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iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

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Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#121
post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Except that people are misrepresenting all 3 of those situations to make their point. Apple didn't slow down people's phones in order to get them to buy newer models. They actually slowed them down to extend their lifespans when the battery started to fail. While I do think that they could have communicated that better and that their current solution is pretty decent, it's a huge leap to say that this was an intentio…

Disagreeing with Apple PR (which you're repeating here ( isn't misrepresenting the issue. It's just disagreeing that Apple's official explanation is beneficial for consumers.

Nothing wrong with a healthy touch of cynicism. Oftentimes in these discussions, it goes way beyond that. The battery “scandal” is a case in point.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#122
post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Android has over half a dozen settings that must be disabled before the OS actually stops tracking your location and they are spread out to different menus. This is to say nothing of built-in apps like Google maps that have their own location tracking settings which, if changed, return all of the OS settings to their default activated setting. Manufacturers can have their own location services on top of Android’s. Up…

There is just one setting for location access which blocks it off for all, including OS services. Please don't spread dishonest misinformation, there's no need for that.

Dishonest may be a bit harsh, misinformed is fairer. The OP is completely disingenuous. They know what that line implies, they are choosing to convey it as sinister.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#123
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just so you know, if you're using regular Google-infused Android, then depending on how you ‘kill’ Maps it may still be running in the background. And it may start in the background without you running the app. I'd also bet that Google's other apps transmit your location anyway―if only because other apps use it too―and that it's not necessarily reflected in the timeline in the web profile.

> And it may start in the background without you running the app. Are you sure about this? If an app is terminated, can it still run itself without you running it?

No.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#124
post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FWIW, before Cydia there was Installer, and before that something whose name I am not quite remembering (and don't care to look up rocky now)... and I am pretty sure it was running on over 50% of all those original iPhones, as people really found it strange to have a cell phone without even a single game (even Nokia candy bar phones had Snake). (But yeah: at least some people clearly still wanted the device. But that…

I think with the advent of web apps, the need for native iOS apps will decrease, at least in some areas. Fortunately, this happens to coincide with the advancements in internet speed and coverage. In a few years: You want to play a game? Fine, let's bing it in Safari and play right there. "there's an app for that" soon will become "there's a web app for that".

That was the original intention for the iPhone, 12 years ago. Developers wailed.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#125
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just so you know, if you're using regular Google-infused Android, then depending on how you ‘kill’ Maps it may still be running in the background. And it may start in the background without you running the app. I'd also bet that Google's other apps transmit your location anyway―if only because other apps use it too―and that it's not necessarily reflected in the timeline in the web profile.

> And it may start in the background without you running the app. Are you sure about this? If an app is terminated, can it still run itself without you running it?

Google Play Services is the underlying app the records and uploads your location to Google Timeline, and that restarts itself if it is force quit.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#126
post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just so you know, if you're using regular Google-infused Android, then depending on how you ‘kill’ Maps it may still be running in the background. And it may start in the background without you running the app. I'd also bet that Google's other apps transmit your location anyway―if only because other apps use it too―and that it's not necessarily reflected in the timeline in the web profile.

> And it may start in the background without you running the app. Are you sure about this? If an app is terminated, can it still run itself without you running it?

I have a different maps app (Yandex) that keeps popping up in the process list despite me killing it off with ‘force stop.’ Probably not the only one, for that matter.

Flicking an app in the recent apps list doesn't close its background processes. And you won't see it there when such a process runs again. See e.g. the ‘OS Monitor’ app for the actual list of processes (for Android ≤6).

Google's apps are likely even more privileged. Play Store hogs the processor and network every time I enable wifi. On a past phone, Google Maps also ran conspicuously on boot and, iirc, when wifi was turned on.

Something might've changed in newer versions of Android, dunno. But I doubt it that Google would limit its own abilities.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#128

I support Apple trying to turn privacy into a major marketing issue, but I think we’ve basically already learned that consumers just do not care.

Everybodyin the world has dirty secrets. When governments were unable to use the data from big companies, it didn't matter.

The more aggressive governments get (for example actively asking social network ids on the border), the more people start caring about their privacy.

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#129

It seems a bit extreme to offer apps one of two extremes: either my sub-metre location or no location at all. It seems the reasonable default for location sharing should be something like sharing the rough suburb that I'm in. This solves most use-cases such as showing closest store locations, delivery options, dating apps showing nearby matches, etc. It's only the occasional navigation app that needs to know exactly…

Yahoo's Fireagle was an attempt to make a "Location broker" for apps. You could allow applications as much or as little detail as you like. I think it was a product before it's time.

Would this be possible with todays phone and hardware etc?

Re: iOS 13 now shows you a map of where apps have been tracking you

#130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What are the other reasons?

- I could never get used to the keyboards - The devices I owned were generally pretty slow, or got slow over time - iMessage lock-in - Hundreds of dollars invested in Apple purchases - The app ecosystem, while giant, always seemed to be junky to me - a few iOS-only apps - I never found a decent SMS from desktop solution, although I'm sure they are out there - Vaguely superior hardware - Animojis is probably the bigge…

> iMessage lock-in > SMS from desktop solution > Animojis is probably the biggest one

Every so often I am reminded people still use SMS, and by extension, iMessage. I think a combination of being in South East Asia for a long time, and also moving around so much, and both me (and almost everyone I know) uses various messaging apps not tied to a phone number (WhatsApp, Messenger, LINE). I have a British VOIP number where SMS goes through to my email.

I wonder how much longer phone numbers, and, by association, SMS have to live.

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