​​iPhone’s slow location sharing leaves police struggling to find victim in shocking Seoul murder case

iPhone

A shocking report from South Korea has revealed that iPhones take much longer than Android phones to share users’ locations during emergency calls, a delay that could put lives at risk.

The issue came to light after a tragic incident at a pizza restaurant in Seoul’s Gwanak District, where a man attacked three people with a knife on September 3. When police received a distress call from an iPhone, they struggled to pinpoint the caller’s exact location, causing delays in reaching the scene. Officers reportedly spent over 15 minutes circling the area to find the right address.

Data obtained by a South Korean lawmaker from the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) revealed that iPhones take an average of 20 seconds to share location details with emergency responders. In comparison, Android phones share this data almost instantly, within 1 to 3 seconds using cell towers, GPS, and Wi-Fi.

The reason lies in how both systems handle location tracking. Android devices send location data through multiple channels such as mobile networks, GPS, and Wi-Fi to ensure faster accuracy. Apple, however, uses its own system called HELO (Hybridized Emergency Location), which performs extra calculations to improve precision. While Apple says this makes the data more accurate, it also means that the process takes longer.

Another major issue is that Apple doesn’t allow emergency trackers to access Wi-Fi signal data. In cities like Seoul, where tall buildings can block GPS signals, Wi-Fi-based tracking often helps police locate callers faster. Since iPhones block this access, signal trackers can’t detect them easily.

The KCC has urged Apple to fix the issue and make its system faster for emergencies, but the company has yet to make changes, citing privacy concerns and consistency with global policies.

Experts warn that while Apple’s focus on privacy is commendable, delays of even a few seconds can be critical in emergencies. The Seoul case has now sparked a broader debate about whether smartphone makers should prioritise user privacy or public safety when every second counts.