YouTube Music Doesn’t Request Your Location Anymore

YouTube Music is gaining popularity partly because of its rich content (which other service has so many bootlegs and rarities?), partly because of its constant updates and usability improvements. This one will make the YouTube Music experience a little bit more secure: now the app doesn’t require your exact location to function.

Indeed, it felt strange that YouTube Music needed one’s precise location in order to play music. Okay, in theory it can be used to show the right ads (though YouTube Music Premium has none) and for improving personalized suggestions. But these results can be achieved with approximate location as well. And it’s not clear why the app needed it precise in order to offer location-based recommendations.

Location-based recommendations indeed make some sense. For example, when you’re at home and it’s time you go to sleep, YouTube Music can offer you some relaxing playlist. If it detects you’re in a gym (your Google Fit data may corroborate you’re not there to sit and watch), it can give you something for an explosive workout. But, again, it doesn’t require location data that precise, according to the new way Google claims to have found. Instead, it uses your activities that you can check in your Home.

Is it secure, though, to share this sensitive data with the app that obviously doesn’t need it? And doesn’t Google obtain it from other sources if you use Android or other Google apps on iOS? Obviously, these considerations have been spoken out loud enough, so YouTube listened to them. The latest update does not require your precise location; approximate one will do to recommend you some music popular in your region or matching the weather around you.

Do you feel better now, after learning that YouTube Music won’t track your location and will delete all precise location-related data it has ever used? Tell us what you think about it; welcome to the comments section!