Apple quietly adds carrier-level location privacy shield to new iPhones and iPads

Apple introduces a new setting that limits how precisely mobile carriers can track device location.

• Apple launches a feature to limit precise location sharing with mobile carriers
• The feature is available on select iPhone and iPad models with carrier support
• Emergency services and apps still receive accurate location data

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Apple has introduced a new privacy-focused security feature that limits how precisely mobile carriers can determine a user’s location. Rolling out this week to a small set of newer iPhone and iPad models, the feature is designed to reduce the risk of sensitive location data being accessed by law enforcement agencies, intelligence services, or malicious attackers through telecom networks.

According to Apple, when the new setting is enabled, iPhones and cellular-enabled iPads will share less granular location data with the user’s mobile network operator. Instead of transmitting highly precise location information, such as a street-level position, the device will provide a broader approximation, such as the surrounding neighbourhood. Apple says this reduction in precision helps protect user privacy without breaking core services.

Crucially, Apple notes that the feature does not affect how precisely location data is shared with apps on the device. App-level location permissions continue to work as before, and emergency services will still receive accurate location information during emergency calls. The change is narrowly focused on limiting what is disclosed at the carrier level.

The feature, labelled “limit precise location,” is currently supported on iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and the iPad Pro (M5) Wi-Fi + Cellular when running iOS 26.3. Availability is also dependent on carrier support. At launch, the feature is live on a limited number of networks, including Telekom in Germany, AIS and True in Thailand, EE and BT in the United Kingdom, and Boost Mobile in the United States.

Apple has not publicly explained why it chose to introduce the feature now, and a company spokesperson declined to comment on the record. However, the timing aligns with growing scrutiny of how location data held by telecom operators is used and abused.

Law enforcement agencies around the world increasingly rely on mobile carriers to obtain real-time or historical location data tied to individuals. This information can be used to track movements, build behavioural profiles, or establish proximity to specific locations. While such access is often framed as lawful and regulated, it has raised persistent civil liberties concerns.

Telecom operators have also become prime targets for hackers. Over the past year, major US carriers including AT&T and Verizon have disclosed breaches linked to a China-backed hacking group known as Salt Typhoon. Those intrusions reportedly sought call records and message data belonging to senior US officials, highlighting how sensitive carrier-held data can be.

Beyond recent attacks, long-standing weaknesses in global cellular signalling systems have enabled surveillance vendors and intelligence actors to quietly monitor users’ locations across borders. While carriers can estimate a phone’s location through network signals alone, devices themselves often contribute additional data that improves accuracy.

Gary Miller, a mobile security expert and researcher with Citizen Lab who also serves as senior director of network intelligence at iVerify, said most users are unaware that their devices share location data beyond apps.

“Most people aren’t aware that devices can send location data outside of just apps,” Miller said. He added that while users have long been able to restrict GPS access at the app level, they previously had little control over how much precise location data was disclosed directly to the cellular network.

Miller described Apple’s move as a positive, if limited, step. While the feature currently works with only a small number of carriers, it introduces a new layer of user control at a part of the mobile stack that has traditionally been opaque.

Apple’s latest change reinforces a broader trend in its platform strategy: shifting more privacy controls onto the device itself, rather than relying solely on policy or carrier-level protections. Even with limited rollout, the feature sets a precedent that could pressure more carriers and device makers to rethink how much location data is truly necessary to share.