SAN FRANCISCO, Feb 1, 2026, 23:55 PST
- Apple added a “Limit Precise Location” setting that reduces how precisely mobile networks can pinpoint some iPhones and iPads.
- The feature requires iOS 26.3 or later and works only on select models and a short list of carriers.
- The move follows years of scrutiny over how telecom firms handle sensitive location data.
Apple has introduced a new privacy setting that lets some iPhone and iPad users limit how precisely mobile carriers can determine their location, tightening control over tracking that happens outside apps. The “Limit Precise Location” option appears after upgrading to iOS 26.3 or later, according to Apple support information and a report by BleepingComputer. Bleepingcomputer
The change targets a basic reality of mobile service: carriers can estimate where a device is based on which cell towers it connects to as it moves. Apple says the setting reduces the precision of the location data available to the network, shifting it from street-level detail to a broader area.
That matters because carrier-held location data has been a recurring flashpoint for regulators and privacy advocates. In April 2024, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission fined AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint nearly $200 million for illegally sharing access to customers’ location data, the agency said. Fcc
Apple says the carrier-level setting does not alter app-level permissions and does not affect the precision of location data shared with emergency responders during an emergency call. “This setting affects only the location data available to cellular networks,” Apple wrote in its support note. Apple
The company lists the feature as available on iPhone Air, iPhone 16e and iPad Pro (M5) Wi‑Fi + Cellular, once users update to iOS 26.3 or later. 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.
Users can turn it on by going to Settings, tapping Cellular, then Cellular Data Options and switching on “Limit Precise Location.” If a device has more than one line under SIMs, Apple says users may need to select a line first, and some devices may prompt a restart.
Gary Miller, a Citizen Lab researcher and senior director of network intelligence at mobile security firm iVerify, said many people still assume location sharing starts and ends with app permissions. “Most people aren’t aware that devices can send location data outside of just apps,” Miller said. Moneycontrol
For now, the setting’s reach looks narrow. Apple’s support list names Boost Mobile in the United States, but does not list the bigger nationwide carriers AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.
There are limits, too. Even with the option enabled, carriers can still estimate a device’s location for routine network operations, and the feature does not change what users share with apps through Location Services — the same area where most privacy settings live.
Apple has not publicly explained why it added the option. Moneycontrol reported a company spokesperson declined to comment on the record, while BleepingComputer said it had not received a response to its request for more detail.
