Dialer Location (OSM) in iodéOS refers to a feature in the phone dialer app that uses OpenStreetMap (OSM) to look up geographic information — like showing the location of a phone number’s area code, or resolving business names to numbers and addresses — directly in the dialer, without using Google services.
What It Does:
- Reverse Lookup:
When you receive a call or type in a number, it can identify the region (e.g., city or country) of that number based on the area code, and optionally show a map location. - Search by Name (Optional):
You might be able to search for local businesses or contacts by name (e.g., “Pizza near me”), and the dialer uses OpenStreetMap data instead of Google Maps to provide results. - No Google Dependency:
This entire lookup system works without Google Play Services, aligning with iodéOS’s privacy-first approach. OSM is open-source and community-maintained.
Technical Insight:
- Some Android dialers (including those on privacy ROMs like iodéOS) offer plugins or built-in support for using OSM and Nominatim (OSM’s geocoding API) for location services.
- iodéOS may include this as a setting like “Dialer Location (OSM)” — allowing you to enable/disable it.
Why It Matters (Privacy Perspective):
| Feature | Google Dialer | iodéOS Dialer (with OSM) |
|---|---|---|
| Location lookup | Uses Google Maps API | Uses OpenStreetMap/Nominatim |
| Data shared with | No corporate data sharing | |
| Internet connection needed | Yes | Yes (but private) |
| Customizable | No | Possibly, yes |
