You don't have to be using Maps or an app that obviously uses location for Google to be collecting location related information. I have no idea when they do or don't but I'd bet people would be surprised if they found that the gmail app was relaying their location to Google. On the other hand few wouuld be surprised at all if you told them the maps app was sending their location.
If you have all location services turned on then your phone tracks your location constantly in real time. Go to My Timeline on Google Maps and it can show you a full map of everywhere you went on any particular day.
No, only if you allow to track you even when you’re not using it.
Unless you are speaking about android and in that case it may well be like this, no idea honestly.
Most people have Android, it has an 85% global market share. And yes, this is how Android works. Play Services, which includes "Google Location Services" is preinstalled on essentially every phone that isn't an iPhone, and runs in the background by default. Doesn't matter if you have any apps open or not, Google's collecting location unless you explicitly go in and shut it off.
> No, only if you allow to track you even when you’re not using it.
I possibly wasn't clear enough. That's what I meant when I wrote "If you have all location services turned on". Location tracking is part of location services.
