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Which location services can be turned off?

G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
I was checking the options under Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services. After reading some tips for saving the battery life I have turned off Frequent locations, Setting time zone, Popular near me, Location based iAds and Diagnostic and usage. There are more options: Cell network search, Wifi networking, Compass calibration, Traffic. Can I turn-off these as well except for Traffic? I referred to this article but not clear whether turning these off will prevent regular wifi and cell service:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5594

I am trying to figure out options which are not really necessary and can be switched off to maximize the battery life. Any advice on this?
 
iOSBry

iOSBry

macrumors 6502a
Jan 16, 2013
517
294
For the last several years, I've been turning them all off but Traffic and Frequent locations.

I've had no issues with them off either - all apps work as expected as does my iPhone and iPad. It's my understanding these services provide crowd sourced data to Apple specific to each.

iOSBry
 
ugcop

ugcop

macrumors 6502a
Mar 15, 2012
599
103
Traveling @ Warp Speed ...... USA
iOSBry said:
For the last several years, I've been turning them all off but Traffic and Frequent locations.

I've had no issues with them off either - all apps work as expected as does my iPhone and iPad. It's my understanding these services provide crowd sourced data to Apple specific to each.

iOSBry
Click to expand...

I pretty much do the same. I allow it in a couple of mapping apps and a few others where I know the app has a specific reason to know my location. There are a lot that want to use and have absolutely no need to know where I am to operate as designed.
 
G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
How about the Cell network search, and Compass calibration?

Has anyone tested on how much improvement in battery life you can get by turning these off? I know it send data frequently but how much it is and how much power it takes. The reason I am asking because Apple must be publishing iPhone battery life numbers with the default settings where everything is on.
 
Gav2k

Gav2k

macrumors G3
Jul 24, 2009
9,216
1,608
gaanee said:
How about the Cell network search, and Compass calibration?

Has anyone tested on how much improvement in battery life you can get by turning these off? I know it send data frequently but how much it is and how much power it takes. The reason I am asking because Apple must be publishing iPhone battery life numbers with the default settings where everything is on.
Click to expand...

Cell network search is only valid if your in areas of poor reception really.
 
C

C DM

macrumors Sandy Bridge
Oct 17, 2011
51,390
19,458
Truthfully I've had all my system location services off since the iOS 6 days, if not before, and haven't really come across anything that wouldn't work quite right or worse than it should. I also don't really use traffic information provided in the notification center (although I do use it in Apple Maps, and it still works with the traffic service disabled).

As I recall from some other threads about all of this, the vast majority of those services are more for reporting data--like traffic conditions, cell tower and WiFi hotspot locations--back to Apple rather than getting something from it (I think with just some minor exemptions).
 
JetBlack7

JetBlack7

macrumors 68030
May 14, 2011
2,544
792
Portugal
Have had all location services switched off since ever and my iPhone has worked fine everytime, so no problems turning everything off.
 
Armen

Armen

macrumors 604
Apr 30, 2013
7,405
2,274
Los Angeles
gaanee said:
I was checking the options under Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services. After reading some tips for saving the battery life I have turned off Frequent locations, Setting time zone, Popular near me, Location based iAds and Diagnostic and usage. There are more options: Cell network search, Wifi networking, Compass calibration, Traffic. Can I turn-off these as well except for Traffic? I referred to this article but not clear whether turning these off will prevent regular wifi and cell service:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5594

I am trying to figure out options which are not really necessary and can be switched off to maximize the battery life. Any advice on this?
Click to expand...

See this thread.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1643708/
 
G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
One more question - do these services check and send location information periodically or only when you are using a specific app, like traffic info only while using maps, compass when compass app is open? If it sends the location information only when the app using it is open, then there shouldn't be any downside keeping it on. On the other hand, if it's is doing it periodically at set intervals then that would be a waste when your phone is just sitting on the desk.
And second - I usually keep the cellular data (3G?LTE) off unless I need it. So in that case, how does the phone send this information back to Apple?
 
Armen

Armen

macrumors 604
Apr 30, 2013
7,405
2,274
Los Angeles
gaanee said:
One more question - do these services check and send location information periodically or only when you are using a specific app, like traffic info only while using maps, compass when compass app is open? If it sends the location information only when the app using it is open, then there shouldn't be any downside keeping it on. On the other hand, if it's is doing it periodically at set intervals then that would be a waste when your phone is just sitting on the desk.
And second - I usually keep the cellular data (3G?LTE) off unless I need it. So in that case, how does the phone send this information back to Apple?
Click to expand...

I honestly don't know the answer to your question because I've never seen any of the arrows next to these system services light up indicating my location is being used except frequent locations.
 
G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
I just checked again and there are arrows (location service icon) next to Cell network search, Compass calibration, Traffic and Wifi networking indicating that these were accessed in past 24 hours. I still wonder if any data was sent and how since I keep 3G/LTE off, may be it's possible on wifi.
 
G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
Ok, so I tried to find my location on the map with these system services switched off and it can't locate. It shows my previous location but exactly.. somewhere in that neighborhood. So I switched these services back on and it's still off. Previously it used to locate me on the map with the same settings. Both Apple and Google maps are off, so looks like it does use this information to pinpoint your location and should be kept on. In all testing wifi/3G/LTE was off.
 
C

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Wifi aids in pinpointing your location. I have all those system services off and use Apple/Google maps daily.
 
C

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Which location services can be turned off?

gaanee said:
Do you have 3G/LTE on?
Click to expand...


Yes. I keep 3G and wifi on.

Wifi because it aids in GPS accuracy and 3G because it aids in GPS accuracy plus supplies map data. No data (3G), no maps. I don't have a map app that has predownloaded maps.
 
G

gaanee

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 8, 2011
1,433
244
Earlier when I used both map apps, they used to locate correctly even with data/3G/LTE off. I thought in that case, it was using cell tower triangulation only. Today after I switched off these services, map couldn't locate. So somehow, it interferes maps.
 
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