First of all :
Thanks for the great presentation (wwdc2023-10180), Siraj !
This new, simple API looks like what we've been looking for for easy manageable background location updates with 'automatic battery drain minimization' :-)
There were two questions that came to my mind. As far as I understood, the CLLocationUpdate.LiveConfiguration is used to help the location services to improve the location fixes.
Are there other options planned to specify the granularity of delivered locations e.g., how accurate the locations need to be (as the desiredAccuracy and distanceFilter settings for the olden CLLocationManager)?
Does the Implementation switch between significant location changes and regular, more expensive ways (like GPS hardware) or just deliver the most feasible accuracy available at the time of notification?
I'm just curious - if I get the most feasible granularity, everything is fine for me anyway :-)
Thanks again,
Michael
Maps & Location
RSS for tagLearn how to integrate MapKit and Core Location to unlock the power of location-based features in your app.
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I have the CarPlay Entitlement "Driving Task" and two of my apps use it.
Now, in both apps, I have implemented Navigation. I requested the Navigation CarPlay Entitlement when the feature was mature and builds were available in Test Flight, since I wanted to release the new versions of the apps with navigation available both on the iPhone and in CarPlay.
I got no answer to my request, so I decided to release the apps with only navigation in the iPhone and the Driving Task functionality in CarPlay, thinking that maybe being live with navigation in the App Store was a requirement. I have asked permission again, and so far, the request is being ignored again.
What are the requirements to get the Navigation CarPlay Entitlement?
If the app is approved for navigation, is there something else the app must do to get the entitlement?
Requirements for CarPlay Entitlements seem quite obscure, are they listed anywhere?
Is there a technical problem to move from an existing CarPlay Entitlement to another? Can that be the reason the entitlement has not been granted?
Some of my competitors have the CarPlay Navigation entitlement. My use case is the same (in a better app in my opinion, of course). But I am only getting bad reviews because "the app does not include the map in CarPlay" after the big investment in implementing navigation in the apps.
Any help or insight would be appreciated.
Hi,
I'm building an aftermarket solution to enable Apple Maps to support EV routing for any EV.
I am going through the documentation and found some gaps - does anyone know how the following properties work?
INGetCarPowerLevelStatusIntentResponse - consumptionFormulaArguments
INGetCarPowerLevelStatusIntentResponse - chargingFormulaArguments
Is there a working example that anyone has seen?
Many thanks
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Tags:
CarPlay
SiriKit
Maps and Location
App Intents
Does anyone know how long it usually takes for us to hear back from Apple regarding a request for Location Push Service Extension entitlement?
我目前在做一个防止设备使用的位置是虚拟的,目前通过苹果的api无法直接判断位置来源于真实或虚拟。请问我该如何去判断它呢?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Context: Currently in iOS, both “Allow Once” and “While Using the App” location permission decisions yield .authorizedWhenInUse. This conflation prevents apps from knowing whether the user has provided a one-time allowance or a persistent in-use allowance.
Problem Statement
Ambiguous App Behavior: After a user selects “Allow Once,” the app remains in .authorizedWhenInUse, making it appear to the developer as if the user granted a more persistent “While Using” permission.
Poor User Experience: If the user later indicates they want to upgrade to “Always,” developers must guess whether iOS will show another system prompt. This can lead to “dead” button presses or pointless transitions to Settings.
Lack of Transparency: The user’s real intention—“I only trust you this one time”—gets lost in .authorizedWhenInUse with no direct or synchronous detection mechanism.
Why This Wouldn’t Violate SRP
The CLLocationManager’s` Single Responsibility: Manage and expose the user’s current location authorization state.
Adding .authorizedOneTime or an isOneTime property fits neatly into that responsibility. It’s still describing the user’s level of trust for location usage, just with more specificity.
No Overreach: This doesn’t add new logic outside location permissions—it merely refines the existing state definitions for clarity.
Simplifies the Developer Flow: Instead of co-mingling “Allow Once” and “While Using,” the system returns the precise state, letting developers handle transitions more gracefully while abiding by iOS’s privacy rules.
Benefits
Improved UX: Developers can present more accurate prompts or guidance. If .authorizedOneTime, the app can immediately direct the user to Settings for a persistent upgrade, rather than futilely calling requestAlwaysAuthorization() again.
Less Confusion: A distinctly reported “Allow Once” state eliminates guesswork, polling, or timed approaches that degrade user experience.
Consistent with iOS’s Privacy Focus: Providing a read-only flag or status for “One Time” aligns with Apple’s approach to clarity around permissions, without letting apps forcibly bypass user intentions.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Could anybody give me an example how to set the „NSLocationRequireExplicitServiceSession“ in the info.plist correctly?
Thank you
Issue Summary
After calling startRangingBeacons, the didRangeBeacons delegate method does not receive iBeacon scan data when the device display is turned off in the background.
Expected Behavior
On iOS 17.2.1 (iPhone 14), beacon ranging continues in the background even when the display is turned off. The same behavior is expected on iOS 18, but it is not working as intended.
Observed Behavior
On iOS 18, once the display turns off, beacon ranging stops, and the didRangeBeacons method is not triggered until the display is turned back on.
• Location permission is set to “Always Allow.”
• Background Modes are correctly configured (Location Updates enabled).
Steps to Reproduce
Ensure location permission is set to Always Allow.
Enable Background Modes → Location Updates in Xcode settings.
Call startRangingBeacons(in:) in the app.
Put the app in the background and turn off the display.
Observe that didRangeBeacons is not triggered while the display is off.
Additional Notes
• The issue does not occur on iOS 17.2.1 (iPhone 14), where beacon ranging continues even with the display off.
• This behavior change is observed on iOS 18 across multiple devices.
Could you confirm if this is an intended change in behavior or a bug? If this is expected behavior, what alternative approach is recommended to maintain continuous beacon ranging when the display is off in the background?
I am working on a duress app and would like to improve location accuracy by encouraging users to enable Wi-Fi. In Apple Maps, I noticed that when Wi-Fi is off, a dialog prompts users to turn on Wi-Fi to enhance location accuracy. I am looking to implement similar functionality in my app.
Specifically, I would like to check whether Wi-Fi is enabled on the user's device (even if it is not connected to a network). Despite exploring several methods, I have been unable to determine a reliable way to check the Wi-Fi status.
Can you guide me on whether it is possible to access this functionality in iOS, and if so, how I can implement it within my app?
Hello,
I’m experiencing an issue with my iOS app that uses CoreBluetooth in combination with beacon monitoring. My app is designed to wake via beacon region monitoring and then start scanning for a specific BLE peripheral (with specific service UUIDs). When the device screen is bright (i.e., the device is unlocked, or locked but the screen is active/bright), everything works perfectly—the connection is established and maintained without any issues in both: foreground and background.
However, when the device is left alone for a while and the lock-screen dims (sleeps), the app continues to run in the background and range the beacon (I can confirm this via realtime console logs), but the connection attempt fails. Here’s what I observe:
The central manager’s delegate method didConnect is called, indicating that the peripheral was connected.
Almost immediately afterward, didDisconnect is triggered with the error message:
"The specified device has disconnected from us.".
The interesting part is (I repeatedly see this error in the console, because the app repeatedly tries to connect to peripheral until a success), when I touch the lockscreen (not unlock, but just touch, which makes the screen to light up brighter), the connection is being established without any further issues!
I have the necessary background modes enabled in the app’s capabilities (e.g., bluetooth-central, location-always-mode, etc..). My expectation was that, thanks to beacon monitoring, the app would be awakened when needed, and scanning/connection would work reliably in the background regardless of whether the device is active or dimmed.
My questions are:
Why might the connection fail with this error when the device is locked/dimmed?
Is this behavior expected due to iOS power management policies even if the app remains active in the background?
Is there a way to ensure a reliable connection in such cases?
Any insights, workarounds, or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Tags:
Core Location
Background Tasks
Core Bluetooth
Hello (:
I have a question regarding the current pricing model for Apple Maps APIs, specifically MapKitJS, the Maps Snapshot API, and the Maps Server API. Previously, the documentation and my understanding indicated that the usage limits were defined per day — for example, 250,000 map loads per day for MapKitJS and 25,000 snapshots per day. However, in the Apple Developer Dashboard, I’m now seeing these limits shown on a per-month basis, such as only 25,000 snapshots per-month. This appears to contradict the publicly available information on the official website, which still states daily limits. Has the pricing model officially changed, or is this just a display issue in the dashboard?
I need to know this because we're going into release soon, and then we might have thousands of users.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Tags:
Maps Web Snapshots
MapKit JS
Apple Maps Server API
Hello (:
I’m working with MapKitJS and would like to render polylines that follow roads — similar to the behavior seen on maps.apple.com. While I can align polylines to roads manually, I haven’t found a way to render them below street names and road shields. Currently, all polylines appear above labels, which reduces readability when displaying routes in urban areas.
On maps.apple.com, polylines are rendered under street labels, which provides a much cleaner appearance. Is there a way to achieve this layering behavior in MapKitJS? If not, are there plans to support this kind of layer control in the future?
Thanks in advance!
MapKitJS (5.45.0):
maps.apple.com:
Hello,
I'm encountering a runtime crash when building my visionOS app with Xcode 16.3 for visionOS 2.5. Our existing AppStore/Testflight app is also instantly crashing on visionOS 2.5 when opened but works fine on e.g visionOS 2.4.
The app builds successfully but crashes on launch with this symbol lookup error (slightly adjusted because the forum complained regarding sensitive data):
Symbol not found: _$sSo22CLLocationCoordinate2DVSE12CoreLocationMc
Referenced from: <XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX> /private/var/containers/Bundle/Application/XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX/MyApp.app/MyApp.debug.dylib
Expected in: <XXXXXXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXXXXXXXXXX> /usr/lib/swift/libswiftCoreLocation.dylib
dyld config: DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH=/usr/lib/system/introspection DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES=/usr/lib/libLogRedirect.dylib:/usr/lib/libBacktraceRecording.dylib:/usr/lib/libMainThreadChecker.dylib:/System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/GPUToolsCapture.framework/GPUToolsCapture:/usr/lib/libViewDebuggerSupport.dylib
I've already implemented my own Codable conformance for CLLocationCoordinate2D:
extension CLLocationCoordinate2D: Codable {
// implementation details...
}
This worked fine on previous visionOS/Xcode versions. Has anyone encountered this issue or found a solution?
System details:
macOS version: 15.3.2
Xcode version: 16.3
visionOS target: 2.5
Thank you!
We have background location updates enabled in our app that updates the location on our servers to deliver realtime weather alerts. We see that we are receiving these location updates when the app is backgrounded by the user.
However, when the user removes our app from the background using the App Switcher, we no longer see notifications happening. We have the app delegate's "didFinishLaunchingWithOptions" method setup to check for .location in the launch options, and start location tracking immediately.
Is it the intention of the OS to no longer send our app background location updates if the user manually removes our app from the background?
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
Hi,
Does anyone know how can a company sign up to be a publisher for guides on apple maps? Example - https://maps.apple.com/guides?publisher=17882075820533551969&_provider=9902
I'm having hard time figuring out the process.
I am unable to do the "Test Indoor Positioning" step in the Indoor Survey map. It says "Indoor Positioning Inactive". The support email for the indoor maps team is not functional.
Topic:
App & System Services
SubTopic:
Maps & Location
In reference to this webpage, I'm turning my iPad to an iBeacon device.
class BeaconViewModel: NSObject, ObservableObject, CBPeripheralManagerDelegate {
private var peripheralManager: CBPeripheralManager?
private var beaconRegion: CLBeaconRegion?
private var beaconIdentityConstraint: CLBeaconIdentityConstraint?
//private var beaconCondition: CLBeaconIdentityCondition?
override init() {
super.init()
if let uuid = UUID(uuidString: "abc") {
beaconIdentityConstraint = CLBeaconIdentityConstraint(uuid: uuid, major: 123, minor: 456)
beaconRegion = CLBeaconRegion(beaconIdentityConstraint: beaconIdentityConstraint!, identifier: "com.example.myDeviceRegion")
peripheralManager = CBPeripheralManager(delegate: self, queue: nil, options: nil)
}
}
func peripheralManagerDidUpdateState(_ peripheral: CBPeripheralManager) {
switch peripheral.state {
case .poweredOn:
startAdvertise()
case .poweredOff:
peripheralManager?.stopAdvertising()
default:
break
}
}
func startAdvertise() {
guard let beaconRegion = beaconRegion else { return }
let peripheralData = beaconRegion.peripheralData(withMeasuredPower: nil)
peripheralManager?.startAdvertising(((peripheralData as NSDictionary) as! [String: Any]))
}
func stopAdvertise() {
peripheralManager?.stopAdvertising()
}
}
In Line 10, I'm using CLBeaconidentityConstraint to constrain the beacon. Xcode says that this class is deprecated and suggests that we use CLBeaconIdentityCondition. But if I try to use it, Xcode says
Cannot find type 'CLBeaconIdentityCondition' in scope
I've just updated Xcode to 16.4. I still get the same error. So how do we use CLBeaconIdentityCondition to constrain the beacon? My macOS version is Sequoia 15.5. Thanks.
I'm building a weather map that shows the rain on the map. I'm able to retrieve PNG images that are used as tiles to put onto the map. I then reload all the tiles on the map with each timeframe (tile set for every 10 minutes).
I'm able to get the map loaded up and I'm able to place the tiles and reload the data for each time slot. But I'm getting a ton of spam on the console every time the tiles are reloaded.
Failed to locate resource named "sky20Grey0@2x.png"
Failed to locate resource named "sky20Grey0@2x.png"
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Compiler failed to build request
Yet the images are showing on the map just fine. But I feel like it's a bit sluggish due to all the spam coming out as I'm reloading this every 0.5 seconds with a timer.
I've tried to load the data from a remote server on demand by overriding the - (void)loadTileAtPath:(MKTileOverlayPath)path result:(void (^)(NSData *tileData, NSError *error))result function. But due to the timer this can lead to the data not getting loaded fully before it switches to the next time slot of data. I therefore pre-load everything. I can then store the NSData in memory and use loadTileAtPath or the NSURL to a stored file and use - (NSURL *)URLForTilePath:(MKTileOverlayPath)path. Both cases work. But both cases have this spam.
I've further refined things such that the MKTileOverlayRenderer is reused but that didn't help. Here's the function for that..
- (MKOverlayRenderer*)mapView:(MKMapView*)mapView rendererForOverlay:(id<MKOverlay>)overlay
{
if ([overlay isKindOfClass:[MKTileOverlay class]]) {
if (!self.rainRenderer) {
self.rainRenderer = [[MKTileOverlayRenderer alloc] initWithTileOverlay:overlay];
self.rainRenderer.alpha = 0.5;
}
return self.rainRenderer;
}
return nil;
}
I'm using one MKOverlay and then just reloading the tiles as needed. Otherwise there is quite a pronounced flicker. Here's that function which is triggered by the NSTimer to happen every 0.5 seconds.
- (void) updateRainFrame {
self.currentFrameIndex = (self.currentFrameIndex + 1) % self.timestamps.count;
if ((self.currentFrameIndex >= 0) && (self.timestamps.count > self.currentFrameIndex)) {
NSLog (@"self.currentFrameIndex = %lu", self.currentFrameIndex);
NSString *timestamp = self.timestamps[self.currentFrameIndex];
[self.overlay setTimestamp:timestamp];
[self.rainRenderer reloadData];
}
}
In that function I'm updating the "timestamp" in the overlay which is the time slot that contains all the tiles for that time. This way my overridden MKTileOverlay can then pass the correct path for the tiles. For example for loading from a file:
- (NSURL *)URLForTilePath:(MKTileOverlayPath)path {
return [self getWeatherTileFileURLForPath:path];
}
Or NSData stored in memory
- (void)loadTileAtPath:(MKTileOverlayPath)path result:(void (^)(NSData *tileData, NSError *error))result
{
return [self getWeatherTileDataForPath:path];
}
But no matter which way I use I keep getting this spam and unfortunately there is no error or anything to point to why it is spamming out.
Also the tiles themselves are PNG files either 256x256 or 512x512 in pixel size.
I saw that this could be something to do with Metal but I'm assuming that's something that MapKit uses.
Very much welcome any thoughts to what could be causing this?
I'm building a weather map that shows the rain on the map. I'm able to retrieve PNG images that are used as tiles to put onto the map. I then reload all the tiles on the map with each timeframe (tile set for every 10 minutes).
I'm able to get the map loaded up and I'm able to place the tiles and reload the data for each time slot. I preload all the PNG data needed for the tiles and store that NSData for them in memory so that they are quick for loading and showing on the map.
I have timer's set to reload the overlay with the next set of tiles for each time slot. Giving the view of a moving precipitation map over time (just like you'd see on any weather map.)
I have 12 time slots (timestamps) showing every 10 minutes for the past 2 hours. I have it showing each in sequence and then repeating.
Over time I get a crash with this error as a Thread 1: signal SIGABRT.
Failed to acquire drawable, rendering to temporary texture
validateRenderPassDescriptor:782: failed assertion `RenderPass Descriptor Validation
MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor MTLStoreActionMultisampleResolve store action at attachment 0 requires resolve texture
'
validateRenderPassDescriptor:782: failed assertion `RenderPass Descriptor Validation
MTLRenderPassAttachmentDescriptor MTLStoreActionMultisampleResolve store action at attachment 0 requires resolve texture
'
Through some searching I've discovered that this seems to be console output from Metal. I assume Metal is used for MapKit to render the overlay tiles?
I'm using the same custom overlay where I set the timestamp on it and then tell it to reload. I also reuse the same MKOverlayRenderer as shown here...
- (MKOverlayRenderer*)mapView:(MKMapView*)mapView rendererForOverlay:(id<MKOverlay>)overlay
{
if ([overlay isKindOfClass:[MKTileOverlay class]]) {
if (!self.rainRenderer) {
self.rainRenderer = [[MKTileOverlayRenderer alloc] initWithTileOverlay:overlay];
self.rainRenderer.alpha = 0.5;
}
return self.rainRenderer;
}
return nil;
}
And here's the function that reloads the overlay...
- (void) updateRainFrame {
self.currentFrameIndex = (self.currentFrameIndex + 1) % self.timestamps.count;
if ((self.currentFrameIndex >= 0) && (self.timestamps.count > self.currentFrameIndex)) {
NSLog (@"self.currentFrameIndex = %lu", self.currentFrameIndex);
NSString *timestamp = self.timestamps[self.currentFrameIndex];
[self.overlay setTimestamp:timestamp];
[self.rainRenderer reloadData];
}
}
The time it takes to crash seems arbitrary. Sometimes it's very quick. Less than a minute. But usually it's several minutes. 10 or 20 minutes or more. Feels like some sort of race condition that's occurring. Perhaps ARC is not able to release the images for the tiles quick enough for each overlay reload? That's a wild guess but I think it's something more deeper in Metal as I feel I would see other errors related to memory availability.
Some of my searches point to something about MSAA needing to be turned off in Metal to resolve this. However I have no idea how I would do that through MapKit.
Any suggestions? Let me know if there is somehow a way to capture more from the crash to give more insight.
Hello everyone,
We've developed a safety application for schools that runs on supervised, MDM-managed iOS devices. The app requires "Location Always" to maintain a persistent background state for its core functionality.
The Challenge:
Our primary issue is with the periodic background location reminder prompts that iOS automatically presents to the user (e.g., "[App Name] has used your location X times in the past 3 days..."). A screenshot of the exact prompt is attached.
While we educate users on the importance of selecting "Always Allow," these recurring prompts make it very easy for a student to downgrade the permission at a later date, which disables the app's safety features. This makes the solution unreliable in a school environment.
Our Question:
Since these are supervised devices managed by an educational institution, we are looking for a way to manage this behavior.
Is there any Info.plist key, entitlement, or API available to developers to influence or suppress these recurring location reminders for our app?
From an MDM perspective, is there a known payload or declarative management configuration that can prevent these specific prompts from appearing for a designated app?
We understand these prompts are a key privacy feature. Our question is whether there are any provisions for managed, special-purpose environments like a school, where the app's function is considered essential and pre-approved by the device administrator (the school).
We are looking for a way to provide a "set it and forget it" configuration for the school, but these reminders currently prevent that. Any architectural advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.