8 ms·

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 except

by tfoil2 9y ago

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.

vlozko 9y ago
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.
- pawadu 9y ago
  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).
- matt4077 9y ago
  Apple's API allow very fine-grained control of both the accuracy and frequency of location updates, depending on, among other things, running in the foreground/background, the user's location etc.: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Performance/Conceptual/EnergyGuide-iOS/LocationBestPractices.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40015243-CH24-SW1 https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Pe... There's currently no explicit penalty for requesting too much information, but the battery power indication could probably get users to uninstall apps wasting energy, and it can even get you app terminated.
- hutattedonmyarm 9y ago
  What about the desiredAccuracy property of CLLocationManager [1]? [1] https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corelocation/cllocationmanager https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corelocation/clloc...
  - matthewmacleod 9y ago
    There is no specific permission for accuracy, which I think was the point there.
    - MBCook 9y ago
      Right. An application can ask for what it wants (low accuracy is much faster and burns less battery since it doesn't start GPS) but there's no way for the user to say that an app can ONLY get low accuracy data.
- kartickv 9y ago
  That's a good point. Maybe app developers should be able to request the level of access they want, like precise location, neighborhood (postal code), city, state or country. If an app never needs more precise information than the country (say Spotify trying to decide whether they operate in your country), they don't need to request it. That also guards against bugs or security breaches in apps that try to do the right thing.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
photojosh 9y ago
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.
3pt14159 9y ago
I want to be tracked by Google. I went out of my way to turn it on in iPhone. My location is leaked to cell towers and by what wifi network I'm connecting through anyway, and I'd rather be able to figure out which cool restaurant I went to months after my visit to Vilnius is over. Plus my memory of my personal life is so unreliable, especially if I don't have any context, so if I'm ever in court I'd like to be able to share exactly where I was when I was there. I've stopped thinking that real privacy is attainable. That being said, I refuse to share it with scummy companies like Uber.
- Pamar 9y ago
  I am not completely sure I understand what you want to accomplish, but I think you might find Moves (https://moves-app.com/ https://moves-app.com/) useful.
  - wukerplank 9y ago
    > That being said, I refuse to share it with scummy companies [...] Moves is owned by Facebook (one has to decide for themselves about FB's scummyness).
    - guptaneil 9y ago
      Wow, I did not realize Moves was owned by Facebook. Guess I'll be deleting that app...
  - jen729w 9y ago
    Or Life Cycle by Northcube. Kinda amazing.
    - iddqd 9y ago
      Seconding Life Cycle. Only stores the collected data on-device.
    - Pamar 9y ago
      Thanks: I installed it and will try it out for a bit before deciding if I switch to it or remain on Moves.
matthewmacleod 9y ago
Off the top of my head, any app involving directions – public transport, say – can reasonably use precise coordinates. Uber is also a reasonable use-case (when you want it to use that data) given the density of some city streets. Then there are location-sharing apps generally, or apps where you want to check in to locations (maybe a bit fuzzier, but there could be a lot of taggable locations within say 500m), or camera applications, or geocaching, or… It's great to have control, and it would be even better if we were able to specify the accuracy an app is able to achieve. But there are obviously some reasonable use-cases for both foreground and background tracking.
- ascagnel_ 9y ago
  For an app like that, I'd like to see a "approve every request" option. I don't always need my transit app requesting my position (even if only when in the foreground) when I really only need to look up the nearest stop occasionally.
Ensorceled 9y ago
That's your personal choice and desired level of privacy. I like that my Lyft app knows where to set pick up and that my transit app knows the nearest street car location. Agree with the OP that Uber can burn in hell for "always on"; I guess just in case I need an emergency Uber ride :-/ But feel free to just uninstall all those other apps that I love using.
theWatcher37 9y ago
One slightly frustrating thing is apple hides several key functionalities behind the always permission level. For example, if I need my app to be woken up remotely by a Bluetooth peripheral that requires the "always" location permission to function.
simonh 9y ago
Geotagging in photos it pretty useful. And find my iPhone. Then there's Pokemon Go - maybe not your cup of tea, but a lot of people love it. It's pretty useful to be able to share your location with someone in iMessage, I've done that a few times. Your mileage may vary.

by tfoil2 9y ago

vlozko 9y ago

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.

pawadu 9y ago
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).
matt4077 9y ago
Apple's API allow very fine-grained control of both the accuracy and frequency of location updates, depending on, among other things, running in the foreground/background, the user's location etc.: https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Performance/Conceptual/EnergyGuide-iOS/LocationBestPractices.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40015243-CH24-SW1 https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Pe... There's currently no explicit penalty for requesting too much information, but the battery power indication could probably get users to uninstall apps wasting energy, and it can even get you app terminated.
hutattedonmyarm 9y ago
What about the desiredAccuracy property of CLLocationManager [1]? [1] https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corelocation/cllocationmanager https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corelocation/clloc...
- matthewmacleod 9y ago
  There is no specific permission for accuracy, which I think was the point there.
  - MBCook 9y ago
    Right. An application can ask for what it wants (low accuracy is much faster and burns less battery since it doesn't start GPS) but there's no way for the user to say that an app can ONLY get low accuracy data.
kartickv 9y ago
That's a good point. Maybe app developers should be able to request the level of access they want, like precise location, neighborhood (postal code), city, state or country. If an app never needs more precise information than the country (say Spotify trying to decide whether they operate in your country), they don't need to request it. That also guards against bugs or security breaches in apps that try to do the right thing.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]

photojosh 9y ago

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.

3pt14159 9y ago

I want to be tracked by Google. I went out of my way to turn it on in iPhone. My location is leaked to cell towers and by what wifi network I'm connecting through anyway, and I'd rather be able to figure out which cool restaurant I went to months after my visit to Vilnius is over. Plus my memory of my personal life is so unreliable, especially if I don't have any context, so if I'm ever in court I'd like to be able to share exactly where I was when I was there. I've stopped thinking that real privacy is attainable. That being said, I refuse to share it with scummy companies like Uber.

Pamar 9y ago
I am not completely sure I understand what you want to accomplish, but I think you might find Moves (https://moves-app.com/ https://moves-app.com/) useful.
- wukerplank 9y ago
  > That being said, I refuse to share it with scummy companies [...] Moves is owned by Facebook (one has to decide for themselves about FB's scummyness).
  - guptaneil 9y ago
    Wow, I did not realize Moves was owned by Facebook. Guess I'll be deleting that app...
- jen729w 9y ago
  Or Life Cycle by Northcube. Kinda amazing.
  - iddqd 9y ago
    Seconding Life Cycle. Only stores the collected data on-device.
  - Pamar 9y ago
    Thanks: I installed it and will try it out for a bit before deciding if I switch to it or remain on Moves.

matthewmacleod 9y ago

Off the top of my head, any app involving directions – public transport, say – can reasonably use precise coordinates. Uber is also a reasonable use-case (when you want it to use that data) given the density of some city streets. Then there are location-sharing apps generally, or apps where you want to check in to locations (maybe a bit fuzzier, but there could be a lot of taggable locations within say 500m), or camera applications, or geocaching, or… It's great to have control, and it would be even better if we were able to specify the accuracy an app is able to achieve. But there are obviously some reasonable use-cases for both foreground and background tracking.

ascagnel_ 9y ago
For an app like that, I'd like to see a "approve every request" option. I don't always need my transit app requesting my position (even if only when in the foreground) when I really only need to look up the nearest stop occasionally.

Ensorceled 9y ago

That's your personal choice and desired level of privacy. I like that my Lyft app knows where to set pick up and that my transit app knows the nearest street car location. Agree with the OP that Uber can burn in hell for "always on"; I guess just in case I need an emergency Uber ride :-/ But feel free to just uninstall all those other apps that I love using.

theWatcher37 9y ago

One slightly frustrating thing is apple hides several key functionalities behind the always permission level. For example, if I need my app to be woken up remotely by a Bluetooth peripheral that requires the "always" location permission to function.

simonh 9y ago

Geotagging in photos it pretty useful. And find my iPhone. Then there's Pokemon Go - maybe not your cup of tea, but a lot of people love it. It's pretty useful to be able to share your location with someone in iMessage, I've done that a few times. Your mileage may vary.