The sad demise of iPhone location tracking

Macworld report that Apple is closing that accidentally left open door and we will no longer have access to the location data stored in the iPhone.

Firstly, it reduces the amount of the cached location information to a week’s worth, rather than relying on a size limit, as it previously did. Secondly, it no longer backs up the cache to your Mac or PC via iTunes upon syncing, so the information isn’t available to anyone with access to your computer. And finally, the cache is now deleted from the device when Location Services are disabled in iOS’s Settings app.

I for one am quite sad to see this go. Privacy issues not withstanding, I found the fact that my phone tracked my location not to be creepy but actually rather interesting.

When this news was released I, along with thousands immediately downloaded the app to explore the data.

I travel a lot for work and knowing where I’ve been over the last year has been of real interest. Keeping track of where I was on a certain day, be it Manchester, Bristol or someone more exotic was fascinating. A automatic diary entry as it where. The app developed to explore the location data stored on the phone was a huge success.

I can see why there has been the outcry, after all if the data got into the wrong hands it’d be an issue. Not that I really care if people know where I am. The location was never exact, just a triangulation based on cell towers. I can see where I was to a few hundred meteres at best.

I’ll be sad to see location tracking go. I want to keep track of where I’ve been. Maybe someone will develop an app – and I don’t mean a check in style Foursquare style. Something that just keeps a record of where I am.

What are you thoughts on the loss of location tracking? Did you download and try the app?

Update Friday 6th May 2pm UK
Elliott Jay Stocks has also blogged about the sad loss of this data.
I can’t believe I didn’t mention Mapalong in my original post. They’ll be the purveyors off all things location very soon. The beta is looking awesome.