2.1 Location Services change

[Ifone]

I installed the 2.1 upgrade on my old Touch and noticed a change in the way apps get access to Location services.

It used to say:

"App" would like to use your current location. [Don't allow] and [OK]

now you get

Turn on Location Services to allow (App) to determine your location [Settings] [OK]

The old way if you pressed 'OK' location services were switched on globally within the app. Now pressing 'OK' assumes you want it left off, and the only way to switch it on is to press 'settings' which then exits the app and takes you to the standard settings page.

Seems like a step backwards to me? I hope this is just pre-gps Touch behaviour, and not a sign for tomorrows Iphone update too.

 

[Niiro13]

Looks like a couple of posters' wishes in the better battery life thread come true.

 

[TMar]

I installed the 2.1 upgrade on my old Touch and noticed a change in the way apps get access to Location services.

It used to say:

"App" would like to use your current location. [Don't allow] and [OK]

now you get

Turn on Location Services to allow (App) to determine your location [Settings] [OK]

The old way if you pressed 'OK' location services were switched on globally within the app. Now pressing 'OK' assumes you want it left off, and the only way to switch it on is to press 'settings' which then exits the app and takes you to the standard settings page.

Seems like a step backwards to me? I hope this is just pre-gps Touch behaviour, and not a sign for tomorrows Iphone update too.

The can be taken a couple of ways. Was Location services already off when you launched the app? Maybe location services is off by default now and is only turned on when needed.

 

[vegas-steven]

but now the question is whether or not the os and app remember the setting and automatcally toggle on/off or if you must allow it every time.

And this doesn't really help battery life that much as I imagineany heavy user like myself already has wifi and location services off and turns them off when finished with them. So therefore no legit battery savings for a heavy user who already manages power themselves.
Convenience added though.

 

[Ifone]

The can be taken a couple of ways. Was Location services already off when you launched the app? Maybe location services is off by default now and is only turned on when needed.

Yes, but in the past you could leave it off by default and switch it on within the app. This is no longer possible. The app asks you if you want it on, but only gives you the choice of pressing 'settings', therefore exiting the app and taking you there.

 

[mark34]

And this doesn't really help battery life that much as I imagineany heavy user like myself already has wifi and location services off and turns them off when finished with them. So therefore no legit battery savings for a heavy user who already manages power themselves.
Convenience added though.

I assure you that very very few people turn those services off...ever. Perhaps quite a few people on this board, but relative to the total number of iPhone users I would suspect it is negligible.

 

[bluenoise]

I'm not sure I understand the functionality here. Does it now work like this?:

1. LS is off in the prefs.
2. Launch an app that wants to use it.
3. App prompts the user with this new dialog box.
4. Pressing OK turns on LS until it is no longer using it.
5. Exiting app turns LS back off.

and

1. LS is on in the prefs.
2. Launch an app that wants to use it.
3. App prompts the user with this new dialog box.
4. Pressing OK allows LS to use the current location.
5. Exiting app leaves LS on.

In both cases, Pressing 'Settings' lets you go make a more global change to the settings.

That's how I am hoping it works. If it instead forces you to go to the Settings to turn on LS when an app prompts for it, that is strangely cumbersome for an Apple product. Also, if my guess described above is how it works, how would someone say, "No" to using the current location?

 

[Ifone]

but now the question is whether or not the os and app remember the setting and automatcally toggle on/off or if you must allow it every time.

It doesn't... if it's off in the settings the only way to get it on again it's to quit to the settings menu from any app.

 

[bluenoise]

It doesn't... if it's off in the settings the only way to get it on again it's to quit to the settings menu from any app.

Good Lord. If that's true, it's just become more cumbersome and inelegant as it was on my WinMo phones! Is Apple hiring Human Interface engineers from the WinMo team?

 

[Ifone]

I'm not sure I understand the functionality here. Does it now work like this?:

No, let me try and explain again... it's relatively simple.

If Location Services is on, then fine, everything works you're not asked anything.

If Location Services is switched off then you are told this:

Turn on Location Services to allow (App) to determine your location

With the options of [Settings] and [OK]

"OK" actually assumes you want it left off, so disallows location services.
"Settings" exits the app and takes you to the settings menu.

At least with the old way you could switch it on without exiting the app (but then it would stay on). This still feels a step backwards to me.

 

[bluenoise]

No, let me try and explain again... it's relatively simple.

If Location Services is on, then fine, everything works you're not asked anything.

If Location Services is switched off then you are told this:

Turn on Location Services to allow (App) to determine your location

With the options of [Settings] and [OK]

"OK" actually assumes you want it left off, so disallows location services.
"Settings" exits the app and takes you to the settings menu.

At least with the old way you could switch it on without exiting the app (but then it would stay on). This still feels a step backwards to me.

I agree about the step backwards thing. I wonder why they changed this.

 

[Ifone]

I wonder if it's a security thing, by only allowing Location services to be activated by the settings menu and not within apps.

 

[bluenoise]

I wonder if it's a security thing, by only allowing Location services to be activated by the settings menu and not within apps.

That is an excellent theory. I'd bet money you're right about that. I hadn't considered that possibility, but it makes sense.

 

[Rojo]

Wait, I'm actually confused. So if LS is turned OFF in your settings, you're saying you actually get this message:

Turn on Location Services to allow (App) to determine your location

And then given the option to do this:

With the options of [Settings] and [OK]

If that's true, it's confusing -- since it seems like pressing "OK" would allow you to turn on LS for that app. Or is the wording you gave different than what is actually said?

"OK" actually assumes you want it left off, so disallows location services.

If it's asking you "Turn on Location services" followed by "OK" as a choice, it doesn't make sense to me that "OK" is actually supposed to mean "dismiss." If it's really worded the way you say, it's confusing.

And does having LS on in the settings REALLY drain that much battery? I've always had it on, and it's never affected me that much. Only playing certain games drains my battery quickly...

 

[bluenoise]

Wait, I'm actually confused. So if LS is turned OFF in your settings, you're saying you actually get this message:



And then given the option to do this:



If that's true, it's confusing -- since it seems like pressing "OK" would allow you to turn on LS for that app. Or is the wording you gave different than what is actually said?



If it's asking you "Turn on Location services" followed by "OK" as a choice, it doesn't make sense to me that "OK" is actually supposed to mean "dismiss." If it's really worded the way you say, it's confusing.

And does having LS on in the settings REALLY drain that much battery? I've always had it on, and it's never affected me that much. Only playing certain games drains my battery quickly...

It is less confusing if you read it like this...

"Turn on Location services." [OK], as in, "OK, I will."

not

"Turn on Location services?" [OK], as in, "Yes, please."

It's a statement, not an offer.

 

[Ifone]

I agree it is confusing, if it is like this on the Iphone 2.1 I bet we'll have a lot of confusion for the next few days.

 

[mcdj]

This sounds annoying. If I tap "settings", it takes me to the location settings, where I have to manually turn it on, and then hit the home button and then tap the app icon I want to use AGAIN?

 

[icewing]

Huh - sounds like this new functionality was designed in Redmond

 

[Ifone]

Ok, my bad, been a long day.

I'd thought I'd got this new message on different apps, but it appears to be just the native maps app. Other apps are treated as before. Sorry.

Strange that they took this backwards step with the maps app though anyway....

 

[Anuba]

Why can't they just add an option that lets you enable Location Services for a limited time (1 minute or whatever) or the duration of the session with the app, e.g. Maps?

10 times out of 10 I need Location Services only for 30 seconds or so, while Maps works to determine my current location. The rest of the time, LS is just sitting there gobbling up power for no reason.

It would make life a helluvalot simpler than having to go into Prefs each time you've used an LS-dependent app.

Huh - sounds like this new functionality was designed in Redmond

Now now. Most GPS navigators these days are based on Windows mobile (Navigon, Sony and a few others use it), and none of those devices are this stupid.

 

[jamesarm97]

I wonder if it's a security thing, by only allowing Location services to be activated by the settings menu and not within apps.

But isn't the whole purpose of prompting to enable access to the location services part of the security?

Why not do it the old way (if off, prompt Allow / disallow) and automatically turn it on. When the app closes turn it back off (if it was off before), otherwise leave it on.