No, there is not a secret tracking device in your smart watch

Have you heard that smart watches can track your location? It sounds true, doesn't it? The fact is that smart watches can only locate you if they're in Bluetooth range. And just because a watch is in range of the phone linked to it, does not mean it's tracking your location.

Even when they are not running, apps send out information.

There are a few reasons why apps track your location. Apps that are running in the background can still collect data, even when they're not open. Location and other sensitive information is often included in this data. Some apps send out more than others, and some of them send it less frequently.

But, if you want to limit what an app can do with the location data it collects, you'll need to check settings on both the phone and the app itself. How to stop apps from tracking your location The easiest way to stop an app from tracking your location is by turning off background app refresh in Settings > Battery Saver .

This will prevent all apps from collecting any data while they aren't in use. If you only want to turn off background collection for specific apps, see below for instructions on how to do that on iPhone or Android devices: iPhone Open Settings > General > Background App Refresh and toggle Off whichever apps you don't want collecting information when they're not active.

Most users have no idea what happens to their data.

Can apps track your location? Yes, there is a secret tracking device in your smart watch. It's called GPS, and it's been around for decades. Most users have no idea what happens to their data. They expect that their personal information will be kept safe by the companies they trust with it, but that's often not the case.

Here are some of the ways in which your data is being monitored: Smartphone apps track your location whenever they're open on your phone. This is why you can see where a friend was when they posted something on social media — they probably shared their location at the time they posted it.

Some apps even track you when you're not using them (e.g., Facebook). The app might be running in the background of your phone or computer and sending information back to its servers about where you've been and what sites you've visited. Your location data is often shared with third parties without your knowledge or consent.

For example, Facebook may share this information with advertisers who want to target ads based on where people live or work, or whether they prefer certain brands over others.

Some of the data that apps transmit is encrypted, but not all of it is.

In general, apps cannot track your location. But there are exceptions. Some of the data that apps transmit is encrypted, but not all of it is. And some apps have been found to track users even though they don't tell users they're doing so. Apps can track you if they're running in the background The simplest way for an app to track you is by using a "background service" that runs in the background whenever your phone is on and you're using it.

This service can collect and send data about where you are or what you're doing, and it can do so without letting you know about it. For example, an app called Find My Phone can be set up to automatically take pictures of anyone who tries to steal your phone and email them to yourself.

That's great if someone steals your phone — but it also means that every time you turn on your phone, Find My Phone will start taking pictures as soon as it connects to a Wi-Fi network or cellular data network. Those pictures could include photos of what's going on around your house or workplace without your knowledge or permission.

If your cell phone doesn't have location services turned on for every app you use, some of them may still track you.

Can apps track your location? Yes, they can. But only if you let them. If your cell phone doesn't have location services turned on for every app you use, some of them may still track you. And that can be a huge problem. In fact, some apps have been found to do just that — tracking users' locations without permission or even informing them that they're doing it.

How do apps track your location? Apps can use several different methods to determine where you are at any given time: Your IP address: This is the number assigned to a computer or other device on the internet. It's not necessarily public knowledge, but most home Wi-Fi routers broadcast their IP addresses so that other computers can find and connect with them easily.

If one of those computers is yours and it's connected to the internet, then anyone who wants to know what city or state you're in can find out just by looking up your IP address in an online database like MaxMind or OpenIPDB (which both provide free access).

In a nutshell

There is no secret location tracking device in the Apple Watch or any other smart watch. Apps don't have access to GPS on the device. The app uses a combination of your iPhone's location services and Wi-Fi to triangulate your position based on nearby known Wi-Fi networks. That means it's very accurate as long as you have a data plan and Wi-Fi to connect to.

But if you're using your phone without Wi-Fi, the Apple Watch has no way to determine your location and can't give it to any apps.