How does Google know where I am?
security.stackexchange.com
How does Google know where I am?
1–10 of 158 posts
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#2It was possible for long. Many years back my low IQ Nokia phone had no GPS or wifi but maps were pretty accurate using just feel phone tower tringulation.
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#3Spies!
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#4cell tower triangulation.
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#5This is not tower triangulation.
Android searches for access points even when wifi is turned off. If anyone (with GPS enabled) uses that wifi with any google services the bssid will end up in their database. Also if the google car has been nearby it has recorded the presence of the wifi access point at that location [1].
Before you freak out: Apple and Microsoft also use access point information for positioning, although not as successfully.
[1] https://googleblog.blogspot.se/2010/05/wifi-data-collection-...
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#6It was possible for long. Many years back my low IQ Nokia phone had no GPS or wifi but maps were pretty accurate using just feel phone tower tringulation.
Yep I have memories of traveling abroad using the J2ME Google Maps on my Sony Ericsson dumbphone and walking down the street and waiting for it to switch to the next tower just to see if I went in the right direction...
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#7GPS for a long time haven't been used as the only source of location, to some extent it can now be considered a "2nd fiddle" to INS since solid state INS sensors are very good these days.
The phone receives location information from wifi and more importantly it gets location messages from cell towers, and it uses dead reckoning[0] using it's INS sensors.
[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_reckoning
If you want "privacy" turn off the location services, or your phone, if you want privacy don't take your phone with you.
That said this isn't some "conspiracy" Google actually states when you enable background location services that this will be on all the time even when GPS and the wireless network are explicitly disabled, IIRC even in airplane mode the location background service can be operational without violating FCC regulations.
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#8[deleted]
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#9From the comments section of the top-voted answer:
> Something you didn't mention: when a Google-car goes around taking pictures for StreetView it also maps the location and all wifi networks name. So taking a new router with a new network name from a different ISP might work, but only until they come near your house to update their pictures... > - Bakuriu
I am not sure how this makes me feel :-|
Re: How does Google know where I am?
#10This is not tower triangulation. Android searches for access points even when wifi is turned off. If anyone (with GPS enabled) uses that wifi with any google services the bssid will end up in their database. Also if the google car has been nearby it has recorded the presence of the wifi access point at that location [1]. Before you freak out: Apple and Microsoft also use access point information for positioning, alth…
This raises another imprtant question:
Is it okay for a private company to have detailed positioning data from inside of your office or home?
Who would really need that sort of information? I understand how this can be useful at the mall but I think I can find my way around my own house thank you.