Prior to iOS 14, users had the ability to allow or disallow location access on an app-by-app basis. Now, users can also choose to give an app their general location only.
how it works
With imprecise location enabled, apps will receive a map of your approximate location, not your specific location. What this means varies depending on the specific app, and what is needed for that app to function, but in practice, the more populated your location, and the less precise information an app needs, the less precisely the app will be able to track you. An example given in 9-5 Mac is that a map app which needs to provide turn-by-turn directions will need more precise information than a weather app, which can provide information based on your city, but does not need to know your exact location in that city.
In order to restrict the location data an app receives, go to settings, privacy, location services, then click on a specific app. Within this screen, you can choose whether location access is never gathered, whether to set this the next time an app is opened, or whether location data is available to an app only while it is in use. Further along, you will also find a toggle called precise location, which determines whether the app receives your exact or approximate location. Unfortunately, I do not see a way to make this setting default. It seems to be opt-in for each specific app. Apps can opt-in to request only approximate location data at launch, but this puts the decision in the hands of developers not users, and less tech savvy users may have trouble finding or understanding the options. I hope that this imprecise location becomes the default in future updates, with more specific location data being opt-in from the user.
Source: iOS 14 lets users grant approximate location access for apps that don’t require exact GPS trackingCategory: Articles
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Tangela Mahaffey is a barely reformed English Major currently residing in Colorado. She reads entirely too many fantasy books and takes almost nothing seriously, including herself. She loves technology, music, writing, puns, and cats. She can be reached on twitter @tmmahaff
