Security bug in iOS 14.1: Google maps has full access to my contacts without permission and there is no way to stop it.

Question

Level 1

4 points

Security bug in iOS 14.1: Google maps has full access to my contacts without permission and there is no way to stop it.

When searching for a street name I my iPhone X (iOS14.1) I saw that google has somehow gained full access to my contacts; they show up just above the keyboard. See the image below, when typing 'fake' in the search box in the google maps app, the two fake addresses I added to my contacts show up.

The while

I did not login with a google account in the app on my phone
Google maps is NOT shown as an "app that requested access to your contacts" under settings > privacy > contacts

So by accident I found out that google maps has -without requesting permission- has gained access to all my contacts, and there is no way to stop it. Can anybody replicate the issue in iOS14.1? I checked with an older iPhone running on 13.6, there is no issue there.

Posted on Nov 3, 2020 12:36 PM

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Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,467 points

Nov 3, 2020 12:45 PM in response to jerope

Do you have a Gmail account? Are you possibly managing contacts with Gmail? I am on an iPhone 12 Pro with iOS 14.1. I just started to type in an address of my brother-in-law and it does not show him listed in the addresses below where I'm typing. It just shows addresses that begin to match the information that I have typed in so far.

Also, you did not successfully post an image here, so it is hard to tell exactly what you are seeing. Make sure that when you post an image that you have redacted any personal information.

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Answer 2

jerope Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 3, 2020 12:51 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

The image should be visible now: it shows the names 'Fake2 Name' and 'Fake One'.

I do have a Gmail account, but I do not have any google contacts (I use iCloud for contacts) and only the mail option is activated under the Gmail account.

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Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,467 points

Nov 3, 2020 4:30 PM in response to jerope

I don't believe that is Google Maps that has access, I think it is the phone itself. I'm trying again to duplicate this, and I'm not able to. As a matter of fact, I don't even get that suggestion line at the top of my keyboard when typing in addresses. I'm sorry I can't help. I'm getting an (i) just under the search bar, and when I tap on that, I get a box that says that Suggestions are based on your Web & App Activity. You can turn off Web & App Activity at any time. Tapping on the Learn More takes me to a website Myactivity.google.com and you can turn that off. Check the Settings area of Maps to see if you can locate that information.

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Answer 4

jerope Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 4, 2020 3:11 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Thanks for you message, ChrisJ4203. I found the option you suggested, and it had already been urned off. Switching on and off again does not help.

Also, as you said it might be the phone, I switched off 'suggestions' in the keyboard settings. But I still get that suggestion bar in Google's Maps app.

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Answer 5

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,467 points

Nov 4, 2020 7:16 AM in response to jerope

Glad you were able to get to that. Funny that I cannot see that at all in my device, and here in the US, my screen looks somewhat different than yours does on my iPhone 12 Pro. Enjoy your phone, and if you experience any additional issues come back. Someone will be here.

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Answer 6

jerope Author

Level 1

4 points

Nov 4, 2020 9:29 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

Maybe I wasn't near, but I still have that issue :). Hope someone else will be able to reproduce the 'suggestions' above the keyboard - and can tell me how to switch it off. Looks weird to have that personal info displayed by an app that did not ask for permission, and me not having a possibility to switch it off.

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Answer 7

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,467 points

Nov 4, 2020 9:32 AM in response to jerope

I understood you still had the issue, just that you had found the other setting I spoke of. Again, I don't know what it might be, and maybe someone else could duplicate it. You also have the option to contact Google Support to ask them.

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