iOS 26.3 is the latest iPhone software update, and one of its most interesting new features is a privacy setting—‘Limit Precise Location’—that reveals Apple at its best.
‘Limit Precise Location’ is a new privacy setting in iOS 26.3
iOS 26.3 launched this week with a handful of features and changes—most of which were fairly minor. Bug fixes and security improvements were a bigger focus with this update.
However, the most fascinating addition in my mind is a new privacy feature.
‘Limit Precise Location’ is one of iOS 26.3’s key additions. And though it’s only available on a few devices now, it will expand significantly later this year.
The feature is an optional setting found in Settings ⇾ Cellular ⇾ Cellular Data Options.
Here’s what it does, per Apple’s support document:
Cellular networks can determine your location based on which cell towers your device connects to. The limit precise location setting enhances your location privacy by reducing the precision of location data available to cellular networks. With this setting turned on, some information made available to cellular networks is limited. As a result, they might be able to determine only a less precise location — for example, the neighborhood where your device is located, rather than a more precise location (such as a street address). The setting doesn’t impact signal quality or user experience.
To use ‘Limit Precise Location,’ your device needs an Apple-designed modem like C1 or C1X, so currently only iPhone Air, iPhone 16e, and the M5 iPad Pro are compatible. Carrier support is currently limited as well.
But the iPhone 18 line will add support with its C2 chip, and more carriers should get on board later too.
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