- iOS 26.3 will come with a new Limit Precise Location feature
- This tool restricts the location data available to carriers
- It could add another layer of privacy to iPhones
If you’re looking to protect your privacy while using any of the best iPhones, one of the most effective things you can do is limit how your location data is used. And with iOS 26.3 just around the corner, you’ll soon have another way to keep your private data under lock and key.
That’s because Apple is about to introduce a new feature in iOS 26.3 called Limit Precise Location. As the name implies, this is designed to reduce the information that can be gleaned from your location, and instead provides much more vague data to cellular providers.
In a new support document on Apple’s website, the company outlines how Limit Precise Location works. After explaining that your location can be pinpointed based on the cell towers your phone connects to, Apple says its new setting restricts the information that’s available to carriers in this way. That might mean they can only determine the rough neighborhood where you are located, for example, rather than a precise street address.
Apple also notes that this new feature does not limit “signal quality or user experience,” and it also doesn’t hinder first responders, as they can still see your exact location during an emergency.
In order to use it, you’ll need to open the Settings app and tap Mobile Service > Mobile Data Options, then enable the toggle next to Limit Precise Location. Your device needs to be restarted whenever you enable or disable this feature.
Which devices are compatible?
It’s worth noting that this new feature comes with some conditions. For one thing, Apple says you need to have an iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or iPad Pro with M5 chip and Wi-Fi plus cellular connectivity in order for the feature to work.
Your phone must also be running on a compatible network, as detailed below:
- Germany: Telekom
- United Kingdom: EE, BT
- United States: Boost Mobile
- Thailand: AIS, True
Apple adds that you’ll need to be running iOS 26.3 or iPadOS 26.3 on your device. These updates haven’t yet been released, but they’re expected to arrive within the next week or so.
As well as that, while the feature limits the location data that network carriers can access, it doesn’t affect the location data that’s shared with apps. That needs to be adjusted separately by heading to Privacy & Security > Location Services in the Settings app.
All of this means the new feature is having a somewhat limited rollout for the time being. But as more Apple devices start to use the company’s C1 and C1X modems – the ones outfitted in the compatible phones listed earlier – this kind of privacy-preserving tool should become the norm for Apple fans. And that’s great news for anyone who wants to guard their privacy just a little more securely.
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alexblake.techradar@gmail.com (Alex Blake)
