iOS 26.3—Important New iPhone Location Privacy Feature Coming Soon

The brand new iOS 26.3 restrict exact location setting will let you restrict data that mobile networks may collect to find out your location.

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Apple’s iOS 26.3 replace is coming quickly, together with a bunch of cool new options and security updates. Whereas iOS 26.3 didn’t drop this week — iOS 26.2.1 arrived as an alternative — it appears to be like just like the iPhone improve will add a cool new location privateness characteristic.

The brand new iOS 26.3 restrict exact location setting will let you restrict data that mobile networks may collect to find out your location. “Mobile networks can decide your location based mostly on which cell towers your system connects to,” Apple wrote in a support document saying the characteristic.

The restrict exact location setting in iOS 26.3 enhances your location privateness by lowering the precision of location knowledge accessible to mobile networks. Consequently, they could be capable of decide solely a much less exact location — for instance, the neighborhood the place your system is positioned, moderately than a extra exact location, akin to a road deal with, Apple mentioned, including that the setting doesn’t influence sign high quality or consumer expertise.

Apple additionally assured iPhone users they might nonetheless be secure in an emergency scenario. The restrict exact location setting doesn’t influence the precision of the placement knowledge that’s shared with emergency responders throughout an emergency name.

One factor to know is, the setting impacts solely the placement knowledge accessible to mobile networks. It doesn’t influence the placement knowledge that you just share with apps via Location Companies. For instance, it has no influence on sharing your location with family and friends with Discover My, based on Apple.

For the setting to work, you want an iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, or iPad Professional (M5) Wi-Fi + Mobile on iOS 26.3 or later. The characteristic received’t be accessible to everybody immediately. To start out, supported carriers are restricted to Enhance Cell within the U.S., EE and BT within the U.Ok., Telekom in Germany and AIS, True in Thailand.

To show restrict exact location on or off, open Settings, then faucet Mobile. Faucet Mobile Knowledge Choices. You probably have a couple of cellphone quantity beneath SIMs, faucet certainly one of your traces. Scroll all the way down to Restrict Exact Location. Flip the setting on or off.

Extra usually, you’ll be able to management your iPhone location privateness in your Settings > Safety & Privateness > Location Companies, which provides granular per-app controls.

Apple’s iOS 26.3 is anticipated in February, so hold a watch out on my Forbes web page for updates.