Facebook offers location-based features that allow you to share your location with friends, find nearby places, tag your posts with your location, and more. However, in order to use these features, you need to grant Facebook access to your location. Here’s how to allow or deny location access on Facebook.
Allowing access to your location on Facebook
When you first try to use a Facebook feature that requires location access, you’ll get a pop-up asking if you want to allow Facebook to access your location. You can choose “Allow” or “Don’t Allow.”
If you tap “Allow,” Facebook will be able to access your current location for that feature. You’ll also be asked if you want to allow access all the time, or just when using the app. Choose “Only While Using the App” if you only want Facebook to see your location when the app is open.
Here are the steps to allow access to your location on Facebook:
- Open the Facebook app on your phone.
- Go to a feature that requires location access, like checking in or posting a photo with your location.
- When prompted, tap “Allow” to grant Facebook access to your location.
- Choose if you want to allow access “All the Time” or “Only While Using the App.”
Once you allow access, Facebook will be able to see and use your location for relevant features until you turn off location access.
Changing location access settings
You can change Facebook’s access to your location at any time in your App Settings. Here’s how:
- Tap the three lines or “hamburger” menu in the top right of the Facebook app.
- Scroll down and choose “Settings & Privacy.”
- Tap “Settings.”
- Scroll down to “Location Settings.”
- Tap “Location Access.”
- Switch the toggle on or off to allow or deny access to your location.
From the Location Access settings, you can also choose the precision of your location. For example, you can allow Facebook to only see the city you’re in rather than your exact coordinates.
Disabling location services on your device
In addition to managing location access in the Facebook app, you can disable location services entirely for all apps on your iOS or Android device. This will prevent Facebook and other apps from getting your location unless you open Settings and manually turn location back on.
Here’s how to turn off location services:
On iPhone/iPad:
- Go to Settings > Privacy.
- Scroll down to Location Services.
- Tap the toggle switch next to Location Services to switch it to off/gray.
On Android:
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down and tap Location.
- Tap the toggle switch at the top to switch location off.
With location services disabled, Facebook will not have access to your location. You’ll have to manually re-enable location in order to use Facebook’s location features again.
Location features that require access
Here are some of the Facebook features that may require location access in order to work:
- Checking in to a place or location
- Tagging your location in a post
- Using Nearby Friends to see which friends are close by
- Viewing location-based posts from nearby places
- Adding a location to a Marketplace listing
- Finding local events and recommendations
- Using location-based ad targeting
Facebook requires location access for these features in order to determine and share your precise location with others. If you deny access, the features may not work or may only provide approximate locations.
Controlling location access on desktop
Facebook’s desktop website also requests location access for certain features. Here’s how to manage it:
- Log into Facebook on your computer.
- Click the down arrow at the top right.
- Choose “Settings & Privacy” > Settings.
- Click “Location” on the left sidebar.
- Toggle location services on or off as desired.
On desktop, Facebook requests your location for features like checking in, posting your location, finding local events and viewing location-based ads. Allow or deny access as needed.
Using Facebook offline
If you want to use Facebook but don’t want it accessing your location at all, you can go offline. Here’s how:
- On mobile, turn on airplane mode. This will disable all location access.
- On desktop, disconnect from the internet to use Facebook offline.
Going offline will prevent Facebook from determining your location. However, you won’t be able to use location-based features until you reconnect.
Location history and tracking
Facebook does keep a history of the precise locations you’ve allowed it to access. You can view, download and delete this data:
- On mobile, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Location History.
- On desktop, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Location > Manage Location History.
Review your location history and delete any points you don’t want Facebook to retain. Keep in mind Facebook may still infer your general location based on things like IP address, even if you turn off location services.
Conclusion
Allowing access to your location enables Facebook’s location-based features, while denying access limits Facebook’s ability to pinpoint your precise location. Adjust your location settings as needed for the right balance of utility and privacy.
Keep in mind you can always change these settings later. Review the location features Facebook offers and decide which ones are useful to you, then grant just enough location access for those specific purposes.