Apple Starts Hiding Your Location Data From Cell Carriers

Your iPhone just got a little more secretive about where you are. This week, Apple quietly rolled out a new security feature that limits how precisely your phone shares location data with your cell carrier—and it could change how we think about mobile privacy.

The "limit precise location" feature, available on select iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and iPad Pro (M5) models running iOS 26.3, reduces the accuracy of location data shared with carriers. Instead of pinpointing your exact street address, your device now shares only your general neighborhood. Crucially, this doesn't affect location sharing with apps or emergency responders—just the data your carrier collects behind the scenes.

Why Now? The Perfect Storm of Surveillance

The timing isn't coincidental. Law enforcement agencies are increasingly demanding real-time location data from carriers to track individuals, while hackers have been feasting on the treasure trove of personal data that telecom companies collect. Over the past year, Chinese hackers dubbed Salt Typhoon have persistently infiltrated major U.S. carriers including AT&T and Verizon, targeting call logs and messages of senior American officials.

But the threat goes deeper than headline-grabbing nation-state attacks. Long-standing vulnerabilities in global cellular networks have allowed surveillance vendors to track anyone, anywhere in the world. "Most people aren't aware that devices can send location data outside of just apps," explains Gary Miller, a mobile security expert at Citizen Lab and iVerify. "While devices can limit GPS disclosure at the app level, they haven't been able to lock down precise location disclosure to the network."

Limited Rollout, Unlimited Implications

Currently, the feature works with just a handful of global carriers: Telekom in Germany, AIS and True in Thailand, EE and BT in the UK, and Boost Mobile in the US. This limited availability raises questions about the technical complexity involved and the level of carrier cooperation required.

Apple declined to explain why they introduced this feature, and their silence speaks volumes. The company has built its brand around privacy, but this move goes beyond marketing—it's a technical solution to a systemic problem that most users didn't even know existed.

The Bigger Privacy Picture

This development highlights a fundamental shift in how we think about location privacy. For years, the focus has been on app permissions and GPS settings. But your phone constantly communicates with cell towers to maintain service, and that communication reveals your location whether you realize it or not.

"Apple's feature, while limited to very few operator networks, is a step in the right direction in providing users with greater privacy controls," Miller notes. It's a recognition that true privacy requires controlling data at every level—not just what you consciously share, but what your device shares automatically.

What This Means for You

If you're not on one of the supported carriers, you're still vulnerable to the old system of precise location sharing. But this could be the beginning of a broader industry shift. As more users become aware of how much location data their carriers collect, pressure will likely mount for wider implementation.

For businesses and governments that rely on location data for legitimate purposes—from urban planning to emergency response—this creates new challenges. How do you balance individual privacy with collective benefits that location data can provide?