Apple’s New iPhone And iPad Security Feature Limits Cell Networks From Collecting Precise Location Data
iPhone location privacy shield limits how precisely carriers can track your movements in iOS 26.3. Here's how it works and why it matters.
Matilda
Apple’s New iPhone And iPad Security Feature Limits Cell Networks From Collecting Precise Location Data
iPhone Location Privacy Shield Blocks Carrier Tracking Apple has quietly activated a powerful new iPhone location privacy feature that prevents cellular carriers from pinpointing your exact whereabouts. Rolling out this week via iOS 26.3, the "Limit Precise Location" setting shares only neighborhood-level coordinates with your phone provider—not your street address or building. This matters because carriers routinely hand over location data to law enforcement, and hackers increasingly breach carrier systems to track targets in real time. Your apps and emergency services still receive precise coordinates; only the carrier's view gets blurred. Credit: Eric Thayer/Bloomberg / Getty Images Why Your Carrier Knows Where You Sleep Most iPhone users don't realize their cellular provider constantly logs their location—even when Location Services is off. Every time your phone connects to a cell tower (which happens dozens of times hourly), it shares coordinates precise enough to i…
