I downloaded a new app that requires my location. I need the app for work, but don’t want to turn my location on.
If I change my phone’s IP address, will that prevent my phone’s location from being tracked? If so, how would I do this?
No, phone locations are tracked by more than just IP addresses (cell tower triangulation, GPS, nearby wifi and bluetooth SSIDs, gyroscopic sensors, etc)
If an app is asking for location permission, it will use GPS to get your exact location.
If you’re afraid this app will track all your movements, you can spoof your GPS location to a single place anywhere you want. You can do that for example with an app called Fake Traveler
With your IP address they can have an idea on where you are (probably which city or neighbourhood or if you’re home if they know your ISP IP address)
You can change your IP address with a VPN. I suggest you protonVPN, they have a good and private free tier.
I got offered a job where during the interview I learned that allowing the employer to know my location at all times during the work hours was a requirement for the job.
I declined their offer.
That’s how you stop them from tracking your location.
So what would you do if you didnt have a smart phone with GPS?
On mobile phone, location services is fuzed from multiple sources including: GPS, IP address, nearby WiFi Networks, cellular towers. It is provided to app by OS service (from phone OS manufacturers, Apple and Google), simply change IP will likely not change anything as people do want to use map when connecting to VPN servers.
But the question is, what app requires your location?
Due Play Store and App Store regulations, no app should stop working if you deny location permission, it is explicitly prohibited by the policy.
They can track you by IMEI, MAC address, Ip addy…
No, the only way is graphene os and no sim card
If work requires knowing your location, what is going to be your cover story if they see you are in a different state or country?
In answer to your question, it depends on how the app is written. My guess is it won’t help you to change IP.
No because when you turn your location on, it’s tracked via GPS coordinates. If you can keep location off and change IP, you’ll be fine.
An app cant use tower triangulation to locate you. And I doubt gyroscopic sensors alone could determine someone’s location. It would be very inaccurate at best.
They cant track your location by IMEI or MAC address lmao. Those are just device identifiers and dont reveal location
Some vpn providers include this feature in their app but definitely not all of them.
With fake traveler app you can choose exactly the GPS location to spoof with or without a VPN.
MAC can be embedded in an IPv6 addy, and that can be delegated by provider and tied to IMEI. Once the phone pings a tower, they can narrow down a radius
MACs are easily randomized. A cell tower only knows the relative distance from the tower, a radius like you said, but it doesn’t have your exact location. OPs question was if the app can track his location. In this circumstance it cannot. It will only be presented with the IP address of the tower, not OP’s location.