Build maps and location awareness capabilities into your apps.

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Flutter: abnormal delay on iOS in position recovery on first opening
Good morning everyone, I am developing a Flutter app for Android and iOS. When I press a button, the app detects the location of the device (obviously with permissions already granted). On Android everything works correctly. On iOS, however, when I press the button for the first time after opening the app, the location is detected after about 30-50 seconds. On the other hand, if I repeat the operation later, the response time is drastically reduced (only a few seconds). I am using the location package (https://pub.dev/packages/location), and the code to get the location is as follows: var currentLocation = await location.getLocation(); Has anyone experienced this problem before or knows how to solve it? Thank you very much! Federico
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205
Sep ’25
Dynamic Location Tracking using CLServiceSession and CLBackgroundActivitySession
Hello, I'm currently implementing code to track routes and determine if users have arrived at their destination using CLServiceSession, CLBackgroundActivitySession, and CLLocationUpdate.liveUpdates. I want to obtain location data across all app states: foreground, background, and terminated. I have two questions: Background Location Indicator Issue: I'm using CLBackgroundActivitySession to get location updates in the background. Normally, the background location indicator (blue bar) doesn't appear at the top left of the screen for my app. However, when another app (e.g., LiveUpdatesSample) activates CLBackgroundActivitySession, my app's background location indicator suddenly becomes visible. Can you explain why this happens? or Can I Control showsBackgroundLocationIndicator in CLBackgroundActivitySession Session Management: Is there a way to terminate all currently active CLBackgroundActivitySessions? I understand that when CLBackgroundActivitySession is activated and the app is terminated and then relaunched, a new CLBackgroundActivitySession needs to be created. In this case, are the previously created and running CLBackgroundActivitySessions automatically released when the app is relaunched?
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162
Jul ’25
Live Weather Radar Overlay in CarPlay Maps
Hi all — I wanted to share an idea I recently submitted through Feedback Assistant that I think could improve safety and usability for drivers using CarPlay: Add an option to overlay live weather radar (rain, snow, storms, etc.) directly onto CarPlay Maps while navigating. Similar to how traffic conditions are shown now, this would allow drivers to visually track incoming weather in real time without switching apps or relying on separate devices. Why this matters: • Enhances driver safety by increasing situational awareness • Helps with trip planning and route adjustments around severe weather • Reduces distractions by integrating everything into one screen • Useful for everyday drivers, long-haul travelers, and first responders I submitted this via Feedback Assistant, but I’d love to know what others think. If you also see value in this feature, consider submitting your own version via Feedback Assistant so Apple sees there’s interest. Let’s push for smarter, safer navigation — thanks for reading!
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726
Jul ’25
MKReverseGeocodingRequest and CNPostalAddress from MKMapItem
My app is currently using CLGeocoder to get a CLPlacemark, then using placemark.postalAddress with CNPostalAddressFormatter to get an attributed string for the full address, I then enumerate its attributes to pull out specific elements like just the street or state or zip etc. This is deprecated in iOS 26 with MKReverseGeocodingRequest being the intended replacement. This API returns an MKMapItem which doesn’t provide a CNPostalAddress - you can get a full address as a String but not structured address data that I’m seeing. Am I missing some way to get the postal address? Or is it a non-goal to provide that anymore? Thanks!
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Aug ’25
How to Start with Default Apple Maps Functionality in iOS 18+
Hi everyone, I’m building an iOS 18+ app in Xcode where Apple Maps is central. My goal is to start with the default Apple Maps experience (map view, search bar, pins, directions sheet, etc.) and then customize it for my project. I tried coding it from scratch using MapKit and SwiftUI, but I wasn’t able to get full parity with the basic features of the Maps app. My questions: Is there any sample project, template, or reference that provides the default Apple Maps functionality (views + interactions) as a baseline? Can I copy these into my Xcode project and then extend/customize them? If not, what’s the recommended best practice to get as close as possible to the native Maps app before adding my own features? Any guidance, sample code, or documentation links would be greatly appreciated.
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126
Aug ’25
MapKit MapReader Not working on iOS 26
I have the following code snippet with a simple map and map reader that shows a pin on the map when the user selects a location struct MapReaderTest: View { @State private var loc: CLLocationCoordinate2D? = nil var body: some View { MapReader { proxy in Map { UserAnnotation() if let loc { Marker(coordinate: loc, label: { Text("Marker") }) } } .onTapGesture { position in let position = proxy.convert(position, from: .local) loc = position } } } } This snippet compiles and works perfectly fine using Xcode version 16.4 building for iOS 18.0 and running on a device. This snippet also works for me when I build using Xcode 26 Beta and run in the canvas or simulator, however it does not work when I compile using Xcode 26 and run it on a physical device(I built and tested for both iOS 18.6 and iOS 26 Beta) Has anyone else had a similar issue / have any ideas for work arounds?
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124
Aug ’25
How to access launchOptions in SceneDelegate?
Previously, when using AppDelegate, I was able to check the app’s launch options (launchOptions) to determine cases such as: Location updates (UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey.location) Background push notifications (UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey.remoteNotification) However, after migrating to the SceneDelegate approach, launchOptions is no longer available — it always returns nil. In my app, I need to branch the code depending on the launch options, but I can’t find a way to achieve this in the SceneDelegate environment. 👉 Is there a way to access launch options in SceneDelegate, similar to how it worked in AppDelegate? Or, if that’s no longer possible, what would be the proper alternative approach? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated.
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Sep ’25
External GPS receiver
Hello, We are a software and hardware development company for the forestry and environmental sectors. We have been based in Quebec (Canada) for over 30 years now. Our Canadian market covers Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritime provinces in the east. We are currently expanding across Canada and into the northern United States. We are on Android platforms with several map and data entry applications. To ensure the success of our expansion, we aim to become part of the Apple family, which is why we are contacting you today. We have developed our own GNSS receiver to increase the location accuracy of our users. It uses Bluetooth BLE to communicate with mobile devices and a high-precision GPS that transmits its position using the NMEA protocol. We would like this device to be compatible with an iPhone/iPad. We have developed a mock location application in MAUI (multi-platform). Based on our interpretation of your documentation, we understand that the concept of mock location does not exist at Apple. How can we ensure that our Bluetooth GNSS device is compatible with your iPhone/iPad devices and that they can use the position of the Bluetooth device rather than the internal GPS of your devices? We are a reseller for Juniper Systems, and we know that they have an app on the App Store that has the same features as our product. https://junipersys.com/index.php/support/article/14709 We look forward to your follow-up and recommendations.
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96
Oct ’25
OS Location via Bluetooth GPS receiver
Hello, We are a software and hardware development company for the forestry and environmental sectors. We have been based in Quebec (Canada) for over 30 years now. Our Canadian market covers Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritime provinces in the east. We are currently expanding across Canada and into the northern United States. We are on Android platforms with several map and data entry applications. To ensure the success of our expansion, we aim to become part of the Apple family, which is why we are contacting you today. We have developed our own GNSS receiver to increase the location accuracy of our users. This device is called GSFGPS. It uses Bluetooth BLE to communicate with mobile devices and a high-precision GPS that transmits its position using the NMEA protocol. We would like this device to be compatible with an iPhone/iPad. We have developed a mock location application in MAUI (multi-platform). Based on our interpretation of your documentation, we understand that the concept of mock location does not exist at Apple. How can we ensure that our Bluetooth GNSS device is compatible with your iPhone/iPad devices and that they can use the position of the Bluetooth device rather than the internal GPS of your devices? We are a reseller for Juniper Systems, and we know that they have an app on the App Store that has the same features as our product. https://junipersys.com/index.php/support/article/14709 We look forward to your follow-up and recommendations.
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139
Oct ’25
Geolocation tracking for IOS apps using .net Maui
I'm working on an in-house iOS app designed to help users accurately track their routes during trips. Currently, I've implemented a method to track users when the app is open in the background. However, I'm facing challenges, as the tracking stops when the device is locked for more than 10 minutes. I'm looking for a solution to continuously track a user's geolocation, even if the app is closed or not in use. Specifically, I want to ensure uninterrupted tracking, especially when the device is locked. Here are some key points: Current Method: I'm currently using the Core Location method and a combination of background tasks and a repeating timer to fetch the user's location and update a log for geolocation tracking when the app is open in the background. Issues Faced: The tracking stops when the device is locked for more than 10 minutes. This limitation impacts the accuracy of the route tracking during longer trips. Objective: My goal is to achieve continuous geolocation tracking, even when the app is closed or not actively used, to provide users with a seamless and accurate record of their routes. Platform: The app is developed for iOS using the .net maui platform, and I'm seeking solutions or suggestions that are compatible with the iOS .net maui environment. If anyone has experience or insights into achieving continuous geolocation tracking on iOS, especially when the app is not in use or the device is locked, I would greatly appreciate the assistance.
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1k
Feb ’25
App Clips Advanced Experiences not showing up in Apple Maps and Siri Suggestions
Hello everyone, I’m experiencing an issue with App Clips Advanced Experiences and Apple Maps/Siri Suggestions. We have already contacted Apple Support before, but they are investigating the cause of this issue and it has not been resolved til date. The App Clip is bundled with the main app and has been already available on the App Store for several months. The business running the app has several physical shops and wants to offer the App Clip to show up in Apple Maps and Siri Suggestions at each location. The App Clip is correctly exposed in the AASA file, and it's also validated correctly by the AASA APIs available at https://app-site-association.cdn-apple.com/a/v1. { "applinks": { "apps": [], "details": [ { "appID": "TEAMID.bundleid", "paths": [] } ] }, "appclips": { "apps": [ "TEAMID.bundleid.Clip" ] } } (with TEAMID and bundleid being the team and bundle identifiers of the app) The App Clip is displayed correctly when loading the website and when scanning a QR code or App Clip code, but doesn't appear in the Maps app or in Siri suggestions. We have set up the App Clip Advanced Experiences on the App Store Connect page of the app, and each URL has been linked to a physical shop. All URLs are in the "Received" state, so they should appear correctly on Maps. Unfortunately, I don't see any "Order" button in Apple Maps at any location card. We tried with both iOS 17 and 16. According to feedbacks from people in the shops, they don't see the app suggested in the Siri Suggestions. I have just submitted a Custom Action Link on Apple Business Connect for one of the shops, but without success: the App Clip doesn't appear. Any idea why is this happening?
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Mar ’25
Deriving Apple Place ID from CLPlacemark or MKMapItem
I am trying to derive the Apple Place ID from a CLPlacemark (or via a MKMapItem derived from it) created via either CLGeocoder().reverseGeocodeLocation() or CLGeocoder().geocodeAddressString(). In many cases, the placemark returned from these functions contains detailed information (name, address, coordinates, etc), implying that the Apple Place ID is known, but the identifier is not present. The only way I have found to get a Place ID is via MKLocalSearch. Wondering if I am missing something here.
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494
Dec ’24
iOS 18: “Settings” button on location permission alert does nothing, logs BUG IN CLIENT OF UIKIT warning
Hello everyone, I’m encountering a problem on the latest iOS 18 related to location permissions. When the user denies location access, my app triggers the standard system prompt asking them to enable location from Settings. On iOS 17 and below, tapping the “Settings” button in this system alert would successfully navigate the user to my app’s Settings page. However, on iOS 18, nothing happens. Instead, I see the following warning in the Xcode console: Warning : BUG IN CLIENT OF UIKIT: The caller of UIApplication.openURL(:) needs to migrate to the non-deprecated UIApplication.open(:options:completionHandler:). Force returning false (NO). Important details and context: In my own code, I have already replaced all calls to openURL(:) with open(:options:completionHandler:). I searched the entire codebase for usage of openURL: and didn’t find any. The alert that appears is the system location alert (iOS-generated), not a custom UIAlertController. Thus, I have no direct control over the underlying call. On iOS 17 (and below), tapping “Settings” in the same system dialog works perfectly and takes the user to the app’s permission page. The console message implies that somewhere—likely inside the system’s own flow—the deprecated API is being called and blocked on iOS 18. What I’ve tried: Verified I am not calling openURL: anywhere in my code. Confirmed that UIApplication.openSettingsURLString works when I programmatically open it in a custom alert. Tested multiple times on iOS 17 and iOS 18 to confirm the behavior difference. Steps to reproduce: Install the app on a device running iOS 18 Beta. Deny location permission when prompted. Trigger a piece of code that relies on location (e.g., loading a map screen) so that the OS automatically shows its standard “Location is disabled” alert, which includes a “Settings” button. Tap “Settings.” On iOS 17, this navigates to the app’s Settings. On iOS 18 Beta, it does nothing, and the console logs the BUG IN CLIENT OF UIKIT warning. Questions: Is this a known iOS 18 bug where the system’s own alert is still using the deprecated openURL: call? If so, are there any workarounds besides presenting a custom alert that manually calls open(_:options:completionHandler:)? Thank you in advance. Any guidance or confirmation would be appreciated!
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Jan ’25
SwiftUI MapKit use of UserLocation struct
I have a map where I am using UserAnnotation() to show the user's location. Location permissions are handled elsewhere in the app. If the user has previously granted location permission, that is enough for the UserAnnotation() blue pin to appear. Otherwise, it just doesn't draw. So the Map already knows the user's permission and location without my code again requesting location etc. I was looking for a way to leverage the map's knowledge of the user's location and came across this struct as described in the Documentation for SwiftUI Mapkit public struct UserLocation { public var heading: CLHeading? public var location: CLLocation? } I thought this struct might expose the user's location, but how it is expected to be used or when it should populated is unknown from the point of the documentation. Would someone please share the purpose and use of this struct?
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445
Jan ’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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May ’25
Clustering on MapKit for SwiftUI iOS17+
Hi What would be the best way to achieve clustering on MapKit within SwiftUI? We're building a decentralized commerce auction platform that is currently live in Switzerland with 3'500 live auctions that can be discovered on a map. We're now running into the issue that the map gets cluttered, when zooming out and haven't been able to find a way to cluster We moved back to UIKit, where clustering works, but UIKit has other drawdowns. So ideally there is a way to handle it within SwiftUI without having to wrap UIKit or move back entirely to UIKit. Thanks for any help or suggestions! Developer Documentation https://developer.apple.com/documentation/mapkit/mapkit-for-swiftui Julius Ilg AuctionShack
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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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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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127
Oct ’25