Latest iOS 13.3.1 beta lets you fully disable location tracking on the iPhone 11

Just in case you were worried

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Appleoften makes a point about how much it cares about user privacy, and a new feature coming in iOS 13.3.1 is specifically intended to giveiPhone 11owners extra peace of mind about one area of privacy in particular – location tracking.

As reportedon Twitter, the latest beta version of iOS 13.3.1 includes a new toggle switch, enabling users to disable the Ultra Wideband chip that was introduced with the 2019 range of iPhones.

Ultra Wideband is like a more spatially aware version of Bluetooth, giving iOS features like AirDrop a better idea of where an iPhone is and which way it’s pointing. It’s going to come in very useful if Apple decides tolaunch a Tile competitor.

However, it’s not been approved for use in every country where the iPhone 11 models are sold, so up until now it’s beenlogging device locations, even when all the location service options are disabled.

Performance vs privacy

Now Apple is fixing the issue, as it promised to do when it was originally reported – disabling the Ultra Wideband chip on youriPhone 11will completely disable any kind of location logging on the device.

Of course, you won’t be able to use the features that Ultra Wideband offers, either. “Turning off location for Networking & Wireless may affect Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Ultra Wideband performance,“says iOSwhen you flick the switch.

While you may have been living your life blissfully unaware of Ultra Wideband and what it does, now you know why yournext iOS updateis going to come with an additional toggle switch for you to think about.

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Ultra Wideband is most probably coming to allthe 2020 iPhonesas well – we’re expecting a successor to the iPhone SE this year, as well as the flagship phone launches due sometime during September.

Via9to5Mac

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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