Does this work, even when the phone is in airplane mode with WiFi off?
Work towards a #GrapheneOS network location service is coming to fruition:
https://github.com/GrapheneOS/platform_build/pull/69
This is a major feature. Network location providers will allow faster results and greater accuracy with locations inside buildings, by default GrapheneOS uses the OS' satellite location (GNSS) for location, with an optional toggle for using Google's existing location service.
For users who want network location and not Google, this network location service would use a GrapheneOS proxy to Apple's WiFi positioning service. Users may choose to not use the proxy.
Eventually, we'll be making our own local database using scraped data from Apple's service to implement network location and SUPL for users who want network-based location without connecting to them.
Discussion
No since enabling this feature connects to a GrapheneOS Proxy (or Apple if someone chooses). Making it local wouldn't though, which is a goal.
Thanks.
But even if its local, in airplane mode / no WiFi, how would it know which networks are closeby?
Oh, that's what you meant, assumed you meant having no access to the Wi-Fi rather than disabling it.
For WiFi being off, this would depend on if you enable the setting "Wi-Fi Scanning" in Settings -> Location. This is a toggle to scan for nearby WiFi networks even when WiFi is off. Need to enable it.
Very interesting, thanks a lot!
I'm still wondering if it's possible to just remember the last known location, and assume the phone didn't move too far since last use. This should decrease loading time substantially in most cases, even in full offline mode.