Problem: Apple Watch (AW) Ultra 2 with watchOS 11.0.1 and Active AT&T cellular service with All Location Services Enabled Unable to Obtain Current Location Inside Building (no WiFi in building) with AT&T and Verizon Cellular Repeaters In Building. Bluetooth paired Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max iOS 18.0.1 is able to obtain accurate rough location via IP geolocation over the cellular. Apple Watch should be able to obtain location estimate from paired iPhone that does have a location estimate.
Neither AW Find My app nor AW Maps nor Apple Weather app (though sometimes this works) can obtain current estimated location from either cellular IP address nor from paired iPhone while connected to the iPhone. The cellular IP address at the location does have accurate geolocation info. Apple iPhone can obtain location but this info is not shared reliably with Apple Watch Ultra 2 while they are connected via Bluetooth. However, if I turn off the paired iPhone and the AW then has to rely on its LTE cellular connection, location services will work, though if I AW ask Siri where I am, it prompts me to enable Precise Location for Siri in location settings. However, Precise location is already enabled. If I turn iPhone back on then the AW loses its ability to get its location again inside the building.
Steps to recreate (not at my home):
- AW Ultra 2 11.0.1 and paired iPhone 16 Pro Max 18.0.1 with All Location services enabled inside building with no WiFi but with Cellular Network repeaters.
- Location Services on iPhone able to locate device on Map
- Open Maps, Find My, Apple Weather on Apple Watch Ultra 2 (with active cellular) - Will not show location
- Ask Siri “Where am I?” Siri says can’t find my location
- Turn off paired iPhone so AW is on Cellular
- AW Maps now show location in apps
- However, ask AW Siri “Where Am I?” And she replies she can only help if I enable precise Location for Siri in settings - but it is already enabled.
I have tried force re-starting the AW and iPhone. No change. I have tried toggling location settings on the iPhone (the AW mirrors these) for Maps, Find My, and Siri and this doesn’t fix it (it appeared to briefly then it stopped again a few minutes later).
I have even gone Nuclear with Settings > General > Reset and Reset Location and Privacy and this also didn’t fix it but resulted in me having to re-enable privacy settings for many Apps. I DO NOT recommend this method.
Anyway, not sure what the culprit is but I have submitted feedback on the issue to Apple’s Feedback page.
Neither AW Find My app nor AW Maps nor Apple Weather app (though sometimes this works) can obtain current estimated location from either cellular IP address nor from paired iPhone while connected to the iPhone. The cellular IP address at the location does have accurate geolocation info. Apple iPhone can obtain location but this info is not shared reliably with Apple Watch Ultra 2 while they are connected via Bluetooth. However, if I turn off the paired iPhone and the AW then has to rely on its LTE cellular connection, location services will work, though if I AW ask Siri where I am, it prompts me to enable Precise Location for Siri in location settings. However, Precise location is already enabled. If I turn iPhone back on then the AW loses its ability to get its location again inside the building.
Steps to recreate (not at my home):
- AW Ultra 2 11.0.1 and paired iPhone 16 Pro Max 18.0.1 with All Location services enabled inside building with no WiFi but with Cellular Network repeaters.
- Location Services on iPhone able to locate device on Map
- Open Maps, Find My, Apple Weather on Apple Watch Ultra 2 (with active cellular) - Will not show location
- Ask Siri “Where am I?” Siri says can’t find my location
- Turn off paired iPhone so AW is on Cellular
- AW Maps now show location in apps
- However, ask AW Siri “Where Am I?” And she replies she can only help if I enable precise Location for Siri in settings - but it is already enabled.
I have tried force re-starting the AW and iPhone. No change. I have tried toggling location settings on the iPhone (the AW mirrors these) for Maps, Find My, and Siri and this doesn’t fix it (it appeared to briefly then it stopped again a few minutes later).
I have even gone Nuclear with Settings > General > Reset and Reset Location and Privacy and this also didn’t fix it but resulted in me having to re-enable privacy settings for many Apps. I DO NOT recommend this method.
Anyway, not sure what the culprit is but I have submitted feedback on the issue to Apple’s Feedback page.