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To stop Airbnb from sharing data for AI-feature improvement, open Menu > Account settings > Privacy, find Data privacy, and turn off Help improve AI-powered features (the checkmark means it is on). Location requires a separate review of your phone’s Airbnb permission, while the city shown on your public profile is changed under Profile > Edit > Where I live.
The controls cover different data and audiences: AI-development sharing, device location, profile information, advertising and analytics sharing, trip-map visibility, and profile visibility. Changing one does not automatically change the others.
What each Airbnb privacy control actually changes
Airbnb’s settings are divided by the type of information involved. Use the table below to choose the control that matches your concern rather than treating one switch as a universal privacy setting.
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| Concern | Setting or permission | Who the control affects | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data used to improve AI-powered features | Help improve AI-powered features under Privacy > Data privacy | Airbnb’s use of personal information for AI-feature development and improvement | Account setting |
| GPS or approximate device location | Airbnb’s location permission in the phone or device settings | Airbnb’s app access to device location | That device; background access depends on the permission granted |
| City displayed on your public profile | Profile > Edit > Where I live | People who can view your profile | Profile information, separate from GPS and residence detection |
| Location or viewed-content sharing for advertising and analytics | Third-party-sharing choices and cookie controls | Authorized partners, where applicable | Account, browser, device, and jurisdiction can all matter |
| Travel-map visibility | Account settings > Privacy settings > Trip visibility | People who can see eligible trip information on Airbnb’s travel map | Trip-visibility choice |
| Profile exposure | Menu > Account settings > Privacy > Profile visibility | People allowed to view your full or limited profile | Profile audience |
Airbnb’s Privacy Policy, last updated February 5, 2026, says location may come from an IP address, mobile-device GPS, or information you provide. The source and precision depend on your device settings and what you disclose.
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Turn off sharing for Airbnb AI-powered feature improvement
Desktop steps
- Sign in to Airbnb on a desktop browser.
- Open Menu.
- Select Account settings.
- Open Privacy.
- In Data privacy, locate Help improve AI-powered features.
- Clear the checkmark or switch the control off, then leave the page only after the off state is visible.
Airbnb’s AI help guidance says a checkmark means the option is enabled. The control governs sharing for improving AI-powered features; Airbnb does not describe it as a master switch that disables every recommendation or personalization process. Airbnb’s help material says personalization can infer preferences and interests from signals such as your location, previous searches, listings you viewed, and past bookings.
If you want to object in writing
Airbnb’s data-sharing guidance says you may email dpo@airbnb.com to object to the use of personal information for AI-model development and improvement. Include the account email address, describe the objection clearly, and keep a copy of your request. An email objection is a request to Airbnb’s privacy team; it is not a replacement for checking the account toggle.
What turning the toggle off does not change by itself
- It does not change the city written in your profile.
- It does not revoke the Airbnb app’s location permission on your phone.
- It does not automatically change trip-map or profile visibility.
- It does not by itself select or reject non-essential cookies.
Stop or limit Airbnb’s access to your device location
Why the device permission matters
Airbnb says it may collect precise or approximate location from an IP address, mobile-device GPS, or information you disclose. The policy also says location may be collected when the app is not in use if location access remains enabled in your device settings or permissions. Consequently, changing an in-account privacy option alone cannot revoke a phone-level GPS permission.
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Review the permission on your phone or tablet
- Open the device’s system Settings.
- Open the section for Privacy, Location, or App permissions; the wording varies by operating system.
- Select Airbnb from the list of apps.
- Review whether location is allowed, whether precise location is enabled, and whether background or “always” access is permitted.
- Choose the least-privileged option that meets your needs, such as denying access or allowing it only while using the app, if your device offers those choices.
- Close and reopen Airbnb, then check the permission again if the app asks for access.
These are device-level controls. They apply to that phone or tablet, not automatically to another device, a desktop browser, or an IP address. An IP address can still provide an approximate location even when GPS is disabled.
Check Airbnb’s account privacy area as well
After reviewing the device permission, open Airbnb’s Account settings > Privacy area. Use the available third-party-sharing and personal-data controls there. Treat the two reviews as separate tasks: the operating system governs whether the app can request device location, while Airbnb’s account controls govern the choices associated with your account and sharing preferences.
Change the city shown on your Airbnb profile
Desktop instructions
- Open your Airbnb profile.
- Select Edit.
- Find Where I live.
- Enter the city you want displayed, or remove the city if you do not want one shown.
- Save the change.
Airbnb says the profile displays the location you add there. It does not display the mailing address or the full address associated with a listing or account. The profile city can therefore be different from the country Airbnb automatically determines as your country of residence.
Important distinction from location tracking
Editing Where I live changes a public-facing profile field. It does not revoke GPS permission, stop IP-based approximate location, or change the location signals Airbnb may use for personalization. Conversely, denying device location does not erase or alter the city already written on your profile; edit or remove that city separately.
Control sharing with authorized third parties
Understand what Airbnb says it shares
Airbnb says it does not sell personal information to third parties. It may, however, share some information—such as location or what you viewed—with authorized partners for advertising or analytics. That is a different activity from selling data and has its own controls.
Use the account-level privacy controls
- Sign in and open Account settings.
- Open the Privacy and sharing area.
- Review the choices for third-party sharing.
- Submit any personal-data request available in that area if you need access, correction, or another privacy action.
- Use the account-deletion option only after exporting or recording anything you need; deletion is a separate, consequential action from changing a sharing preference.
United States opt-out
Airbnb provides a third-party-sharing opt-out route for users in the United States. Use that route when your goal is to opt out of the sharing covered by Airbnb’s U.S. notice, rather than assuming that the AI toggle covers advertising or analytics partners.
Cookies and logged-out browsing
Where cookie banners are required, use the banner to accept or reject non-essential cookies. If you make a choice while logged out, Airbnb says the opt-out may apply only to that browser or device. It may not persist after the session closes or after you sign in. For a durable account-level choice, sign in and review the privacy controls again; then repeat the cookie choice on browsers or devices you use separately.
Manage trip-map visibility
- Open Account settings.
- Select Privacy settings.
- Open Trip visibility.
- Preview the current setting and select the audience you want.
- Save the choice and revisit the preview to confirm it.
Trip visibility concerns what is shown on Airbnb’s travel map, not live GPS access. Airbnb states: “We never share your exact location during a trip, regardless of your sharing choice.” That assurance does not remove the need to review device permissions or other location-sharing settings.
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Limit who can see your profile
- Open Menu > Account settings > Privacy.
- Select Profile visibility.
- Choose the available full-profile or limited-profile audience that fits your preference.
- Use Airbnb’s preview thumbnails to inspect what each audience can see.
- Save the setting, then check the preview again after any later profile edits.
Profile visibility is about the information presented to profile viewers. It does not control AI-development sharing, GPS permission, third-party analytics sharing, or the city stored in Where I live.
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Use this order when you want to tighten several settings without overlooking a separate control.
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- AI data: In Privacy > Data privacy, turn off Help improve AI-powered features and verify that the checkmark is gone.
- Device location: In the phone or tablet’s system settings, review Airbnb’s location, precise-location, and background-access permissions.
- Profile city: In Profile > Edit > Where I live, update or remove the city.
- Third-party sharing: In Privacy and sharing, review account-level choices and use the U.S. opt-out route if it applies to you.
- Cookies: Revisit the cookie banner on each browser or device where you browse while logged out, because a logged-out choice may be local and temporary.
- Trip map: Check Privacy settings > Trip visibility and inspect the preview.
- Profile audience: Check Profile visibility and inspect the full and limited previews.
Troubleshooting when a setting appears not to work
The AI option still shows a checkmark
- Return to Menu > Account settings > Privacy > Data privacy while signed in to the account you intend to change.
- Confirm that the control is the exact Help improve AI-powered features option, not a cookie or marketing preference.
- Refresh the page or sign out and back in, then verify the state again.
- If you want an additional written objection, email dpo@airbnb.com.
Airbnb still seems to know your location
- Check the phone’s Airbnb permission, including precise and background access.
- Remember that an IP address can indicate an approximate location independently of GPS.
- Review the location information you have disclosed in your profile, messages, or other account fields.
- Do not infer that changing the profile city changes location collection; those controls are independent.
A logged-out opt-out disappeared
That behavior is consistent with Airbnb’s warning that a logged-out choice may be limited to one browser or device and may not survive the session or a later login. Repeat the choice where needed and use the signed-in account controls for account-level preferences.
A trip or profile preview still reveals more than expected
- Reopen the relevant preview after saving; trip visibility and profile visibility are separate menus.
- Check whether the information is coming from the profile city rather than the travel map.
- Remember that Airbnb’s exact-location statement for trips does not mean that all approximate, disclosed, or device-derived location data is unavailable to Airbnb.
When to request data or delete the account
The Privacy and sharing area includes personal-data requests and account deletion. Use a data request when you need to understand or exercise rights over information associated with the account; use deletion only when you are prepared for the account-level consequences. Neither action is required merely to turn off AI-feature improvement sharing, revoke a device permission, change your profile city, or adjust visibility.
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