How do you use the Location function of your phone?

[JohnC]

I am curious how people use the location feature of their phone.

Do you tend to be private and keep location off, or do you only turn location on when using an app that needs it (and then turn if off when not using that app), or keep it on all the time?

Please vote.

 

[JordiCP]

I don't take many actions to preserve my privacy (although I think I should care a bit more), so I leave it as it is.
Only when doing some tests with android BLE, I noticed that, since some Android version, BLE failed to work if location was not enabled. It didn't crash nor anyrhing, simply didn't work. Assumed it as a fact, although didn't totally understand the reason ?

 

[JohnC]

Yeah, I think from android verison 6+, location needs to be on for apps to "search" for new bluetooth devices to setup pairing with.

But, I think that once a device is pair to the phone, the location does not need to be on for the app to connect to that previously-paired device.

 

[rabbitBUSH]

the location does not need to be on for the app to connect

Nope - just checked LOCATION needs to be on whether previously paired or not.....So I am forced to option two of the poll. Otherwise its always off - but mysteriously turns itself on every-now-and-then. I guess this is like the Robots which somehow manage to dig behind the firewall/passworded folders/places we all find it difficult to get to on PCs and so on.......

 

[JohnC]

Nope - just checked LOCATION needs to be on whether previously paired or not.....So I am forced to option two of the poll. Otherwise its always off - but mysteriously turns itself on every-now-and-then. I guess this is like the Robots which somehow manage to dig behind the firewall/passworded folders/places we all find it difficult to get to on PCs and so on.......

There is a slight chance that the app you are using was written incorrectly in that the developer thought that location has to be on to reconnect to a previously paired device, so the developer put a "Is location on?" check in their code before connecting to the device, which forces the user to turn it on, but maybe in fact it would successfully connect without it.

 

[rabbitBUSH]

the developer

that was me - location has to be on for BLE to work - mandatory. some apps just turn it on apparently assuming i want some one to know where i am and i want "those" adverts and so-called-personalised-on-my-behalf personalisations.........

 

[JohnC]

That is weird, because my phone is running android 10 and I have a smart watch (that uses BLE) and it stays connected to my phone 24/7 with location turned off.

But when I was shopping for smart watches, some of their companion apps required location on to work, and that was a main reason I didn't buy any of those watches.

 

[rabbitBUSH]

Mmm yes interesting - checking - BLE or Bluetooth Classic? anyway its off the topic.

 

[JohnC]

I'm assuming it's BLE because:
1) Its a smartwatch, so low-power is a must.
2) I don't see it listed in the "Currently Connected" list in the phone's bluetooth settings - even though the watch's app says "Connected" and it always sends my phone's notifications to my watch in real-time.

 

[JohnC]

P.S I gave the the watch app "location" permission, but the phone's location function is off all the time.

So, maybe the app can work to reconnect to previously paired devices with just location "permission", without the location function being actually on.

But location needs to be actually on for the app to do a "scan" for new devices to pair to?

 

[rabbitBUSH]

the watch app "location" permission

Guessing here) that the watch (BLE device) location "on" is built into the BLE and is just on : so that complies with the :rule: (an Android rule I anyway I think).
The phone is a different matter - technically the phone app that connects to the phone should have location on to connect to the BLE. That's how my app has to function.

Not sure if the android rule came in with And11 or earlier. [Not loaded the app onto an older phone.] There are threads in the android forum questions that i posted and there is a lot of info from various people about BLE. One from Erel I think tells of the regulatory stuff. Can't recall too much now - and its late here/early morning so .... cheers for now.

 

[JohnC]

I know very little about BLE, so my below thoughts could be totally wrong.

I'm thinking most, if not, all smartwatches use BLE because the batteries are very small in those devices, so low power usage is a must.

For it to be a "rule" that anyone who wants to use ANYTHING that uses BLE that they will need to keep location ON would be totally outrageous!

Before the new location permissions rules, apps were able to "scan" for nearby wifi aps and bluetooth devices. But because of the use of bluetooth beacons and database's created by streetview cars, an app was able to possibly determine a users location even when GPS was off.

I believe that is why google now requires "location" permission if your app wants to "scan" for nearby devices.

But, once your app has been paired to a device, it no longer needs to "scan" for other nearby apps, so my thought is that it shouldn't require the location "function' to be on just to "connect" to a previously paired device.

My thought is that there must be a way to store a paired devices's MAC or other ID, and that their is an alternate API that you could use that ID to directly connect to that device again without calling a "scan" function (because that would require locations services to be on).

So, I can see that location service needs to be ON to "scan" and "pair" to a NEW device, but once that is done, I am thinking that location services does NOT need to be on to simply connect to a paired device because a user's location privacy can't really be violated by ONLY connecting to a user-paired device (and not doing a "scan" for non-approved devices, which could leak a user's location without their permission).

Otherwise, like I said, it would be crazy to require everyone with a smartwatch to leave location on so that google can monitor your location 24/7!!!

 

[Apk2000]

I activate the location function only when needed .. if an app asked to access the location i simply deny!
I take care about maintaining my privacy. However, i am sure it's not enough!

 

[amorosik]

The gps-related functions are hungry for energy
How is it possible that they are always kept active?
The battery lasts much much shorter than when these features are turned off