Skip to main content

Apple’s response to location-tracking controversy: “Apple is not tracking your iPhone”

iPhone TrackerApple has responded to last week’s revelation that iPhones are tracking and recording users’ location information. “Apple is not tracking the location of your iPhone. Apple has never done so and has no plans to ever do so,” the company said in a Q&A-style statement posted on its website.

Apple’s response comes as users have become increasingly wary about what Apple products are doing without their consent. The location-tracking controversy began last week after a pair of researchers revealed that iOS devices are recording timestamped latitude-longitude coordinates and then storing them in an unencrypted file, which is transferred to computers during routine syncing with iTunes.

Recommended Videos

So why is Apple conducting location-tracking on iPhones? As it turns out it’s not really tracking iPhones’ locations at all, just the cell towers and Wi-Fi hotspots surrounding the devices — some of which “may be located more than one hundred miles away.” Apple says that this is necessary to help iPhones determine locations faster.

As Apple points out, GPS “may take up to several minutes” to deliver a current location. But, Apple says, “iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites, and even triangulate its location using just Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data when GPS is not available.” That process is known as “Assisted GPS,” or A-GPS.

The Wi-Fi hotspot information comes from a “crowd-sourced database” culled from location information location that is sent to Apple, albeit in an “anonymous and encrypted” format. Apple never receives any markers as part of these transmissions that could be used to link this information to a particular iPhone.

So, in short, Apple is not technically tracking your iPhone, but it is using your location to map out Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers which can then be used to assist in speeding up GPS location services for all iPhone users.

Apple did admit that it’s doing a couple of things wrong. First, the company admitted that too much data-location information is being retained. By some accounts a year’s worth of information is being retained. Apple says that seven days of location data should be sufficient.

The second glitch that Apple admits is that the location-gathering continues even when users turn off location services on their devices. Both of these bugs, Apple says, will be addressed in a future software update to be released “in the next few weeks.”

In its explanation of location-tracking Apple uncharacteristically tipped its hand about a future project — one that is also making use of anonymous data gathered from iPhones. “Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years,” Apple said.

Does Apple’s explanation make you feel better about location-tracking on your iPhone? Were you even concerned in the first place? Let us know in the comments below.

Aemon Malone
Former Digital Trends Contributor
The iOS 18.4 Beta could drop as soon as February 12
Natural Titanium iPhone 16 Pro Max (left) and a Blue Titanium iPhone 15 Pro.

With the launch of the new Powerbeats and the iPhone SE 4, next week is a busy one for Apple fans — but even more surprises could be on the way with the release of iOS 18.4 Beta 1, according to Mark Gurman. There's a chance the launch could be pushed back until the week after, but it will most likely arrive before the end of February.

The coming iOS 18.4 beta is rumored to introduce a lot of changes related to Apple Intelligence functionality and Siri, including awareness of what's on screen, personal context, and much more. If this change comes through, it would mark a turning point for Siri. The assistant has long trailed behind the competition, and an update that brings it to the same level of power as Google Assistant or Alexa would be a huge boon for Apple users.

Read more
The U.K. wants unchecked access to all iPhones worldwide
A person holding an iPhone in their hand.

In 2016, the FBI requested Apple to grant it an iOS backdoor access, but the company rejected it, with the “No” coming straight from CEO Tim Cook. In 2021, Apple even sued an Australian company that unlocked an iPhone for the same federal law enforcement agency.

Apple is once again at a security crossroads that could pose an existential threat to its iPhone business, and the privacy of users across the globe. According to The Washington Post, the British government has ordered Apple to give them “blanket” access to the encrypted materials saved by iPhone users on the iCloud online storage drive.

Read more
This music app is doing something different in the Apple App Store
The Practice Pro app.

The iOS App Store is awash with apps using subscriptions and in-app payments, but our attention has been drawn to a brand new release that goes back to the old way of doing things — charging a one-off payment. It’s such a rare approach, the company has even drawn attention to it in the app’s top features list.

The app is Practice Pro, a release from developers Dynamic App Design, and it is made to help musicians practice and improve with use. The studio claims it’s suitable for professional and amateur musicians due to its clever modular design. Using different widgets, the app can be set up to only include the practice tools relevant to you, a better option than either using multiple apps, or having a cluttered, unfocused menu.

Read more