YOUR iPhone has a special setting that controls exactly how apps can track your location.
It’s possible for some apps to see precisely where you are –even though they might not need to.
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Thankfully it’s very easy to change if you know what the setting is called.
It’s called Precise Location and it’s so tucked away that you might never have heard of it.
When you use an app on your iPhone, you might sometimes need to give them “permissions”.
WhatsApp might need microphone access so you can send voice notes.
And Facebook may need camera access to allow you to upload selfies.
Locations are just another form of access you can grant to an app.
For instance, a game like Pokemon Go needs to know where you are to work properly.
But there are TWO types of Apple location sharing – approximate location and Precise Location – and you can choose which you grant.
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The first is approximate location, which might be enough in some cases.
An app that recommends restaurants doesn’t need to know exactly where you are, but just your rough position.
But a taxi app may need your Precise Location to pick you up in the correct spot.
Precise Location is a setting used by Instagram – but lots of other apps too.
For instance, you can tag your posts with your location, or find local businesses.
How to control Precise Location
To control all of your location data, go into Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
That’s where you can manage which apps can access your location, and under what circumstances.
If an app uses Precise Location, you can toggle that on or off there too.
You can also make it so iOS apps can only use your location once, or only while using the app.
But remember: you might lose access to some features that depend on it.
Is Precise Location safe?
Precise Location is as safe as the app you’re offering it to.
If it’s a trusted app and it’s obvious why it needs your location, there’s less need to worry.
But always try to keep location-sharing to a minimum: it’s your personal data after all.
Precise Location can allow fantastic features to work properly, so it’s good that it exists.
That said, it is always important to be cautious around what you share online.
Do consider whether you need to include your location on social media posts.
Although it’s uncommon, there have been police reports in the past of people ending up as victims of crime due to over-sharing online.
In August 2022, viral posts began circulating saying that thieves were exploiting the Precise Location setting on Instagram to find targets.
The Sun has been unable to find evidence of this hacking – and it’s unclear how this would even be possible.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
