BT Backs New Apple iOS 26.3 Feature to Limit UK Location Data on Mobile
Apple’s next major iOS software update for iPhones – v26.3 – looks set to include an interesting new feature, which aims to improve user privacy by limiting the amount of location data available to mobile network operators. The move is apparently set to be supported by EE (BT) in the United Kingdom, although no other UK operators are currently named.
The issue of location data on mobile networks is one we’ve touched on before in a very different context (here). Otherwise, mobile operators usually collect such data to support key functionality, such as for call routing and messaging, analytics, network management, ensuring you are connected to the best mast (cell site) and not to mention lawful use by the emergency services etc.
Apple’s new Limit Precise Location setting will reduce how much information mobile operators can access to determine your precise location. But this will only be available on compatible iPhone and iPad models (e.g. iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular) with supported carriers (e.g. BT / EE in the UK).
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The related information page on Apple’s website (here) explains this in more detail, which also confirms that it won’t impact the data available to the emergency services, which is good.
Apple’s Statement
With this setting turned on, some information made available to cellular networks is limited. As a result, they might be able to determine only a less precise location — for example, the neighbourhood where your device is located, rather than a more precise location (such as a street address). The setting doesn’t impact signal quality or user experience.
The limit precise location setting doesn’t impact the precision of the location data that is shared with emergency responders during an emergency call.
This setting affects only the location data available to cellular networks. It doesn’t impact the location data that you share with apps through Location Services. For example, it has no impact on sharing your location with friends and family with Find My.
Turn limit precise location on or off
1. Open Settings, then tap Cellular.
2. Tap Cellular Data Options. If you have more than one phone number under SIMs, tap one of your lines.
3. Scroll down to Limit Precise Location.
4. Turn the setting on or off. You might be prompted to restart your device.
Sadly, we aren’t told precisely what part of the data won’t be shared and obviously customers on O2 and VodafoneThree (Vodafone and Three UK) won’t see any benefit, until they introduce support for the feature, assuming they plan to do so (we’ve asked and will report back). Credits to one of our readers (Harrison) for the tip.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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O2 make far too much money off tracking people across their network to support this
O2 even had a vulnerability that allowed anyone to ping their server and it would respond with the mast name the user is a connected to. All you needed was a phone number and it worked anywhere in the world. This has been patched however
I read a few comments on other sites to understand how this works, so could be wrong on this. From what I can tell it seems to be a flag that the phone sends to the tower. The tower still knows exactly where the device is in order to do beam forming and direct the signal to the right area. But with this, the use of the information is limited, presumably down to just running the network and emergency services.
Support requires a change on the network core and support in the device’s modem. I imagine it will roll out to other devices in time and other networks as they update their core. Newer Apple devices have Apple’s own modem design, hence why they can support it so quickly.
I can’t say I was aware of this. Is this part of the 4/5G protocols or is this something Apple built on top of it to help the providers? What happens if location services are off?
So looking a bit more into it, it does sound like Apple are doing something in the modem to blur the location with the timing responses it sends back to the tower. But for some reason whilst it affects the information gathered by the network, things like beam forming are still unaffected. I guess there must be some timing information shared that the tower doesn’t really need to know to operate the radio layer.
I don’t see having location services off as affecting this since it is being done by taking advantage of technical information the phone sends. In 5G, the tower focuses a beam for each device – like a pencil of radio waves aimed just at you. Plus it also uses a timing advance to synchronise transmissions, which gives it an idea of the distance the device is from the tower. None of this uses anything in location services, and it’s all needed to make the system work.
The amount of court conditions helped by location data for some of the most horrendous crimes imaginable are vast
Even if publicly they’re telling us location tracking is limited, I hope police and the network can bypass it by court order
It’s an invaluable assistance for those dumb enough to take their phones with them to their crimes
But how will TV detectives find the bad guy?
As soon as a glimpse of privacy enters the UK, the government shalt ask them to no can do. Like ADP in apple icloud.