Mobile dating services and searching for people nearby, such as Around, have become an integral part of the social life of millions of users. However, the ability to track your location in real time raises legitimate concerns among those who value their personal safety and privacy. Sometimes there is an urgent need to temporarily become invisible to other community members without deleting your account and application.
In this article we will look at all the available ways to hide your pin on the map in the application Around on the operating system Android. We will analyze both the standard settings of the service itself and systemic methods for restricting access to geodata, which will help you control your digital privacy without unnecessary complications.
Managing profile visibility is a basic function of many social applications, but interfaces often are changing. Therefore, it is important to understand not only where to click, but also how the mechanisms for determining coordinates on your smartphone work in order to guarantee complete anonymity at the right moment.
Standard settings for the invisible mode in the application
The easiest and most correct way to stop being displayed on the map of other users is This is using the built-in hiding function. The application developers Around have provided the ability to temporarily disable visibility so that users can take a break from communication or remain incognito in a specific location.
To activate this mode, you need to go to the main menu of the application and find the settings section. It is usually indicated by a gear icon or a silhouette of a person in the corner of the screen. In this menu you should look for an item related to privacy or profile display. The names may differ depending on the version of the client, but the essence remains the same - disabling the broadcast of coordinates.
After turning on the invisible mode, your photo and name will disappear from the map for other users, but you will most likely retain the ability to view other people’s profiles. This is a one-way hiding that is ideal for situations when you want to observe the situation, but not attract attention attention.
- 👤 Go to the "My Profile" or "Settings" section inside the application.
- 👁️ Find the "Be Visible" or "Mode" switch invisible."
- 🔒 Make sure the status has changed to "Hidden" or "Invisible".
- ✅ Check the map - your tag should disappear for a friend's test account.
☑️ Checking the invisible mode
⚠️ Attention: Invisibility mode in the free version of the application may have time restrictions. Often, users can only be in hidden mode for a certain number of minutes per day, after which the system automatically resumes broadcasting the location.
Restricting access to geolocation through Android settings
If the built-in application settings do not give the desired result or you want to ensure that the app physically cannot receive your coordinates, you should use the system settings Android. This is a more radical, but also more reliable method of ensuring confidentiality.
Modern versions of the operating system allow you to flexibly manage permissions for each installed application separately. You can deny the application Around access to the GPS module, which will result in the service simply not being able to determine where you are and, therefore, not being able to transfer this data to the server.
To do this, go to the general settings of your smartphone, find the “Applications” section and select from the list Around. Inside the application menu, find the “Permissions” option. Here you will see a list of features that the app has requested. We are interested in the “Location” or “Geodata” item.
Change the permission value to “Deny” or “Reject”. After this action, the application may issue a warning that some functions will become unavailable, but your goal - to hide the location - will be achieved 100%. Your pin on the map will freeze at the last known point or disappear altogether.
If you completely deny access to GPS, the application may stop updating the feed of people nearby. For a temporary solution, you can select the “Allow only when in use” option, then when the application is minimized you will be invisible.
| Access level | Description of behavior | Visibility on the map |
|---|---|---|
| Always allowed | Application scans coordinates in the background | Full visibility |
| Only when in use | GPS works when the application window is open | Visibility only in the active session |
| Disabled | Access to the GPS module is blocked by the system | Complete invisibility |
Using power saving mode
Another effective way to hide your location is to activate the power saving mode on your smartphone. This system tool is designed to extend battery life, but the side effect is often to disable background processes, including location updates.
When you turn on power saving mode, the system Android limites the background activity of most applications. For the service Around this means that it will not be able to regularly send data packets with your new coordinates to the server. As a result, your mark on the map of other users will either disappear or be displayed with a long delay.
This method is convenient because it does not require a deep dive into the settings of each individual application. It is enough to activate one function in the notification shade or in the battery menu. However, it is worth considering that in this mode, notifications from instant messengers and other important apps may not arrive.
Using the energy saving mode is a compromise between the functionality of the smartphone and yours anonymity. If you need to quickly hide for a couple of hours and are willing to sacrifice the speed of receiving notifications, this option will be an excellent temporary solution.
Disabling data transfer and airplane mode
The hardest method to become invisible is to completely disable data transmission or enable airplane mode. Without an Internet connection, the application Around physically cannot synchronize with the server and update your position on a shared map.
This method is suitable for situations when you are in a place where you do not want to be detected under any circumstances. As soon as you turn off mobile data and Wi-Fi, the connection with the server is lost. To other users, you will look like 离线 (offline) or your tag will simply stop moving.
However, this method has a significant drawback: you yourself lose the ability to use any online functions of the application. You won't be able to view profiles, write messages, or search for people nearby. This is a double-edged sword that provides the maximum securitybut deprives you of social interaction.
Using this method makes sense only for a short time, for example, when visiting sensitive locations. The rest of the time, constantly being in airplane mode will make using the smartphone pointless for most tasks.
⚠️ Attention: When the Internet is turned off, the application may save the last known coordinates in the cache. The next time you connect to the network, it may try to send them, unless the cache was reset or the real location was not changed before connecting.
Resetting ads and ID numbers
While this method does not hide your coordinates directly, it helps break the connection between your device and profiles that may be tracking you through advertising IDs. In the settings Android there is an option to reset the advertising ID, which makes user profiling more difficult.
Go to Google settings on your device and find the “Advertising” section. There you will see an option to Reset Advertising ID. Performing this procedure regularly makes you less “transparent” to algorithms that collect movement data for targeted advertising, which is often associated with geo-based services.
It is also recommended to check if the “Location History” option is turned on in your Google account. This feature saves all your movements in time. If it is active, even hiding in the application Around does not guarantee complete privacy, since data about your routes is stored at the ecosystem level Google.
Disabling location history is an important step for comprehensive protection. This will not remove you from the application map instantly, but will prevent the accumulation of an archive of your movements, which theoretically can be used for de-anonymization. personal data. This will not remove you from the application map instantly, but it will prevent the accumulation of an archive of your movements, which could theoretically be used for de-anonymization.
Risks of using coordinate substitution
Using third-party applications to replace GPS (GPS Spoofing) can lead to account blocking in Around. The service's moderation actively combats fake locations, and if inconsistencies are detected, your profile may be shadowbanned or permanently deleted.
Temporary deletion or deactivation of a profile
If none of the above methods are suitable, and you need to disappear from the view of other users for a long period of time, consider temporarily deactivating your profile. This is an extreme measure that completely removes your profile from the database of visible users.
Unlike completely deleting an account, deactivation often allows you to save your data, correspondence and rating. You can restore your profile at any time by simply logging in with your username and password. During the deactivation period, you will be completely invisible to search and display on the map.
The procedure is usually located at the very bottom of the profile settings menu. The system may try to keep you by offering discounts on premium features or asking why you left. Ignore these offers if your goal is maximum privacy.
This method is ideal for vacations or periods when you do not want to use the service at all. It ensures that no technical glitches or application updates will accidentally reveal your location, since the server simply will not process requests from your inactive account.
Comprehensive approach to security: the best result is obtained by a combination of turning off visibility in the application settings and denying access to GPS at the Android system level.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Will my friends see me if I hide my location in settings?
No, if you have activated the invisible mode correctly, your tag will disappear for all users, including those on your friends list. An exception may be cases when a friend saw you on the map a second before turning on the mode, but the data will be updated within a few minutes.
Is it possible to hide from a specific person while remaining visible to others?
In most versions of the application Around there is no such function. Stealth mode works on an all-or-nothing basis. You are either visible to everyone or not visible to anyone. Spot hiding from individual users is usually not available in free versions of social geoservices.
Does the invisible mode affect the ability to write messages?
Usually no. You can continue messaging, viewing profiles and using chats even in hidden mode. Only the display of your current geoposition on the general map and in the list of people nearby is limited.
What happens if I simply delete the application from the phone?
Simply deleting the application icon does not always immediately hide you from the map. The server may consider you online for some time (before the session timeout). It is better to first log out of your account within the application or turn on the invisible mode, and only then delete the app.
Are visibility settings reset after updating the application?
In rare cases, major updates can reset user preferences to standard ones. It is recommended that after the update Around quickly check the privacy settings section to make sure that the invisible mode is still active.