Apple Has Expanded Its Privacy Protection Features to More IPhone Models.

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When you share your location data with an app or service, you might assume you’re transmitting your exact coordinates. But that’s not always the case . While sharing your “precise location” does reveal your exact location, sharing your “approximate location” only reveals your general location. It’s the difference between an app knowing your home address and seeing the neighborhood you’re in, or perhaps even the city itself. This is a great way to balance privacy and functionality: apps that don’t need all this extra location information to function simply won’t receive it.

In January, Apple introduced a new privacy setting for iPhone: “Restrict Precise Location .” While this may sound similar to the option already described above, the new setting allows you to hide location information from your wireless carriers as well. This gives you complete control over how your iPhone shares your location: apps that require precise coordinates, such as a navigation app, can receive them, while apps that may only need an approximate location can receive this data—including now your wireless carrier.

Unfortunately, support for the “Restrict Precise Location” feature was extremely limited at launch. Apple only provided this option for iPhones with the proprietary C1 or C1X chip, including the iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and the iPad Pro M5 cellular model. Furthermore, in the US, only Boost Mobile users had access to this feature, meaning that only a very small portion of US iPhone users were able to take advantage of this new privacy protection.

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In iOS 26.5, Apple expanded support for the Restrict Precise Location feature.

That changed with iOS 26.5 , which Apple released this week. While this feature still only works for Boost Mobile customers in the US, Apple has added the iPhone 17e to the list of supported devices. However, if you live outside the US, the list is a bit broader. Apple has added several more carriers, expanding it to the following:

What do you think at the moment?

  • Austria: A1

  • Denmark: YouSee

  • Germany: Telekom

  • Ireland: Skye

  • Thailand: AIS and True

  • United Kingdom: EE, BT and Sky

  • USA: Boost Mobile

The “Restrict Precise Location” feature is enabled by default on all supported iPhones on these carriers. However, if you live in the EU or UK and have one of these iPhones, this feature is likely available—even if your carrier isn’t listed.Apple states that with a SIM card from a European or UK carrier, you have the option to enable this feature. Rumor has it that Apple plans to implement its next-generation cellular modem, C2, in the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Ultra . The list of iPhones that support this feature should expand slightly by the end of this year.

How to manage precise location with restrictions

If you have the right iPhone and carrier, this feature is enabled by default. However, you’ll find this option in Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options > Restrict Precise Location .

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