Why does EVERY app need my location?

[Calvin Cooper1]

And you cant use the apps with out it? And if you wont let them access your location they wont even download?
Angry Birds does not need to know where im at.

 

[walter1832]

Give me your location, and I'll tell you why.

 

[Calvin Cooper1]

Lol! Funny guy here!
But seriously, why cant we turn off location for certain apps?

 

[ryansstuff]

No idea tbh, like battery app needing it WHY? I am going to start putting this in my reviews and marking down if there is not reason for it. That will be the only way to stop this happening.

 

[gsquared]

I have location services turned off on my L920. I've yet to find an app that doesn't work without it. There will be some of course but for the apps I use no issues. The reason I turned it off was due to an app constantly accessing the service and causing my battery to drain and making the device hot. I didn't want to get rid of the app as I like and use it.

 

[Kenney Andersen]

Usually because of advertising. As far as i remember the Microsoft Advertising SDK uses the location to present advertising based on the where you are.

 

[christenmartin]

This is something that has confused me as well. I download a stop watch and it wants my location. I do not have my location turned on but still weird. Government Conspiracy.

 

[Calvin Cooper1]

But if you pay for an app the advertising wont be there.
iOS and Android give you the option to turn of location services for any app. But MS wont even let you download an app without using it. And yes, I could turn off my GPS for the whole phone, but why should I have to?

 

[longnd]

It's a trick to keep the app running in the background since currently WP8 only allow location apps to run in the background:
[INFO]On Windows Phone, only one app runs in the foreground at a time. If the user navigates away from an app by pressing the Start button or by launching another app, the current app is suspended. If the new foreground app requires more memory than the suspended app, the suspended app may be terminated and tombstoned. For more information on the life cycle of Windows Phone apps, see App activation and deactivation for Windows Phone. On Windows Phone 8, a location-tracking app can continue to run in the background after the user navigates away, as long as the app continues to actively track location. This feature enables scenarios such as an app that provides turn-by-turn directions.[/INFO]
source: MSDN

 

[hopmedic]

I've not heard of apps using location services to keep running in the background. That's just plain dumb, in addition to violating the app certification requirements. It uses way too much juice. I've heard of apps using the background audio APIs to do this, though. I don't use What'sApp, but I seem to recall that's one that does this.

Apps requiring the use of location services, when location isn't a part of the app's function is most often going to be for the advertising SDK. Microsoft's ad SDK doesn't require it, but many of the others do.

Here's a post where I explained it in greater detail. A couple of posts below it explain the media library requirement.
http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/230008-location-services.html#post2006555

 

[Isaac Abraham1]

Well Microsoft has been caught a few times working with the NSA. It would make sense to know what we're doing and where we are doing it.

 

[Goosinurwife]

i think thats is a feature thought up by the cops so they can track you i heard microsoft and google both have agreements with the police to turn in people and they use the location on ur cell phone everyone knows that

 

[vk1971]

Maybe the devs want or need to know what's the geography of their apps?

 

[SecretAndAnonymus]

Here`s why:

-They want your location because then when your on internet, other internet places wants to know where you are so the could send you email or etters in your masilbox, also they want your contacts for doing the same, but with your friends to.

-As ChristenMartin said... Gouvernmental Conspiracy... They may use it to know everything you do and where you are...So in short... YOU ARE BEEING WATCHED!

-An animated show called South Park made fun of it...if your wanna watch it its called "Humancentipad" and its on the 15th season.

Anyways... There your know why they want to have your location, email and friend list...

---SecretAndAnonymus