Microsoft has announced the removal of the Location History feature from Windows 10 and 11 operating systems. This feature previously allowed applications, including Cortana virtual assistant, to access 24-hour device location history when enabled.

The deprecated API, ‘Geolocator.GetGeopositionHistoryAsync’, stored location data locally and collected position information only when apps or services specifically requested it, with a maximum frequency of once per second.

Impact and Required Actions:

– Developers must update applications using Windows.Devices.Geolocation API
– The location services option will be removed from Windows Settings > Privacy & Security > Location
– Users can:
– Disable location access completely for all apps
– Clear existing 24-hour location history using the ‘Clear’ button

This change affects the local storage of location data, and the corresponding settings will be completely removed from the operating system. Microsoft has not yet provided specific reasons for this deprecation.

For users concerned about location privacy, disabling the feature and clearing existing data is recommended before the complete removal of this functionality.