BIGO defaults to showing your location so you can find "Nearby" friends, but for many, that’s a bit too much info for strangers to have. If you're concerned about whether BIGO LIVE is safe regarding your personal data, managing your geolocation is a great first step.
If you don't want your real-world spot on the map, this guide shows you how to hide your city and district so strangers don't know where you’re hanging out.
Steps to Hide Location on BIGO LIVE
Follow these simple instructions to secure your profile privacy.
- Open the BIGO LIVE app and hit the "Me" button at the bottom right.
- Tap the gear icon to enter "Settings."
- Select the "Privacy" menu from the very top of the list.
- Switch the "Hide location" toggle to ON. You’ll know it’s working when the switch turns blue.
- Close the app and open your phone’s main "Settings" app (the gear icon on your home screen).
- Locate "BIGO LIVE" in your list of installed apps and tap on it.
- Change the "Location" permission to "Never" or "Don't Allow."
Pro Tips for Privacy
Manual Hometown If you still want to show a general area but not your real city, go to your profile edit page and manually set a "Hometown" that is in a different state or country. (See also: How to change your name on BIGO).
Check Your Posts When you post a photo to your profile, the app sometimes asks to "add a location." Always hit skip to make sure you don't tag your favorite local coffee shop.
Hide Active Status While you’re in the Privacy menu, flip the "Hide your online status" switch too. It adds another layer of anonymity to your browsing.
Privacy Checklist
Make sure you've covered all bases before going live. Check them off as you go:
FAQ
Will I get in trouble for hiding my location? No, it’s a standard feature. BIGO won't flag your account for wanting to stay private.
Does this affect my payments? Not at all. You can still recharge diamonds and cash out beans without sharing your GPS coordinates. (See also: Recharge Guide).
Can I still see "Nearby" streams? No, if you cut off your GPS, that tab will either be empty or show random global content.
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