Do you always feel like someone is watching you? Well, if you’re driving a Tesla, chances are that someone is. Before you freak out, it’s a common technological advancement in lots of vehicles these days, and location tracking services are actually pretty useful.
But if you’re adamant that you need to get off the grid, so to speak, then we’ll cover how you can turn off Tesla’s location tracking. Following are some tips about how to turn off location on tesla.
What Teslas Use Location For?
The location tracking feature can be quite handy for locating your car in a large parking garage or, even more importantly, if your Tesla was ever stolen.
So if you’re thinking about disabling those location services, you’ll want to make sure it’s for a really good reason. Because as one user pointed out, “It is an important function of the car to know the speed it is traveling, to know elevation changes, and to provide extremely valuable route and power predictions.”
Why Would People Want to Turn Off Location Tracking?
Against better judgment, some drivers want their rides to be private. Maybe you’re planning a surprise party and need to scope out locations. Or it could be more dire and an emergency situation where you need to get away from someone or somewhere dangerous.
Families who share a Tesla often come up with this problem where someone wants to turn off the location tracking. Parents and teenagers want to have a little freedom from each other. Like this teenager who simply wants to visit locations that his dad doesn’t approve of. Even couples might want to turn it off from each other in a show of good faith.
Turning off location tracking is an easy fix so that other users of the vehicle or the Tesla app can’t track the car’s position at all times.
How to Turn Off Location Tracking in Your Tesla
If you’re hell-bent on wanting to turn off location tracking, there are a couple of ways to go about it. But really there’s only one that’s recommended and has the least impact on other features of the Tesla.
Turn Off Total Mobile Access Inside the Car
Turning off mobile access will prevent other app users from seeing the car’s location.
To do this, on your main touchscreen, go to Quick Controls and Safety and toggle off “Allow Mobile Access.”
You’ll also have to enter your Tesla password to turn off mobile access.
Now keep in mind that some other functionality will be limited when you turn off mobile access. Navigation features will be limited as the Tesla can’t access routing info.
Turn Off Location From Mobile App
It’s not actually possible to turn off location from the mobile app. The Mobile Access feature is only found inside the vehicle through the main touchscreen.
It’s recommended that if you’re really just trying to keep your drive hidden from others to go ahead and turn off mobile access in the vehicle.
As this user notes, “There is no way to disable tracking in the app, but there is a way to turn off app access in the car. If you do that, the app can’t get data from the car and won’t be able to display any information. It’s on the configuration screens of the car. It requires the account password to turn off access. (Same password the app uses.)”
Disconnect the GPS antennae or purchase a jammer
Though not recommended by Tesla, some users have gone to extremes to block their location tracking, including removing the GPS antennae altogether or purchasing a GPS tracking jammer.
These alternative methods may do some long-term damage to your Tesla, so be very hesitant before you take these measures. Disconnecting physical parts of the vehicle or installing somewhat-illegal hardware is serious business and should really only be left to professionals to address actual bugs in your Tesla.
Can You Disable Tesla Location from the App?
No, you cannot disable Tesla’s location from the mobile app. The only feature that will allow you to disable the location of your Tesla is the mobile access feature.
Once you turn off your Tesla mobile access, the vehicle’s location will automatically get disabled. You can find the mobile access feature on your Tesla’s main screen.
Navigate to “quick controls and safety” on the screen and click on it. You’ll see an option to toggle off the mobile access feature on your Tesla.
A GPS jammer is an excellent alternative to disconnecting your Tesla’s GPS jammer. The GPS jammer sends radio signals similar to Tesla’s GPS device, thereby creating interference.
However, before you use a GPS jammer, you have to ensure there won’t be penalties for doing that in your area.
GPS jammers are illegal in countries like Mexico, the united states, turkey, Canada, the united kingdom, etc.
How to Delete Location History on a Tesla?
Here are steps on how to delete location history on your Tesla:
- Go to the navigation search bar on your Tesla’s main screen
- Go to the lists of destinations and hold down on the destination you wish to delete until “X” appears
- Click on the “X” to delete the destination.
New Update
Tesla will now let drivers know when an app requests the vehicle’s location with a new feature in a software update.
Among the features in Tesla’s new 2023.38 software update is the “Location Sharing” functionality. It is a new feature that will give drivers a heads-up when an app is requesting live location data of the vehicle.
The notes for the function state (via Tesla-info):
“An icon appears at the top of your touchscreen when an app requests your vehicle’s live location data. You can turn off sharing at Controls > Safety > Allow Mobile Access. This also turns off Tesla app access. When this setting is on, your vehicle communicates directly with the Tesla app and other apps, but Tesla doesn’t track your location (see tesla.com/privacy).”
It is a step toward more transparency to the driver as to when an app wants to know where you are. The feature aligns with Tesla’s “Privacy First” mentality, which is to “ensure your personal data is in your hands, letting you decide what information you want to share—and when.”
Unfortunately, there is not all that much privacy when it comes to tech any longer, and there is little to no transparency when it comes to when apps may be using your location on smartphones or when using a computer.
Perhaps the forgetful driver forgets to text their significant other that they’ve left work and they’ve decided to make a stop on the way home. There is no scarier feeling than when you are expecting some communication about a loved one’s whereabouts, and there is no response.
This still allows that person to use the Tesla app or another third-party app to check the car’s location, but it also could give the driver a heads-up. As the icon appears, it could be looked at as a reminder, “Maybe I need to shoot a text to my husband/wife to let them know I’m okay.”
While it is a safety feature for one party, it is a good sign of transparency for the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a stolen Tesla be tracked?
Yes, it definitely can, and this has helped reunite lots of Tesla owners with their stolen vehicles. Like this thief who got caught in California after leaving the Tesla when the battery ran out. Using the app, they had been able to track the location the entire way.
How does Tesla track location?
Just like any other GPS system, Tesla uses a series of satellites to transmit location signals. From there, drivers and owners can receive real-time vehicle location data.
Your Tesla won’t store its driving history, but location data is streamed to the Tesla servers in real-time.
If you want to get into the weeds more on how GPS actually works to track location, here’s an in-depth explanation.
Can you hide your Tesla location?
For those who are looking to hide their locations, you’ll have to disable remote mobile access as we’ve described above. This way, users of the app can’t see where you’re driving.
What Happens When you Turn Off the Mobile Access of Your Tesla?
You automatically disable location tracking of your Tesla when you turn off the mobile access. As a result, all other Tesla app users will not be able to see your car’s location.
Can Tesla Owners Track Their Cars?
Yes, Tesla owners can track their cars. The GPS tracking feature on the teals helps you determine where your Tesla is at any time using the Tesla app.
How Do GPS Jammers Hide the Location of Your Tesla?
GPS jammers create radio signals similar to Tesla’s GPS device to create interference and confuse the car’s location.
Is GPS Jamming Illegal?
The legal actions against GPS jamming depend on your location. GPS jamming is illegal in countries like Canada, Mexico, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc.
Conclusion
It might not be a top priority for you to disable location tracking on your Tesla, but for some, it can be an important feature. Now you know that in order to “go dark,” you’ll have to turn off mobile access in your vehicle. That’s the only surefire, safe way to drive undetected.
