ONEPLUS
How to change location settings on a OnePlus (OxygenOS 16)
In short
Open Settings, Location and switch Use location on or off. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning are on the same page. Which apps may use your location is in Permission manager, Location.
7 of 7 steps show a real screenshot from our Nord 5. Each step was checked against the maker's own instructions, linked at the end.
Steps
- 1
Open Location
Open Settings and tap Location. Use location is at the top.
- 2
Switch it off
Turning it off showed No location access: you may not be able to locate your device if it's lost. Tap Turn on location or Close.
- 3
Switch it back on
Tap Use location again. Ours came back on.
- 4
Open Permission manager
Open Settings, Security and privacy, Privacy controls, Permission manager, and tap Location.
- 5
Choose which apps can use it
Apps are listed under Allowed all the time, Allowed only while in use and Not allowed. Tap one to change it.
- 6
Tap Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning
It is under Positioning control on the Location page.
- 7
Check both switches
Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning were both on. They let apps scan even when Wi-Fi or Bluetooth is off.
If you do not see this option
- OxygenOS 14 (OnePlus manual)? The manual calls the switch Location Services, and has Wi-Fi scanning and Bluetooth scanning as switches on Location itself. Ours says Use location and puts them on their own page. Source: OxygenOS 14.0 User Manual
- Location Accuracy? It is a row on the Location page on ours, below the alert rows. Source: Manage your Android device's location settings
If this does not work
- App can't find you? Check Use location is on and the app is allowed in Permission manager.
- Battery draining? Set apps to Allowed only while in use.
- Location slow or wrong indoors? Google says Location Accuracy combines GPS, Wi-Fi, mobile signals and sensors to find you faster, especially indoors. With it off, only GPS and sensors are used. Turn it on, and keep Wi-Fi scanning on, for better indoor results.
- App only knows the rough area? Google says that on Android 12 and higher you can set precise location separately for each app. Open the app in Permission manager, Location, and check whether it has precise location.
- Ads still know your town with location off? Google notes that with location off, apps cannot get the phone's location, but can still give results based on your IP address. That is only a rough area.
Good to know
Change app permissions on a OnePlus.
With Use location off, apps that need it, such as maps and weather, ask you to turn it back on or fall back to rough results. The phone said you may not be able to locate your device if it is lost, so think about Find Hub before you leave it off. Turning it back on restores everything; each app keeps the permission you gave it.
Google's Timeline, which saves places you visit, is off by default and is managed in your Google Account, not on this page. If you turn device location off, Google says places you visit are not saved there. To review which apps used location recently, see use the privacy dashboard on a OnePlus.
About this guide
- Device
- Android
- Shown on
- OnePlus Nord 5 (CPH2709), OxygenOS 16.0.5.1201, Android 16
- App
- Settings
- Path
- Settings › Location
- Real screenshots
- 7 of 7 steps
- Checked
- October 2026
- Sources
- 3 official, linked below
Sources
Links checked October 2026. Menus and features can change with updates.Spotted a mistake? Menus change with updates, and we want every step to match your screen. Email us about this page or use the contact form. We read every report, and fixes are listed on What changed.
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