iOS 13.3.1 To Address iPhone 11 Privacy Issues

Last year there was a bit of controversy surrounding the iPhone 11 when it was discovered that even when users told the phone not to use location services, it would still continue to do so. Apple later offered an explanation in which they said that this was due to the use of the U1 ultra wideband chip that made its debut in the iPhone 11 models.

According to Apple back then, “iOS uses Location Services to help determine if an iPhone is in these prohibited locations in order to disable ultra wideband and comply with regulations. The management of ultra wideband compliance and its use of location data is done entirely on the device and Apple is not collecting user location data.”

That being said, the good news is that in the beta of iOS 13.3.1, it has been discovered that Apple will be adding in a toggle switch that will allow users to completely disable it. This was posted on Twitter by Brandon Butch where it seems that in the upcoming iOS update, users will be able to disable the ultra wideband chip.

https://twitter.com/BrandonButch/status/1218272838181949441/photo/1

That being said, turning off the chip could have some side-effects on the functionality of your device. There are rumors suggesting that Apple could be planning to debut a Tile-like tracking accessory that would leverage the U1 chip, so disabling it could also render the accessory useless.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Cellphones
Tags: iOS, ios 13, iPhone, iphone 11, Privacy