If you are wondering what the purple or the gray arrow means on your iPhone, you are not alone. It has left many iPhone owners scratching their heads with confusion. Frankly speaking, I have also been on the receiving end of this privacy feature on a few occasions. No longer! Follow along to bust the mystery of the arrow in the iPhone’s status and take control of it.
What Does Purple/Gray Arrow Mean on iPhone in iOS 18? Answered!
Both the arrows (purple and gray) are location tracking indicators. They are designed to keep you informed and fully aware of the fact that your location is being tracked by an app or service.
- To get started, open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Now, scroll down and choose Privacy & Security.
- Next, select Location Services.
- On the next screen, ensure that the toggle for Location Services is enabled.
- Then, choose System Services.
- Once again, head over to the bottom of the screen. Here, you should see the meaning of both the purple and the gray arrows.
Note that a purple arrow suggests that an item has recently used your location. As for the gray arrow, it indicates that an item such as “Find My iPhone” “HomeKit”, and More has accessed your location in the last 24 hours.
For a better location tracking experience, you can choose to show the arrow in the Status Bar. To do so, you can enable or disable the toggle for “Status Bar Icon” as per your needs and that’s about it!
It’s worth pointing out that these location services icons do not show up when the system services use your location on your Apple Watch.
I hope you have perfectly understood what an arrow means for location tracking on iPhone or iPad.
Customize Location Tracking for a Specific App on iPhone and iPad
iOS offers the desired control over location tracking. Depending on your needs, you can choose to completely block an app from using your location data or let it use your data only when it’s required.
- On your iPhone or iPad, launch the Settings app -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services -> Make sure that the switch next to Location Services is enabled.
- Now, select the app in question and then choose the preferred option based on the requirement.
- However, if you don’t want the app to track your location, choose the Never option.
When it comes to preserving the privacy of users, iOS has always been a trusted platform. So long as you know how to make the best use of features like Lockdown Mode, Safety Check, and Advanced Data Protection, there is a high chance that your personal information will always stay safeguarded – at all hazards.
