Significant-Change Location Service not working properly on iOS 15

We’re expiriencing problems with the location service since the release of iOS 15. We’re mainly using the «Significant-Change Location Service » to get updates if someone moved some distance. For users with iOS 14 or lower, everything seems to work normally.

The behavior under iOS 15 is extremely strange. For many users, it seems to work as before and there are regular location updates. For others, there is exactly one location update after the installation. For others, the location updates no longer work after 1-2 days.

I have two test devices that no longer receive location updates. If the device is restarted or the location services are turned off and on again, everything works again often again for a few hours or days and stops again.

At the moment we are also testing a new release. Where everything works fine in the simulator, but on real devices the location updates do not work either.

Does anyone have similar problems with iOS 15 and the Location Services or even a solution for the problem.

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subster
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I have the same issue.

There seem to be 3 constellations:  

  1. users are not affected by the problem at all (best case).
  2. the delivery of events in the background is unreliable compared to iOS 14.
  3. no events are delivered in the background (worst case).

  It looks like this is a bug in the context of the new Focus Mode of iOS 15 and/or the App Switcher.

Posted by
Onit
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  • Thanks for your answer, this corresponds with my observations. I'm testing currently with iOS 15.2 Beta and our app is working at the moment as expected (But that does not necessarily mean anything). I keep you informed and am happy for any updates from your site.

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    subster

  • It would be interesting to know if this is now fixed in iOS 15.2 beta 2 or not.

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    Onit

  • Yea, we also have the same problem, since ios 15 is released. But I notice that in my case iOS usually delivers events when the app is not killed and stays in the background. But of course, it's not working so well as in iOS 14. Please provide your feedback with testing on iOS 15.2 beta

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    Standret

Curious about any fixes here. We are experiencing similar problems with location services being terminated if the App is force terminated, but continuing to work if only backgrounded.

Posted by
rsbepvb
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Same issue here. Region and significant location monitoring are not working as expected on iOS 15.

Posted by
henfar
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CoreLocation startMonitoringForRegion and startMonitoringSignificantLocationChanges no longer restart terminated app in iOS 15. I can confirm with my own app and other similar apps. This makes my app unreliable. If you have this issue, please submit a bug report to Apple. If we have more bug reports with the same category, Apple might pay more attention to it. Please note that it is still not fixed in iOS 15.2 beta 3.

Posted by
AppleDev123
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finally first sorry about my not perfect english. i've the same problem. sometimes it will work for one-two days and then again not for a week. i don't change the settings between working an not working. also the notificatins will not recieved permanent. before ios 15 everything work normally.

Posted by
guenther
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Hello everyone, It is the same for me , the location service doesn’t work in background since IOS 15 . If you look commentary on DS CAM and NEST app in AppStore you see that is a bug for some people.

Posted by
DavidSan
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Hi, we are experiencing a similar issue with a location-based app that records car trips (so we use background location and request for significant location updates via CLLocationManager). Also in our case users with iOS 14 seems not to be affected. Bug reported in FB9789173.

Posted by
clarauso
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  • Report resolution changed to "Potential fix identified - For a future OS update".

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    clarauso
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Philips Hue reported the same issue yesterday on their Hue blog: https://hueblog.com/2021/11/30/ios-15-causes-geofencing-problems-with-philips-hue/

Posted by
Onit
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  • A lot of German news blogs as well, e.g.: Heise: https://www.heise.de/news/iOS-15-kann-Probleme-mit-Geofencing-bereiten-6275097.html Golem: https://www.golem.de/news/iphone-probleme-mit-lokalisierungsdiensten-unter-ios-15-2111-161323.html Electronic Research: https://www.electronic-research.de/ios-geofencing-problem.html Appgefahren: https://www.appgefahren.de/ios-15-mit-problemen-beim-geofencing-mehrere-apps-betroffen-311227.html

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    Onit
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Just so I can track the history of this problem, I'm seeing the same thing in a client app. Locations work fine in iOS 14.x, but behaviour is terribly inconsistent in 15.x. I don't have any workarounds at the moment.

Posted by
idmindsea
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I came in here to look for exactly this.

We have an app with a Geofence function, and since IOS15, it happens that the app just stops getting geofence triggers after a couple of days without opening the app.

if you just open and shut the app down, the geofences start coming in again.

Posted by
Mathias_
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The bug unfortunately still occurs with iOS 15.2 beta 4 for me. How does it look for the others?

Posted by
Onit
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  • Same here with iOS 15.2 beta 4. It worked for almost 2 days but stopped working afterwards.

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    subster

  • The issue still exists on iOS 15.2 beta 4

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    henfar
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Hello , something’s new with 15.2 RC ?

Posted by
DavidSan
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  • Still not working on my side, everything is inconsistent

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    kawa636r

  • My bug ticket status changed to "Potential fix identified - For a future OS update". There's still hope :)

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    henfar

  • iOS 15.2 final did not fix the issue. :(

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    Onit
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Still not working on my side, everything is inconsistent.

Posted by
kawa636r
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I filed a bug (Feedback Assistant) two weeks ago, and it is now marked "Resolution:Potential fix identified - For a future OS update". Since 15.2 obviously didn't fix it, I guess we'll have to wait for 15.3.

Posted by
Iain.Delaney
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  • Is your Bug Report still on "Resolution: Potential fix identified"? My bug report changed back from "Resolution: Potential fix identified" to "Open" a couple of weeks ago and is still on this state.

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    subster

  • My bug report also changed from "Resolution: Potential fix identified" to "Open".

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    Onit
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What is the situation in iOS 15.3 beta 1? Is it now fixed?

Posted by
Onit
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  • It looks like it got fixed on iOS 15.3 beta 1!

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    henfar

  • Any more confirmations that it is fixed?

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    gaich

  • I've been testing with iOS 15.3 beta 1 for the last couple of days. So far, everything works as expected. Looks like it got fixed

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    subster