The latest iPhone software update introduces several standout features such as Priority Notifications, fresh emoji, and the Sketch option in Image Playgrounds. However, iOS 18.4 also encompasses some less noticeable enhancements.
As noted by Mysk, a new option titled ‘Improve Location Accuracy’ has been added within the Location Services settings. For some users, myself included, this feature was activated automatically. Here’s what Apple explains about this toggle…
You can locate this new setting by navigating to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Location Services -> System Services and scrolling down to the ‘Product Improvement’ section. The ‘Improve Location Accuracy’ toggle is alongside the existing options for ‘iPhone Analytics’, ‘Routing & Traffic’, and ‘Improve Maps’.
According to Apple’s documentation regarding this new feature:
Your iPhone will intermittently send the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and mobile network towers (when supported by a device) in an anonymous and encrypted format to Apple, which will be utilized to enhance this crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and mobile network tower locations.
This appears to manage your device’s contribution to the assisted GPS system, which integrates data from GPS satellites together with a list of recognized nearby Wi-Fi networks and cell towers to quickly determine a user’s precise location.
Disabling the ‘Improve Location Accuracy’ option does not prevent your device from utilizing the crowd-sourced database. Instead, it seems to offer a means for you to withdraw from participation.
It is unclear if this functionality was previously included within another setting and has now been separated into its own toggle, or if your device always performed this action in the background, and now you have an explicit way to opt-out.
If enabled, Apple indicates that the data sent to its servers is anonymized and encrypted, alleviating any privacy concerns for individuals.
