, you won’t be able to use the app’s main features. You could create a Circle with just yourself, but that defeats the purpose.
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