iPhone 11 is using location services and we don't know why
What you need to know
- A security report claims that Apple's iPhone 11 Pro is using location data even when location services are set to "never".
- The report suggests that there are some system services using location data on the new iPhone which cannot be disabled by users.
- According to the report, Apple says that this is expected behavior.
A report suggests that Apple's iPhone 11 Pro is using location data, even if you think you've switched off your location services.
According to KrebsonSecurity:
The report first notes Apple's privacy policy, which explains what happens when your location services are turned on. It then highlights how the policy explains how a user can disable all location services by switching 'Location Services' to 'off' within iOS' privacy settings. The report then notes:
An accompanying YouTube video shows an iPhone running iOS 13.2.3, in which all of the system services are individually toggled so as not to use location data. Despite this, the location services icon seems to intermittently show up on the device, suggesting location services are still in use.
In response, an Apple engineer said:
"The icon appears for system services that do not have a switch in Settings."
As the report states, this seems to imply that even if you turn off location services for every single app and system service on your device, there are some services within iOS that you do not have the option to turn off. This means that the iPhone 11 Pro may be using location services regardless of what settings you select. The report notes that Apple has not responded to any follow-up questions regarding this issue. At this stage, it's totally unclear whether the phone is actually collecting any of the data, or if that data is being transmitted.
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https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/1202207429037035522
If the report is indeed true, it could raise some serious questions about Apple's Privacy, if its latest iPhone is found to be collecting and using location services despite the appearance that all such services can be disabled within iOS by users.
Stephen Warwick has written about Apple for five years at iMore and previously elsewhere. He covers all of iMore's latest breaking news regarding all of Apple's products and services, both hardware and software. Stephen has interviewed industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. He also specializes in curating and reviewing audio hardware and has experience beyond journalism in sound engineering, production, and design. Before becoming a writer Stephen studied Ancient History at University and also worked at Apple for more than two years. Stephen is also a host on the iMore show, a weekly podcast recorded live that discusses the latest in breaking Apple news, as well as featuring fun trivia about all things Apple. Follow him on Twitter @stephenwarwick9