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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

#11

Post by photojosh »

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.

A bit different from turn-by-turn, I use mine for precise positioning using topo maps out in the Australian bush.

I also very much like being able to use the geolocation in my photos to find ones from an exact location.

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

#13

Post by laingc »

winteriscoming wrote: post #10
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.

Thank you.

As a concrete example, iOS10 runs reasonably well on my spare iPhone 5, which is coming up on 6 years old.

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

#14

Post by zkms »

tfoil2 wrote: post #5
runesoerensen wrote: post #2

Relevant HN discussion for context https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13085098 Related screenshots: * Uber requesting location access: https://twitter.com/joeduvall4/status/872007928844345344 * Apps using background location now displayed more prominently: https://twitter.com/ow/status/872145515386982400

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.

As long as it's deterministic it'd be super great -- otherwise some devious programmer is just going to average out the random fuzz factor :)

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

#15

Post by lm2s »

runesoerensen wrote: post #2

Relevant HN discussion for context https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13085098 Related screenshots: * Uber requesting location access: https://twitter.com/joeduvall4/status/872007928844345344 * Apps using background location now displayed more prominently: https://twitter.com/ow/status/872145515386982400

The banner for apps using location while in background seems like an iOS bug...

If it isn’t, Apple should give an option to turn the banner off.

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

#16

Post by 0x0 »

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.

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).

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

#17

Post by beagle3 »

draw_down wrote: post #12
gigatexal wrote: post #3

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

Waze too, I noticed today actually.

Waze uses that info to let you know when you have to leave for your appointment, including regular appointments you have but did not tell it about (if you drive to "5 Mcdonald Road" every day, around 4pm, then after a while, it will start suggesting it).

I dislike this feature intensely, so I actually have my location services turned off, and I only turn it on before using Waze or Maps.

(Oh, and it seems that the Apple "Use location to set timezone and GPS to set time" will use the GPS even if you turned that specific feature off - unless all location servies have been turned off. Or at least, that's my experience, but it might just mean my phone is bugged).

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

#18

Post by pawadu »

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.

Unlike Android which have precise and coarse location. If Google wanted, they could limit precise to GPS and similar apps and force everyone else to use coarse location or geo fencing.

Unfortunately Google doesn't care about your privacy. In fact, it's only a matter of time before they remove coarse locations and/or give every app full access to location data (the same way they did with internet access).

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

#19

Post by k-mcgrady »

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).

The first few upgrades were paid for tax reasons as far as I remember. And then after a few versions they were able to change that.
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