Maps & Location

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Maps & Location Documentation

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Maps Web Snapshots: 500 Internal Server Error
Currently (at least for a few days, maybe longer), when trying to create an Apple Maps Web Snapshot according to https://developer.apple.com/documentation/snapshots/generating_a_url_and_signature_to_create_a_maps_web_snapshot with a custom image marker (passed as Base64 PNG), the Apple server responds with a 500 Internal Server Error. Using the default balloon marker works, but a custom Base64 image marker used to work in the past (and still should according to the documentation).
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209
Mar ’25
MapKitJS Pricing
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.
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152
Apr ’25
Background location indicator stuck in dynamic island when using CLServiceSession and CLBackgroundActivitySession
We have a setup that's really close to the one used in the example project - Monitoring location changes with Core Location. In short, we have a flag that indicates whether or not we should start background location monitoring. If the flag is on, after the app starts, we Create a CLServiceSession with authorization: .always Create a CLBackgroundActivitySession The user can perform an action (press a button) to toggle the flag off, in which case we invalidate and dispose of the CLServiceSession and CLBackgroundActivitySession instances and cancel any liveUpdates observation. So far, so good, everything works as expected. However, we're experiencing a weird behavior on iPhones with Dynamic Island after there's an app update. When the user is on the same app version, the behavior is correct. have the flag on, background location monitoring works fine, when the app is in the the background, there's correctly a location indicator in Dynamic Island the user can go back to the app and turn the flag off (disposing of instances, cancelling location observation), and when the app is in the background, there is no location indicator in Dynamic Island The problem arises when the user updates the app open version 1.0 of the app have the flag on, background location monitoring works fine, when the app is in the the background, there's correctly a location indicator in Dynamic Island download an app update - version 2.0 the app restarts, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions gets called again and we start the background services dynamic island indicator is correctly showing a location indicator the user goes into the app, toggles the flag off - turning location observation off, we dispose of everything now, when the app is moved to the background, there's still a location indicator in the Dynamic Island, even though we're no longer observing location The indicator is hard to get rid of, there are only 2 ways we've found restart the device, or uninstall the app The question is - is this a bug in the system? Or is there anything we should be doing actively after an app update? Thank you!
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114
May ’25
Are rate limits for calculate, calculateETA, and reverse geocoding shared across an app?
Hi, I'm using MapKit's MKDirections.calculate, calculateETA, and reverse geocoding (via CLGeocoder.reverseGeocodeLocation) in my iOS app. I understand that there are undocumented rate limits for these services to prevent abuse, but I couldn't find official details. I would like to know: Are the rate limits applied per device, per app installation, or are they shared across all users of the same app bundle ID? Is there any guidance on how to design these features to avoid hitting rate limits in a production environment? What is the best practice if a user repeatedly triggers routing or reverse geocoding (e.g., typing or moving the map)? Any clarification or official documentation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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171
Jun ’25
Incorrect position rendering of WGS84 coordinate in MKMapView: Discrepancy between Apple Maps (Hong Kong) and Amap (Mainland China)
I am encountering a coordinate rendering issue using MKMapView in my iOS app. I have a GPS coordinate in WGS84 format, which corresponds to a location in Hong Kong. When my device is physically located in Hong Kong, MKMapView displays the map with the "Apple Maps" label, and the WGS84 coordinate is rendered at the correct position. However, when the device is in Mainland China, MKMapView switches to display "Amap" (Gaode Maps) branding, and the same WGS84 coordinate is rendered at an incorrect position. I understand that Amap in Mainland China uses the GCJ-02 coordinate system, while Apple Maps typically uses WGS84. This discrepancy suggests a potential coordinate system mismatch, but I cannot definitively confirm which map type (and corresponding coordinate system) MKMapView is actually using in different regions. My key questions are: How can I programmatically or visually confirm the underlying map type (Apple Maps vs. Amap) and its coordinate system within MKMapView? Is there a way to simulate the Apple Maps environment for testing when physically located in Mainland China?
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164
Sep ’25
CLLocation.sourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware not detecting third-party location spoofing tools
Summary CLLocationSourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware (iOS 15+) fails to detect location spoofing when using third-party tools like LocaChange, despite Apple's documentation stating it should detect simulated locations. Environment iOS 18.0 (tested and confirmed) Physical device with Developer Mode enabled Third-party location spoofing tools (e.g., LocaChange etc.) Expected Behavior According to Apple's documentation, isSimulatedBySoftware should return true when: "if the system generated the location using on-device software simulation. " Actual Behavior Tested on iOS 18.0: When using LocaChange sourceInformation.isSimulatedBySoftware returns false This occurs even though the location is clearly being simulated. Steps to Reproduce Enable Developer Mode on iOS 18 device Connect device to Mac via USB Use LocaChange to spoof location to a different city/country In your app, request location updates and check CLLocation.sourceInformation?.isSimulatedBySoftware Observe that it returns false or sourceInformation is nil Compare with direct Xcode location simulation (Debug → Simulate Location) which correctly returns true
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128
Oct ’25
Request for Higher MapKit Service/API Quota
Hello Apple Developer Team, I’m currently using Apple MapKit JS as the main map provider for our logistics, telematics, and HR platform TADMIN, and we are extremely satisfied with its reliability, accuracy, and visual quality. We would now like to expand our Apple integration by migrating our backend reverse geolocation services to Apple as well. However, our current usage requirements significantly exceed the standard 25,000 daily service request limit. At this stage, we already need between 250,000 and 350,000 reverse geocoding requests per day, and this number will continue to grow rapidly. Our TADMIN Tracking product processes live GPS data from connected vehicle telematics boxes, and each vehicle sends an average of 1.5 pings per minute in normal mode. We currently manage around 140 vehicles and are already in discussions with new customers that will add over 1,000 additional vehicles to the platform soon. As our customer base continues to expand, we expect this growth trend to accelerate significantly over the coming months. We already make extensive use of caching to minimize redundant geolocation calls. For example, we reuse location data when vehicles remain within a defined radius. However, since trucks rarely stay stationary for long, there is still a constant flow of new coordinates that require reverse geolocation. To give you a broader picture: TADMIN is a comprehensive SaaS ecosystem for the transport and logistics industry, combining HR management, telematics and tracking, dispatching, and data analysis into one integrated platform. The Tracking module is just one part of this system and serves as the live data backbone for our dispatching, HR, and telematics analytics modules. We would therefore like to increase our quotas for: Service Requests (especially Reverse Geocoding) Snapshot Requests, which we use for our Geofence Alerts. These are sent via push notification and email, and we would love to include the snapshot images in the emails for a clear and visually rich presentation MapKit JS Views, since we also use MapKit JS heavily in our web dashboards, for example in our tracking portal Higher quotas would allow us to rely even more on Apple services, including Autocomplete and Geocoding for customer-facing address searches inside our applications. We already have three apps published on the App Store, with a fourth one scheduled for release this week, and I will soon be upgrading my Apple Developer account to an Organization Account for our company. We are currently evaluating providers for this next stage of integration, as we are preparing a new major version of our TADMIN software, which will introduce a reworked telematics backend. Our goal is to migrate to Apple’s geolocation and map services as part of this new release. Could you please advise how we can best address this use case, for example through higher quotas or an adjusted configuration? Thank you very much for your time and support. Best regards, Timo Köhler Founder & CTO, TADMIN GmbH
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146
Oct ’25
CLLocationManager didVisit no longer invoked reliably after iOS 26 updates
Since iOS 26 the delegate method locationManager(:didVisit:) is no longer invoked reliably while locationManager(:didUpdateLocations:) continues to be called regularly on the same devices. The issue appears to be directly tied to iOS version updates. Visit callbacks worked consistently under iOS 18.x but in some cases stopped being invoked immediately after updating the same device to iOS 26.0. In other cases didVisit worked on iOS 26.0 but stopped after updating to 26.0.1 and similarly from 26.0.1 to 26.1. The behaviour is inconsistent with no identifiable pattern and affects multiple recent device models. All required configuration is in place: – startMonitoringVisits() is called correctly – location permission is set to “Always”– background mode for location updates is enabled – allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates is enabled – restarting the app or the device does not fix the problem The only workaround that restores visit monitoring is deleting the app and reinstalling the same App Store version which is not a viable solution for end users. Have other developers experienced the same issue and are there any recommended best practices or technical guidelines to handle missing didVisit callbacks after updating to iOS 26?
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2w
Questions about Maps Server API / MapKit JS quotas, temporary caching (including sessionStorage), and commercial website usage
Hi, I’m a member of the Apple Developer Program and I’m planning to use Apple Maps Server API together with MapKit JS for a production, customer-facing web service. I have reviewed the Apple Developer Program License Agreement (including Schedule 6 – Apple Maps Services) and the documentation, but I still need clarification on several points to ensure that our usage fully complies with Apple’s policies. Daily quota and additional capacity From the documentation, I understand that there is a daily limit of 250,000 map views and 25,000 service calls per Apple Developer Program membership, shared between MapKit JS and Apple Maps Server API. When the 25,000 service calls are exceeded, the API returns HTTP 429. Should this limit be considered a hard limit for production use? The wording “For additional capacity needs, contact us” is unclear. Is there any official channel or program to request a higher quota, or should we assume this is not practically available and design our system to always stay within the documented limit? Caching of geocoding / reverse-geocoding results Schedule 6 section 2.5 restricts caching, prefetching, or storing map data except when temporary and only as necessary for Apple Maps Services, and any cached data must be deleted after use. To understand what “temporary” means in practice, I would like to confirm whether the following scenarios are acceptable: (a) In-memory cache during a single page or tab session: - Store geocoding results (latitude/longitude and normalized address) only in a JavaScript in-memory structure (e.g., a Map object) during the lifetime of the browser tab. - Delete all cached results when the tab is closed or after a short TTL (for example, a few minutes). (b) sessionStorage with a short TTL: - Store geocoding results in window.sessionStorage on a per-tab basis. - Apply a short TTL (for example, a few minutes), and delete the data when the TTL expires or the tab is closed. Are both (a) and (b) considered acceptable forms of “temporary caching” under section 2.5, or should we avoid sessionStorage and limit ourselves to purely in-memory (non-persistent) caching? Use on a commercial customer-facing website Our intended use case is a public website that: Displays store locations on a map Allows users to search for nearby stores Optionally shows routing directions We do not do fleet management, asset tracking, enterprise route optimization, or insurance risk scoring. Is this type of consumer-facing store-locator use case permitted under the Apple Maps Services terms? Any clarification from the Maps or MapKit teams would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Best regards, Naoto Omori
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2w
UIKit mapView color annotations
I have tried to make colored annotations in mapView (shown in the commented sections) but they always appear in black. Any help would be appreciated. func mapView(_ mapView: MKMapView, viewFor annotation: MKAnnotation) -> MKAnnotationView? { let annotationView = MKAnnotationView(annotation: annotation, reuseIdentifier: "TempAnnotationView") annotationView.canShowCallout = true annotationView.rightCalloutAccessoryView = UIButton(type: .detailDisclosure) let configuration = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(pointSize: 10, weight: .thin, scale: .default) if annotation.title == "Start" { // let config = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration.preferringMulticolor() // let image = UIImage(systemName: "flag.fill", withConfiguration: config) // // palette // let config2 = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(paletteColors: [.systemRed, .systemGreen, .systemBlue]) // let image2 = UIImage(systemName: "person.3.sequence.fill", withConfiguration: config2) // // hierarchical symbols // let config3 = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(hierarchicalColor: .systemIndigo) // let image3 = UIImage(systemName: "square.stack.3d.down.right.fill", withConfiguration: config3) // // color // let image4 = UIImage(systemName: "cone.fill")?.withTintColor(.systemRed, renderingMode: .alwaysTemplate) // annotationView.image = image4 annotationView.image = UIImage(systemName: "poweron", withConfiguration: configuration) } return annotationView }
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730
Apr ’25
MapKit super slow loading tiles stored on device
Loading tile overlays is slow even when the raster data is locally available on the device running iOS 18.2 and built with Xcode 16.2. In this video (https://3dtopo.com/superSlowTileLoading.mov) it takes 38 seconds to load tiles readily available on the device. Then, the whole screen flashes when tiles that are already drawn are redrawn, making for a very poor user experience. 38 seconds to load a dozen or so small images (512x512) stored locally on the device is simply unacceptable. I can't release a product like this that I've spent the last 1.5 years building and many years developing the maps themselves. This severe issue is new since I committed to basing my app on MapKit. Note that this issue does not occur with Apple's base map tiles. I created a Feedback Assitant case, FB16110803, for this issue. For the video, I disabled loading any tiles from the network and disabled loading any other data, such as polylines. Essentially all I am doing is loading the tiles stored on the device and returning them, such as: public func loadTile(at path: MKTileOverlayPath, result: @escaping (Data?, Error?) -> Void) { fetchData(forKey: key, failure: {error in result(nil, error)}, success: {data in result(data, nil)}) } open func fetchData(forKey key: String, failure fail: ((Error?) -> ())? = nil, success succeed: @escaping (Data) -> ()) { let path = self.path(forKey: key) do { let data = try Data( contentsOf: URL(fileURLWithPath: path), options: Data.ReadingOptions()) succeed(data) self.updateDiskAccessDate(atPath: path) } catch { if let block = fail { block(error) } } }
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Dec ’24
CLMonitor related crash - EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Hello I started using CLMonitor on my App, and I am noticing the following crash on Xcode Organizer for dozens of my app users: Exception Subtype: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000001 Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000001 VM Region Info: 0x1 is not in any region. Bytes before following region: …………. REGION TYPE START - END [ VSIZE] PRT/MAX SHRMOD REGION DETAIL UNUSED SPACE AT START ---> __TEXT ………-…….. [ 176K] r-x/r-x SM=COW /var/containers/Bundle/Application/.........../MyApp Termination Reason: SIGNAL 11 Segmentation fault: 11 Terminating Process: exc handler […..] Thread 4 name: Thread 4 Crashed: 0 libswiftCoreLocation.dylib 0x000000021680b4c8 @objc completion handler block implementation for @escaping @callee_unowned @convention(block) (@unowned CLMonitor) -> () with result type CLMonitor + 44 (<compiler-generated>:0) 1 CoreLocation 0x0000000196cdddd4 __76-[CLMonitorConfiguration vendMonitorWithIdentityAndAuthorizationAttributes:]_block_invoke + 216 (CLMonitorConfiguration.m:195) 2 libdispatch.dylib 0x0000000191138370 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 32 (init.c:1549) 3 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019113a0d0 _dispatch_client_callout + 20 (object.m:576) 4 libdispatch.dylib 0x00000001911416d8 _dispatch_lane_serial_drain + 744 (queue.c:3934) 5 libdispatch.dylib 0x00000001911421e0 _dispatch_lane_invoke + 380 (queue.c:4025) 6 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019114d258 _dispatch_root_queue_drain_deferred_wlh + 288 (queue.c:7193) 7 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019114caa4 _dispatch_workloop_worker_thread + 540 (queue.c:6787) 8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x0000000211933c7c _pthread_wqthread + 288 (pthread.c:2696) 9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x0000000211930488 start_wqthread + 8 Does anyone have similar issue when using CLMonitor? How can I debug / fix this issue? Is it an CLMonitor API bug? Should I file a bug report?
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750
Jun ’25
How to open Enhanced Apple Maps page from iOS app
I'm trying to create a link from a restaurant annotation on a map in my app (created using MapKit) that will open the Apple Maps app on an iphone. I've been using the Restaurant name, telephone number, and coordinates and cannot get applemaps to open the enhanced page (which contains photographs and customer reviews and is much more descriptive than the page that is opening, which only shows the location on a map with the phone number and coordinates. It is not that descriptive, and I'm trying to create a request that will make it very easy to jump back and forth between my app and the enhanced page on apple maps. here's what I'm using in my request: " private func openInAppleMaps() { let coordinate = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: restaurant.latitude, longitude: restaurant.longitude) let placemark = MKPlacemark(coordinate: coordinate) let mapItem = MKMapItem(placemark: placemark) mapItem.name = restaurant.name if let phone = restaurant.telephone1 { mapItem.phoneNumber = phone } mapItem.openInMaps(launchOptions: [MKLaunchOptionsShowsTrafficKey: true]) } }" the entire file is attached. Any help or advice would be much appreciated. RestaurantCallOutBox.swift
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434
Dec ’24
The latest IOS doesn't act for the custom iBeacon anymore.
I have some questions about the changes that the latest IOS doesn't act (scanning or monitoring) for our custom beacon devices. Since about 2015, We has provided some 'location based service' by using our custom iBeacon devices. However We've just realized that the latest IOS devices doesn't work with our custom iBeacon devices. but also realized It could still work with the other normal iBeacon devices. So, I've dig this issues for a while and finally I got the answer. It's because the one byte of Ibeacon advertsing packet payload. the followings are the differences about manufacturer data part between a normal Ibeacon and our custom beacon. normal Ibeacon 0xFF 0x4C00 0x02 0x15 0x736E75685F70656F706C655F74656331 0xEA61 0x03EB 0xC5 our custom Ibeacon 0xFF 0x4C00 0x02 0x15 0x736E75685F70656F706C655F74656331 0xEA61 0x03EB 0xC5 0xDA Yes, I know. after many of searches and research, Now I've understood the byte (meaning the length of following payload) should be changed as '0x16'. But It is certainly something that has worked well not so long ago. Anyway, The introduction was so long, but this is the one question what I'd like to ask about. I need to know exactly which version of IOS this change came from. (I've tried but I couldn't find any thing about this on the official documents.) I need to expaing to my customers what's going on. for that, I need the information that exactly which version of IOS It didn't work from. Thanks in advance. Regards.
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438
Jan ’25
How to correct business location?
My organization, Los Angeles Pierce College, rents space to "Topanga Vintage Market", which is a monthly weekend swap meet operation. Apple Maps shows the location as roughly 34.18715° N, 118.58058° W. However, this is the location of the campus Child Development Center, which provides child care services and is not open during the hours of the Topanga Vintage Market. The actual location should be in the adjacent large parking lot, roughly 34.18740° N, 118.57782° W. They do not have a physical building. How do I get this resolved? I am putting a campus mapping application into the App Store real soon now. There is also an entry for "ALC Taco Truck" about 34.18533° N, 118.57349° W, which as far as I know has not been on campus since Covid. Thanks in advance for any guidance you can provide.
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545
Jan ’25
Location not tracking in background
I really need some help. I have been going back and forth with a customer of mine for weeks. Our app is supposed to track location in the background after a user starts it in the foreground. Every time I test it, it works. I can put the app in the background and walk around for hours. Every time he tests it, it doesn't work. He puts the app into the background and about a minute later, it stops tracking him. Then it starts again when the app comes back to the foreground. We have each tried it on two devices with the same results. I'm willing to post the rest of the details if anyone is interested in helping me, but the last couple of times I got no response, so I'm not going to bother unless I can get some help this time. Thanks.
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447
Feb ’25
Checking Wi-Fi Status for Location Accuracy in iOS App
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?
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447
Feb ’25
A symbol on Apple Maps, how can I show it in MapKit
The easiest way to explain this is to show it. On any device, open Maps, set it to Driving (which will show traffic). Go to Baltimore Maryland. In the water just south east of the city there is a bridge (Francis Scott Key Bridge). . On Apple Maps the road is colored dark red. At certain zoom levels, there is a "button" (red circle with a white - in it). When you click on that "button", it says 1 Advisory (Road Closed). How do I show this "button" on my map. My map shows the dark red color, but no "button" appears. The only "advisory" that I've been able to find is when you create a route. Of course you can't create a route over a road that fell into the water. struct ContentView: View { @State private var position = MapCameraPosition.region( MKCoordinateRegion( center: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: 39.22742855118304, longitude: -76.52228412310761), span: MKCoordinateSpan(latitudeDelta: 0.05407607689684113, longitudeDelta: 0.04606660133347873) ) ) var body: some View { Map(position: $position) .mapStyle(.standard(pointsOfInterest: .all, showsTraffic: true)) .cornerRadius(25) } } Is this a WCDWAD, or is there a way to show the "button" (We Can't Do What Apple Does)
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397
Feb ’25
Background BLE Scanning with Navigation Mode - Technical Feasibility for Safety Monitoring App
First of all, my English skills are not good, so I wrote an AI program and sent it to complete the questions. sorry. I'm developing a safety monitoring application that requires continuous BLE scanning for temperature and humidity sensors. I need clarification on the technical feasibility of background and sleep mode operation. Key Requirements: Continuous monitoring of BLE advertisements from temperature/humidity sensors Must detect critical temperature/humidity changes immediately Data logging every minute Includes navigation features showing routes Technical Questions: Background Mode Operation If using background modes (bluetooth-central + location): Can we receive BLE advertisements reliably? What is the actual scanning interval limitation? Will CBCentralManagerScanOptionAllowDuplicatesKey limitation affect critical monitoring? Sleep Mode Operation Can the app maintain BLE scanning during device sleep? Would combining with navigation background mode help? Are there any recommended approaches for continuous monitoring? Sample Code of Current Approach: let options: [String: Any] = [ CBCentralManagerOptionShowPowerAlertKey: true, CBCentralManagerOptionRestoreIdentifierKey: "uniqueIdentifier" ] centralManager = CBCentralManager(delegate: self, queue: nil, options: options) // Scanning setup centralManager.scanForPeripherals( withServices: [serviceUUID], options: [CBCentralManagerScanOptionAllowDuplicatesKey: true] ) Has anyone successfully implemented continuous BLE monitoring in background/sleep modes? Are there any special entitlements or techniques that could help achieve this? This is for a safety-critical application where missing sensor data could lead to serious issues. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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390
Feb ’25