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For example, by looking at whether your SIM is roaming, what network it is connected to, what network issued the SIM in any second slot, or any other info that would give away your location.

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Any app can determine your approximate location just by the internet. The IP you are assigned by your ISP reveals your local location. However, the same IP can be shared by many around you (in your locality), so they cannot find YOU or identify YOU on that basis.

  1. Using a VPN almost removes this issue, until a website/app decides to compare time on your device to the time of the location shown by your VPN. This is something they usually don't do but certainly can.
  2. As the Google CAPTCHA does, if many people are connected to the same VPN, they will have the same IP and there will be a lot of traffic from the same IP at the same time. Not something to worry about when not using Google.

They (some apps) also use SIM card info to know your country. (Like tiktok does)

Apart from these they may use your device info to know your country (if your phone is not a Global variant)

And not to mention the location permissions which gives your exact location. (Android 12/13: you can choose between exact and approximate location)

Upvote if this helped.
Thanks :)

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  • That does help, but I'm not sure what you mean by SIM card info. Is this just the country where the SIM was issued (not a concern) or its current status, e.g. the fact that it is / isn't roaming, or the GMS network it is connected to (reveals at least country-level location).
    – culp
    May 17 at 18:17
  • It won't let me upvote - not enough rep.
    – culp
    May 17 at 18:18
  • @culp See the link in Robert's comment for My location get recognized by my sim card
    – Morrison Chang
    May 17 at 18:22
  • Thanks. If I am reading @Robert 's comment right it is saying that the app can see the cell towers, so I guess it can see the network operator too. That is going to give country-level info. idk whether there is also some kind of "roaming" flag, or if TikTok (the app in the prev Q) uses that info or just assumes that the user is in the country where the SIM was issued.
    – culp
    May 17 at 19:01

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