iOS 26.3 adds Limit Precise Location privacy toggle

• Key Takeaways:
• iOS 26.3 introduces a new "limit precise location" setting to reduce location data accessible to mobile networks.
• Mobile networks typically infer device location from the cellular towers a device connects to; the setting restricts some of that data.
• The change is intended to strengthen user privacy by limiting how precisely carriers can track a device’s location.
• Enabling the setting may affect how accurately networks can deduce location for carrier services.

What Apple changed in iOS 26.3

With iOS 26.3, Apple has added a new privacy control called "limit precise location." The toggle reduces the amount of location-related information that is shared with mobile networks.

Apple's update targets the data mobile networks use to determine a device's position, which is usually inferred from the cellular towers the device connects to.

How it affects carrier location tracking

Mobile networks rely on signals from nearby cellular towers and the connection patterns of devices to estimate location. According to the short description provided with the update, enabling the new setting restricts some of the data that carriers normally receive.

That restriction should make tower-based tracking less precise, limiting networks’ ability to pinpoint a device as accurately as before.

Why this matters for privacy

Limiting the precision of location data strengthens user privacy by narrowing what carriers can infer from a device’s cellular connections. For users concerned about carrier tracking, the setting offers a direct, system-level control.

The change reflects an ongoing trend by Apple to add granular privacy settings that give users more control over how apps and services access personal signals and sensors.

Potential trade-offs and considerations

Reducing location detail for carriers could affect how certain network services work, such as carrier-provided location features or other services that depend on accurate tower-based positioning. The short description notes that "some of the data typically made available to mobile networks is being restricted," but does not list specific impacts.

Users who rely on carrier features that need precise location should weigh privacy benefits against any possible reduction in service accuracy.

Bottom line

iOS 26.3’s "limit precise location" setting is a focused privacy enhancement that reduces the location data mobile networks can use. It gives users a new lever to curb tower-derived tracking while potentially changing how some carrier services perceive device location.