How to Disable Geolocation/GPS in Specific Phones

Geolocation is the same as GPS that is a feature of most smartphones. Normally you use GPS to know where you are if you're kind of lost but this feature can also be used/misused to tell others (read: advertising companies) to tell where you are and then can give you targetted ads.

The question is therefore how to effectively disable this feature. At this moment this site offers solutions for Apple iPhone, Blackberry, Dell Aero, Google Nexus One, Motorola Droid and Palm Pre.

[01a] Apple iPhone:
• Goto Settings
• Goto General
• Goto Location Services and turn that off
[01b] Apple iPhone (Disable geotagging of photos):
• Goto Settings
• Goto General
• Goto Reset
• Goto Reset Location Warnings
• Press Reset Warnings
• Open any application that uses location data and you will be presented with the message ‘Camera would like to use your current location. Photos will be tagged with location were they were taken’
• Hit ‘Don’t allow’

[02a] BlackBerry:
• Goto 'Options'
• Goto 'Advanced Options'
• Click GPS
• Change the Location Aiding field to Disabled
• Change the GPS Services field to ‘Location Off’
• Press the Menu key
• Click Save

[02b] BlackBerry (pictures):
(To prevent your Blackberry phone from geotagging the pictures taken with its camera)
• Open the Camera app.
• Open the Menu (Blackberry key)
• Click Options
• Make sure Geotagging is set to Disabled

[03] Dell Aero:
• Tap ‘Menu’
• Tap ‘Location Settings’
• Tap ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘My Location’
• Tap ‘Disable GPS Settings’
• Go back to ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘Geo Tagging’
• Tap ‘Off’
• Go back to ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘My Location’
• Tap ‘Disable GPS Satellites’

[04] Google Nexus One:
• Goto 'Menu'
• Goto 'Settings'
• Goto 'Location and security'
• Uncheck ‘Use GPS satellites’
• Uncheck ‘Use wireless networks’

[05] HTC Aria/Evo • HTC Desire • HTC Wildfire:
• Goto 'Menu'
• Goto 'Settings'
• Goto 'Location'
• Uncheck 'Use wireless networks'
• Uncheck 'Use GPS satellites'

[06] Motorola Droid:
• Press 'Menu' (on the home screen)
• Tap 'Settings'
• Tap 'Location and security'
• Uncheck 'Use GPS satellites'

[07] Palm Pre:
• Goto Main Menu
• Goto ‘Location Services’
• Under ‘Use GPS’ move the toggle from ‘On’ to ‘Off’

[07] Samsung Galaxy:
• Goto 'Menu'
• Goto 'Settings'
• Goto ‘Location and security’
• Uncheck ‘Use GPS satellites’
• Uncheck ‘Use wireless networks’

[08] Sony Ericsson Xperia X10:
• From the Home screen, tap the applications bar.
• Tap ‘Settings’
• Tap ‘Location’
• Uncheck ‘GPS satellites’
• Uncheck ‘Assisted GPS’
• Uncheck ‘Wireless networks’

[Fred de Vries]