Commits point out that carriers may start hiding reach in Android

XDA-Developers has discovered commits indicating that Google is working on a capability for providers to hide scope strength in their settings. For the time being, it seems as if the API calls for reading the range will remain intact.

Example of settings menu
without strength of range

If the commits are in the final release of a next Android version, carriers can modify an XML file in the firmware to no longer show the strength of the range, measured in -dBm, in the settings, XDA-Developers writes. This means that users can no longer see how good the range is without an app.

Specialized apps can continue to use an API function to query the scope and there is no indication that that function will disappear. The option to read out the network status would disappear if users request a SIM card from that provider.

It is already not possible in all phones to request the range via the settings, but the option to hide range is then in the skin of a manufacturer. If Google builds it into Android, many more phones will start hiding the exact range. The indicator in the status bar, the bars at the top of the screen, will probably remain.