Apple's New Privacy Feature Restricts Carrier Location Tracking on Select Devices

Apple is rolling out a significant privacy enhancement that gives users more control over how cellular networks track their location data. The new "Limit Precise Location" feature, available in iOS 26.3 and later, allows iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular users to restrict the precision of location information shared with mobile carriers through cell tower connections.

When activated, this setting prevents cellular networks from determining a device's exact location down to street level. Instead, carriers can only identify approximate locations, such as a general neighborhood area. This represents a meaningful shift in the balance of power between users and telecommunications providers, who have historically had unfettered access to precise location data through the technical requirements of maintaining cellular connections.

Apple emphasizes that this privacy feature is designed with safety in mind. "The limit precise location setting doesn't impact the precision of the location data that is shared with emergency responders during an emergency call," the company stated. This ensures that the critical functionality of emergency services remains intact while providing enhanced privacy for everyday use.

The feature operates independently of Apple's existing Location Services framework. Users who enable this setting will still be able to share precise location data with apps and services that request it, including features like Find My for sharing locations with friends and family. The limitation applies specifically to the data available to cellular networks for their operational purposes.

Enabling the feature requires navigating to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options, where users can toggle the "Limit Precise Location" setting. After activation, the device may prompt for a restart to complete the process. This straightforward implementation makes the privacy enhancement accessible to typical users without requiring technical expertise.

However, the feature's effectiveness depends heavily on carrier support. Currently, only a limited number of mobile networks have implemented compatibility with this privacy setting. Supported carriers include Telekom in Germany, EE and BT in the United Kingdom, Boost Mobile in the United States, and AIS and True in Thailand. This limited rollout suggests that broader adoption will require cooperation from additional carriers worldwide.

The timing of this feature's introduction appears significant given recent regulatory actions against major U.S. wireless carriers. In April 2024, the Federal Communications Commission imposed nearly $200 million in fines on the largest American wireless carriers for improperly sharing customer location data. The penalties included $80 million for T-Mobile, $12 million for Sprint (following their merger), over $57 million for AT&T, and nearly $47 million for Verizon.

These fines highlighted the extensive access carriers have traditionally maintained to customer location data, often sharing it with third parties without proper consent. Apple's new feature directly addresses this concern by giving users the ability to limit what data carriers can collect through normal network operations.

The introduction of this privacy feature reflects a broader industry trend toward giving users more control over their personal data. As smartphones have become central to daily life, the amount of sensitive information they generate and share has grown exponentially. Features like "Limit Precise Location" represent Apple's continued efforts to position itself as a privacy-focused technology company, differentiating its products in a competitive market.

For users concerned about privacy but reliant on cellular connectivity, this feature offers a practical compromise. It maintains the essential functionality of mobile networks while reducing the granularity of location data available to carriers for purposes beyond emergency services. This approach acknowledges that some level of location sharing is necessary for cellular networks to function while recognizing that precise tracking is often unnecessary for legitimate network operations.

The limited initial device compatibility suggests Apple may be testing the feature's implementation before broader rollout. By starting with newer, higher-end devices like the iPhone Air and iPhone 16e, Apple can ensure the feature works reliably on the latest hardware before potentially extending it to older models.

As more carriers adopt support for this feature and as Apple potentially expands device compatibility, "Limit Precise Location" could become a standard privacy tool for mobile users worldwide. It represents a concrete step toward addressing the power imbalance between telecommunications providers and their customers, giving users more agency over how their location data is collected and used.

Related developments in the privacy landscape include Texas courts blocking Samsung from tracking TV viewing habits, the FTC banning GM from selling drivers' location data for five years, and Apple's recent fixes for zero-day vulnerabilities exploited in sophisticated attacks. These incidents collectively demonstrate the growing importance of privacy protections across all connected devices and services.