Users Can Block Wi-Fi Tracking With 1 SSID Change by Adding _nomap

2 articles · Updated · PCMag · Aug 18

Adding “_nomap” to a Wi-Fi network name tells Apple and Google to exclude that router from their Wi-Fi positioning databases, a simple opt-out aimed at reducing location exposure.
Those databases speed up phone location by matching a router’s unique BSSID and signal data to a mapped position, often after the router stays in one place for several days to 1 week.
The privacy risk is that anyone with a router’s BSSID can potentially query location data, exposing people who relocate to escape stalkers, executives carrying hotspots, or satellite terminals used in sensitive areas.
Changing the SSID requires logging into the router—often at 192.168.1.1 or another default gateway—and then reconnecting every phone, laptop, and smart-home device to the renamed network.
The advice underscores a trade-off in modern location services: faster mapping and GPS assistance versus keeping home, travel, or conflict-zone infrastructure out of global Wi-Fi maps.