Controlling The Location Services Status Bar (Blue Bar) From Your App

Q:  How do I turn on or off the Location Services Status Bar (Blue Bar) for my app while it is in the background.

A: The Location Services Status Bar (Blue Bar) will be displayed for apps using Continuous Location Updates in the background.

Once an app starts the Continuous Location Updates in the foreground, and then is sent to the background, if the app is configured to continue receiving Continuous Background Location Updates, iOS may show the Blue Bar, indicating the app is receiving location updates in the background.

Starting with iOS 11, apps have more control over the appearance of the Location Services Status Bar (Blue Bar) for their apps.

Apps which are given When-in-use authorization by the users (regardless of the authorization asked for), will automatically get the Blue Bar displayed. Apps cannot opt out of the Blue Bar if they are only given When-in-use authorization by the users.

Apps which are given Always authorization, on the other hand, will get the Blue Bar displayed based on a new property of the CLLocationManager object.

@property(assign, nonatomic) BOOL showsBackgroundLocationIndicator;

Apps which have their Continuous Background Location session active, and have obtained Always authorization the Blue Bar will be shown only when the showsBackgroundLocationIndicator property is YES.

An app can toggle the showsBackgroundLocationIndicator property to change the visibility of the blue bar at any time.

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