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iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

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Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#21

Post by matt4077 »

vlozko wrote: post #9
tfoil2 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Screw any app that really thinks it needs my precise coordinates in the foreground, let alone the background. Turn-by-turn directions in maps is the only exception I've found in 10 years of iPhone use.

Apple's API don't discriminate with regards to precision. An app that shows nearby stores with a 1km radius precision requires the same level of permissions as an app that's trying to do 1m precision.

Apple's API allow very fine-grained control of both the accuracy and frequency of location updates, depending on, among other things, running in the foreground/background, the user's location etc.: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Pe...

There's currently no explicit penalty for requesting too much information, but the battery power indication could probably get users to uninstall apps wasting energy, and it can even get you app terminated.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#22

Post by matt4077 »

weeks wrote: post #8
tfoil2 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Next battle: getting Apple to give users more granular Location controls. Almost NO App really needs precise GPS. "within a mile" or city or zip code or other fuzzier locations should be fine for most apps. Users should have a better trade-off than exact or nothing.

Android 1.0 had this via ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, unfortunately Android only recently got runtime permissions.

Apple still has it: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Pe...

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#26

Post by 3pt14159 »

tfoil2 wrote: post #4
gigatexal wrote: post #3

Fantastic. Screw Uber for only having the option to always use or never use.

Screw any app that really thinks it needs my precise coordinates in the foreground, let alone the background. Turn-by-turn directions in maps is the only exception I've found in 10 years of iPhone use.

I want to be tracked by Google. I went out of my way to turn it on in iPhone. My location is leaked to cell towers and by what wifi network I'm connecting through anyway, and I'd rather be able to figure out which cool restaurant I went to months after my visit to Vilnius is over.

Plus my memory of my personal life is so unreliable, especially if I don't have any context, so if I'm ever in court I'd like to be able to share exactly where I was when I was there.

I've stopped thinking that real privacy is attainable. That being said, I refuse to share it with scummy companies like Uber.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#27

Post by ahakki »

0x0 wrote: post #16
tfoil2 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, upgrades are always free, and new iOS versions are typically supported on several generations of older devices.

While iOS upgrades are usually free these days, it hasn't always been like this. According to wikipedia, iOS 1.1.3 was a paid upgrade on iPod Touches (while being a free upgrade for iPhones).

Yes, I remember that. I had to explain this to my parents so that they would let me use their Creditcard for this purpose.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#28

Post by JimDabell »

0x0 wrote: post #16
tfoil2 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, upgrades are always free, and new iOS versions are typically supported on several generations of older devices.

While iOS upgrades are usually free these days, it hasn't always been like this. According to wikipedia, iOS 1.1.3 was a paid upgrade on iPod Touches (while being a free upgrade for iPhones).

iOS updates have always been free. There's no such thing as iOS 1.1.3, only iPhoneOS 1.1.3.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#29

Post by vbezhenar »

winteriscoming wrote: post #6

I like all the new things coming in iOS11, including this. I recently got my first iPhone and it's on iOS10. Do users like me get to upgrade just the OS on the same handset when they release iOS11? I haven't found the answer to this on some of the apple articles I have browsed.

Think carefully before upgrade. You can't downgrade after you upgraded and new upgrades are known to significantly slow down old devices. My iPhone 4S became unusable after iOS 7 and it's almost bricked with iOS 9. This is Apple way to force users to buy new phones.

That said, they force developers to discontinue support for old iOS versions, so if you don't upgrade, you'll stuck with old apps and some might stop work if they rely on remote servers with changed protocols. So if you want to use iPhones, be prepared to buy new phone every 3-4 years.

Re: iOS 11 Location Privacy: "Only While Using" is now always an option for users

#30

Post by mstade »

tfoil2 wrote: post #7
winteriscoming wrote: post #6

I like all the new things coming in iOS11, including this. I recently got my first iPhone and it's on iOS10. Do users like me get to upgrade just the OS on the same handset when they release iOS11? I haven't found the answer to this on some of the apple articles I have browsed.

Yes, upgrades are always free, and new iOS versions are typically supported on several generations of older devices.

It's worth mentioning though that there's often not a 100% feature parity between iOS versions on different devices, typically because of hardware changes. These even applies to devices of the same generation, e.g. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus have different camera features since the latter has two cameras and the former just has one.

The differences between feature sets on different generations is less and less it seems though. If I recall correctly, the differences between the iPhone 3G and iPhone 4 was bigger than for instance iPhone 6 and iPhone 7. If I weren't such a sucker for new and shiny things, I'd probably buy an iPhone SE today.

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