Apple Adds iOS 26.3 Carrier Privacy Tool, Limiting Precise Location to Neighborhood-Level Data
Updated
Updated · PCMag · Aug 11
Apple Adds iOS 26.3 Carrier Privacy Tool, Limiting Precise Location to Neighborhood-Level Data
1 articles · Updated · PCMag · Aug 11
Summary
iOS 26.3 adds a Limit Precise Location setting that reduces how accurately cellular networks can place an iPhone, potentially narrowing it to a neighborhood instead of a street address.
Apple says the feature does not affect signal quality, emergency location sharing, or Find My, but it works only on devices with C1 or C1X modems and on supported carriers.
In the US, Boost Mobile is the only supported carrier so far; Apple says several carriers in Europe and Asia have also been added.
Users can still manage app-by-app location access in Settings, choosing options from Never to Always and disabling Precise Location entirely for apps that do not need exact positioning.
The privacy push follows FCC fines against major carriers for sharing and selling customer location data, underscoring broader scrutiny of how phone and app providers handle tracking.