GrapheneOS provides the ability to use network location as an opt-in - feature.
+GrapheneOS provides network-based location as an opt-in feature with our own + implementation. Similar to the services provided by Apple and Google, it offers + location detection based on nearby networks rather than solely relying on using + satellite-based location (GNSS) with technologies to accelerate it (A-GNSS). It + makes getting a location indoors and in cities with tall buildings much faster + or possible when it wouldn't have worked via GNSS. Certain apps also have the + expectation of network-based location being available and don't account for the + time needed to get a GNSS-based estimate or inability to get one everywhere so + this feature provides improved compatibility with apps.
-Enabling the network location feature will make getting a location lock - indoors and in cities with tall buildings much faster, or possible when it would - have previously been impossible. Additionally, network location improves app - compatibility for apps that expect a fast location lock from the network - location provider which they won't get when it's off and GNSS is being used - instead.
+Unlike Google's service and similar to Apple's service, our feature provides + local position estimation based on retrieving location data for nearby networks + from a service. It caches the information from the service in-memory for up to + 15 minutes from when it was last used so it can function offline after getting + the initial data. It only needs to send a network identifier for each network it + wants to use for position estimation. Google's service does server-side position + estimation which requires repeatedly sending distance estimates for each network + to the service for each position estimate update. The approach we use doesn't + require providing any information to the service once the nearby networks are in + the cache or sending distance estimates. The service also provides it with extra + data covering a fairly large area from the initial position with a reasonable + density of networks so it can keep functioning if internet access is lost.
-The feature works by sending nearby Wi-Fi network identifiers to the service, - which returns positioning data for those networks and other nearby ones to store - in a temporary in-memory cache. Your location is estimated using a robust - on-device multilateration algorithm.
+Our network-based location feature is currently entirely based on Wi-Fi + Access Points (APs). It will be extended with support for cell towers in the + near future to provide better support for rural locations like the Apple and + Google services. Apple and Google also use Bluetooth beacons but it's a very + niche feature only relevant to certain malls, stores, etc. which are usually + covered well enough by Wi-Fi support for decent position estimates.
-In the future, GrapheneOS plans to provide an option for offline network - location using downloaded data instead of having to send data to a service.
+Users can currently choose between using our proxy to Apple's service or + directly using Apple's service. We're in the process of building our own + database and service based on data from multiple sources including Apple's + service. Unlike the Apple and Google services, our service will provide support + for fully offline usage based on database downloads rather than requiring + sending network identifiers to the service to fetch data for them.
For details on how to use the network location feature, see the usage section.