With every year it is more and more noticeable the upgrade of mobile technology. And with every updated feature, people are more interested in what will come next. If you have a smartphone, you would have probably heard about geolocation and might know a thing or two about it. Geolocation is one of the latest tech features that mobile companies use to identify the location of their devices. So without further ado, let’s dive deeper into this topic and find out more about location-based apps and understand how it works.
The specifications of location-based apps
You will find many apps on your phone that are location-based. These kinds of apps allow many companies to detect your location and provide the required information accordingly. Many useful apps such as Uber, Lyft, Google Maps, Messenger, Whatsapp, and many other apps are location-based, this allows them to have your location details if you allow them to track that data.
Traveling apps such as Uber or Google maps use geolocation to specify your exact location and allow you to get to your desired destination without any inconvenience. With this kind of app, you will also be able to check the conditions of the traffic, and the app can automatically create the most suitable route for you.
Nowadays, it is hard to imagine our lives without location-based apps. When we want to order food, we have Postmates or Ubereats, which use geolocation to identify your location and deliver your food to you. When we want to share our location with someone that we should meet, we use Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, or iMessages, which also use geolocation to identify where we are. So it is for sure to say that geolocation has taken the entire mobile technology as it is not only a helpful feature for us, but it also is very informative for the mobile apps.
How does geolocation work?
As we have already discussed, geolocation is one of the powerful specifications of smart gadgets nowadays. This specification estimates your exact location through your smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, or any other gadget that is connected to the internet. All of the mobile apps that have geolocation features are developed through geolocation technology. And with this feature, the owners of the apps can track the behavior of their users. The information that is gathered through Geolocation is done by satellites that gather the data in real-time. And the satellites gather the data through various technologies, such as WiFi, Cell ID, or GPS. One of the most powerful technologies to gather the data is WiFi which is connected to all smartphones and everyone uses it. It can track the places that the user frequently visited through the WiFi network.
Another technology that can help get the data is Geofencing. This technology allows its owners to determine the location of the device from specific places through GPS. And last but not least, many devices can be tracked through the cell towers of the mobile operators. This is useful whenever the GPS servers are not working properly.
Nowadays, all smartphones come with built-in GPS chips that easily locate the place of the device by the main satellite. And just to make sure that the data is correct, the information of the main satellite is confirmed by other satellites as well. The first thing that comes to one’s mind when thinking about tracking your location is the security and the privacy of the users. Many people have concerns about the safety of the data that is being gathered since apps can get all your information. Just like any other tech feature, geolocation also has pros and cons. As with any technology, geolocation has a double-edged nature. The powers that authorize social networking, support regulation enforcement, and change the track the world is encountering. Such misusage contains unnecessary management of a user or business activities. However, all apps that have location-based features always ask you before gathering any data. If you permit them to get the information, you can always turn off that feature in your settings. Therefore, whenever you download an app for the first time, make sure that you check if they track your location and change the option according to your preferences. However, note that whichever app requires the geolocation, you cannot disable that setting.
Final Thoughts
Regardless of the mixed feelings we have about apps using our location, everyone can state that geolocation is already an unavoidable part of our lives. With this innovative technology, many businesses can change their approaches to their interactions with users. This way, many apps can give more possibilities for growing brand awareness, developing marketing strategies, and increasing sales.