Google collects location data from your Android device, even if your settings tell it not to

Google tracks the whereabouts of your Android smartphone, regardless of whether or not users have disabled location services.

Android smartphones and tablets collect the addresses of cellular towers in the vicinity of the device, sending the information back to Google.

The US technology company gathers this location information even when the Android hardware does not have a SIM card inserted, a sensational investigation by Quartz has revealed.

Even Android devices which have been reset to factory default settings and apps – with location services disabled – sent nearby cell-tower addresses to Google, Quartz adds.

Smartphones need the ability to track your location in order to provide directions within apps like Google Maps, Facebook, Waze, and more.

However, some users choose not to share their location data with Google for privacy reasons.