Starlink Revives GPS Function, But Only for Priority Plans

Starlink Revives GPS Function, But Only for Priority Plans | PCMag

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It looks like SpaceX is backing off from completely removing a little-known Starlink function that can be used for GPS-style location tracking. The company will retain the feature, but only for customers on its business-focused Priority plans, according to an email sent to Jonathan Pitts, a Starlink provider for businesses."We recently communicated that dish location would be removed from the local device gRPC API. After further review, we have decided to continue supporting this functionality for Priority service plans," SpaceX wrote in the email.  You May Also Like

Pitts, co-founder of 1SimpleConnect, an authorized Starlink solutions provider, also confirmed over the weekend that location data access remains available for Priority plan subscribers. SpaceX didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. But on May 21, the company terminated the location feature for all other customers who had access to it via the gRPC API on the Starlink hardware. Maritime users were particularly alarmed because the location data feature could counter GPS spoofing and jamming that have been occurring in waters in the Middle East, allowing boats to safely navigate despite electronic signal interference. A Starlink dish, especially the Mini model, can overcome spoofing by connecting to the over 8,000 active Starlink satellites in space, which use different radio bands and orbit much closer to Earth than traditional GPS satellites. Still, the ability to beat GPS spoofing and jamming may have been why SpaceX decided to restrict the feature; it’s not hard to see how a bad actor could exploit it to pilot a bomb-carrying drone or boat.  Recommended by Our Editors I Put Starlink to the Ultimate Test: Can You Really Run a Successful Business From the Open Road? Starlink Mini vs. Standard Kit: Are the Portability Perks Worth the Slower Speeds? SpaceX Starship Hits Some Targets, Misses Others on Latest Test Flight

But rather than completely removing the feature, SpaceX appears to have kept it alive for business-focused customers. Pitts previously posted about using the location data feature to help customers monitor their Starlink dishes at various sites. "Thanks SpaceX for keeping this feature for business clients!" he wrote on Monday. Still, the Priority plans are more expensive than the Ocean Mode that boat users have been paying for on the Starlink Roam plan. The Ocean Mode, which works in international waters, costs $2 per GB used. In contrast, the 500GB Global Priority Plan goes for $650 per month while the 1TB plan costs $1,150.Users looking for an alternative can consider equipping their Starlink dish with a third-party GPS dongle, which range from $10 to $107, according to Paul Sutherland, a software developer behind a desktop Starlink monitoring app called Nexus Telemetry

(Credit: Starlink.com)

About Our Expert Michael Kan Principal Reporter Experience I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service. I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips. Areas of Expertise Networking Security Graphics Cards Processors AI SpaceX Nvidia AMD Latest By Michael Kan Hackers Exploit GTA 6 Hype to Spread Malware Via Fake Beta Tests Kash Patel's Apparel Site Is Trying To Trick Visitors Into Installing Malware Firmware Hints at New Starlink Dish With Built-In Battery, USB-C Port AT&T Sues to Get Out of California's Copper Landline Requirement