Some apps track your phone's location more than 14,000 times a day — here's how to turn that off if you own an iPhone or Android

Some smartphone apps receive data on a user's precise location more than 14,000 times a day, The New York Times found in a new investigation.

Though each tracked phone is identified by a unique ID rather than a person's name or phone number, the millions of location points collected by the apps are "accurate to within a few yards" and can reveal a person's daily movements "in startling detail," The Times said.

Using a database that tracks the location data of more than 1 million phones in the New York area, The Times said it was able to identify an app user whose location was being relayed to outside companies via her smartphone apps.

The Times reported:

Apps will often ask smartphone users to enable location-tracking services for better functionality, like those that provide GPS navigation, weather, or food recommendations. But The Times said the privacy policies that many people accept without thinking twice were often "incomplete or misleading," adding that companies could use these permissions to sell your location data.

"These companies sell, use or analyze the data to cater to advertisers, retail outlets and even hedge funds seeking insights into consumer behavior," the Times story said.

But the good news is you do have some control. You can adjust the settings for individual apps to stop them from tracking your location, though turning off location services for some apps may limit their capabilities or render them unworkable.

The easiest way to turn off location tracking for each app is through your device's privacy settings — here's how to do that:

If you have an iOS device, location-tracking settings are found under "privacy" in Settings.

If you have an iOS device, location-tracking settings are found under "privacy" in Settings. BusinessInsider

Next, selection "Location Services" ...

Next, selection "Location Services" ... BusinessInsider

... Where you'll find the location-data permissions for every app on your device.

... Where you'll find the location-data permissions for every app on your device. BusinessInsider

Under each app, you can select the level of access to your location data you want to give. You can choose whether you want the app to always have access, even when the app isn't being used, if you only want to give it access while using the app, or if you never want the app to track your location. Some apps will provide an explanation for what they use your location for.

Under each app, you can select the level of access to your location data you want to give. You can choose whether you want the app to always have access, even when the app isn't being used, if you only want to give it access while using the app, or if you never want the app to track your location. Some apps will provide an explanation for what they use your location for. BusinessInsider

If you own an Android device, location tracking is under "Security & location" in Settings:

If you own an Android device, location tracking is under "Security & location" in Settings: BusinessInsider

Under the Privacy section, select "Location" ...

Under the Privacy section, select "Location" ... BusinessInsider

... Then select "App-level permissions."

... Then select "App-level permissions." BusinessInsider

For Android, you can't toggle between options like on iOS devices. You can choose either to grant your apps permission to access your location, or take away their access altogether. But you can always turn location-sharing off and then re-enable it when you want to use your app, as a workaround.

For Android, you can't toggle between options like on iOS devices. You can choose either to grant your apps permission to access your location, or take away their access altogether. But you can always turn location-sharing off and then re-enable it when you want to use your app, as a workaround. BusinessInsider

Some apps track your phone's location more than 14,000 times a day — here's how to turn that off if you own an iPhone or Android

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