You can tell if Location Services is being used on an iPhone or iPad because a little purple arrow icon appears in the upper right corner of the menubar in iOS. If too many apps are utilizing Location Services it can drain your battery much faster than usual. The app is determining your location and is constantly using network activity and GPS to pinpoint your coordinates.
Here is how to quickly determine which app is using Location Services:
- Open Settings and tap on Location Services
- Scroll through the app list until you see the app name with the purple arrow alongside it, it will be located next to the ON switch
- Flip this app to OFF if you want to disable location services for that app
If it’s on constantly, turning off an apps location use can result in significant battery savings, but it can also lead to inaccurate app information and some apps will stop working completely. For example, the Maps application will not be able to route directions from your current location.
You can also turn off all Location Services, but because important apps like Find My iPhone / iPad use location, it’s generally a good idea to leave on.
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