Location services on iOS devices

[thenameless1]

Apple caught Fitbit using my location in the background (picture 1). The second picture is a screen shot referencing an article talking about Apple shaming developers.  I'm kind of confused because i don't understand why fitbit is tracking me in the background.

Moderator edit: updated subject for clarity

[MakMak]

Hi, @thenameless1! I know on Android location services are required by Android in order to sync your tracker. Is it possible that this is the case with iOS, too? Not trying to justify, I think this is a horrible design feature, just wondering...

[thenameless1]

@MakMak I read that article about location services and android, but i couldn't find anything similar about it for iOS.

Location settings don't appear to be required to sync the tracker though with iOS. I just set them to "never" and tried syncing it works just fine.

As @LizzyFitbit pointed out the fitbit iOS app now "requires" the "always" setting for location in order to have the gps features work. Previously they worked just fine on an iphone with the setting "while using the app". From what i've been able to gather with my own research they still work with "while using the app", but there is a popup by fitbit blocking access.

[Odyssey13]

Hi @thenameless1  did a bit of looking around myself, but it does seem iOS has a problem with the location services. Here are two articles about it:

Sept.19, 2019 TechCrunch article

Dec 5, 2019 article from Krebs on security 

[thenameless1]

@Odyssey13 Thank you for finding that first article you posted! I couldn't find that link to include in my original post. If you scroll down to where it says "The privacy hammer" you will see that it's what i took a screen shot of. I don' think this article describes an iOS location issue though. It does outline why i got the pop up!

I don't believe the 2nd article describes a location issue either. I will admit though that i'm not fully aware of the technology being employed in the iphone 11, so i'm going to assume that everything in the article about Ultra Wideband is true.  I'm also going to believe the statement below in that Apple was using the prompts outlined in the article to check that it wasn't being used in a prohibited country.

That seems to back up what experts have discerned so far. Will Strafach, chief executive at Guardian Firewall and iOS security expert, said in a tweet that his analysis showed there was “no evidence” that any location data is sent to a remote server

Now i'm fully aware that apple is tracking my location and i expect it. Services like find my iphone, maps and geotagging my pictures to name a few. I like the idea that if something was to happen to me that they would be able to find me.

I have an iphone se, a blaze, and a fitbit flex. I don't see why fitbit would be accessing my location in the background. There is nothing about the Blaze that would require it to check my location in the background. My blaze and/or flex doesn't offer anything remotely similar to find my iphone. In fact  i have to download a 3rd party app to find my tracker. Why can't the fitbit app do that?

Apple provided a statement regarding the "issue" even though it's the intended behavior. Can a similar statement be expected from fitbit?

So why is fitbit silently checking my location?

[thenameless1]

@LizzyFitbit i appreciate you keeping an eye on this thread.  Is it possible for me to request another thread to be merged with mine or mine with theirs? I've found a similar issue out there!

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/iOS-App/Why-does-Fitbit-track-my-location/td-p/2808126

@MarcoGFitbit  i see that you stepped in and provided a response (quite some time ago). I was wondering if by some chance you have any additional info on the issue. I have pictures attached in my thread so that maybe it'll help you out.

[LZeeW]

@thenameless1   I am going to vote with you on this one.  Fitbit’s help article says that it doesn’t track you unless you are doing a GPS connected exercise.  This is obviously not the case. 

I have several screenshots showing how I have been tracked, including a trip where I was driving or a passenger in a car.  

Let me be clear.  The pop up says that Fitbit is tracking me.

 We deserve an explanation.

[thenameless1 · Accepted solution]

@LZeeW  I'm not sure we can expect an answer from fitbit on this one, but i was able to find some additional clarification on the issue.

In the app description available on the web(check the screen shot below) in the information section it says the app will track your location even if you aren't using it!

Now i'm not sure why fitbit would be providing conflicting information between the app description and the help articles or why there would be a need for fitbit to track my location when i'm not using it, but this appears to be the intended behavior.

Based on the observation that this is the intended behavior i'm going to go ahead and mark this as the best answer.

[fourthirty]

Hi @LizzyFitbit and/or @MarcoGFitbit ,

I posted in another thread, however this may be more relevant to my privacy concerns.

Could you please explain why I must now set my location preferences to "Always" to enable GPS tracking of my exercise?  I've used my Charge 2 since it launched (I've purchased 3) with no issues when set to "allow while using app" with no issues, until recently.  Why the change?

I don't allow any of my 3rd party applications to "Always" track my location.  I consider this an invasion of my privacy.  Love my Fitbit(s) and your application, however this recent change is very concerning.  I'd like to understand why "Always" is now required.

Thank you,

Greg

[Pittstown]

Ageeed. I have location tracking set to “while using” which is sensible,

but I still get pop ups from the Fitbit app asking me to enable “always”.

there is NO reason why Fitbit should collecting location information when I’m not actively exercising.