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sniffies

macrumors 603
Original poster
Jul 31, 2005
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somewhere warm, dark, and cozy
Tried:

- Turning Location Services ON and OFF
- Turning Airplane Mode ON and OFF
- Restarting iPhone
- Resetting iPhone

I surely do not feel like restoring iPhone just to get rid of the arrow. That's just ridiculous. Any other suggestions?
 

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Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

Do/did you have Loopt on?
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_0_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8A306 Safari/6531.22.7)

Do/did you have Loopt on?

I had installed one app, I forget what it was called, some kind of mom calendar thing, that made my arrow always be on as well. Even if it wasnt running in the background, it would stay on. I finally uninstalled it for good.

Go to your settings and turn off Location for each of your apps until the arrow disappears, and that may tell you the culprit...
 
The icon means that an app that uses the background gps API is running on the phone/backgrounded. It does not mean that the gps is running all the time, it just means that the app that has the API may consult the gps when needed, other times it uses the cell towers to know if you really moved x distance. Depending on the app it can ask the gps to grab coordinates in a certain x time, x distance after changing x times from cell tower. The Arrow just means that an app might use it while is in the background not that is actually using it.... The other apps you have use the other background API's not the GPS one which is why you don't see it on when using the other apps.
 
The Arrow just means that an app might use it while is in the background not that is actually using it....

That is not the intended meaning of the location icon. The icon means that the apps is actively requesting location data. I have several breadcrumb type apps that take periodically take location snapshots. The icon will flash momentarily while obtaining data and then shut off until the next interval.
I have had a stuck icon like OP described and it is a bug. An uninstall/reinstall of the app fixed the issue.
 
The icon means that an app that uses the background gps API is running on the phone/backgrounded.

I think that there's a different icon for it, the satellite icon, and that appears to the left of the time. This is an icon that I get when running EveryTrail while biking and recording my trip. There's also another icon that's just a red recording type circle that I assume is the background completion task api icon? Also, the arrow icon is lit up too.

Apple should explain all these new icons somewhere.
 
Apple should explain all these new icons somewhere.
Those are not Apple icons (they are not even RD resolution). They can only appear while the EveryTrail app is the active app. The only Apple location icon is the compass arrow next to the battery. This is displayed only while the GPS is actively in use (unless an app/OS is acting up like OP described).
 
That is not the intended meaning of the location icon. The icon means that the apps is actively requesting location data. I have several breadcrumb type apps that take periodically take location snapshots. The icon will flash momentarily while obtaining data and then shut off until the next interval.
I have had a stuck icon like OP described and it is a bug. An uninstall/reinstall of the app fixed the issue.
Sometimes w/ some apps is a bug or the app gets stuck but not necessarily...

Those are not Apple icons (they are not even RD resolution). They can only appear while the EveryTrail app is the active app. The only Apple location icon is the compass arrow next to the battery. This is displayed only while the GPS is actively in use (unless an app/OS is acting up like OP described).
How are you guys so sure of that? Yo do know that if for example you turn on the Bluetooth even if there are none connected it will still show the Bluetooth icon on the top always (for when needed, BT is not on all the time but it does wake several times to check)... I recommend you look what the gps app creator say on this location service icon that appears on top. Ask for example the developer of Placetrack about the icon like half of the people that bought the app and he will tell you just like me that the icon only is there to tell you that it MAY be using the gps.... The only thing that apple states is that the icon shown means that there is location service ENABLED app on/bkgd... If any of you find official :apple: or from a gps developer docs contrary of what I said, show me please...
 
"the find"

was the culprit for me. I disabled the location services for this app and the icon and battery drain disappeared.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

As someone who has had multiple developer discussions with Apple on this topic, the arrow will indeed stay on PERMANENTLY if an app uses any background GPS APIs. Not just while acquiring a location, but as long as the app is even listening for changes.
 
The Weather Channel's updated app 4.0 has a bug where location services is stuck on. I removed the app and awaiting an update from them...
Same, I just blocked location service to that one specific app, it's got an internal bookmark thing, convenient enough.

Home zip, Work zip... about all I need for the most part.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

As someone who has had multiple developer discussions with Apple on this topic, the arrow will indeed stay on PERMANENTLY if an app uses any background GPS APIs. Not just while acquiring a location, but as long as the app is even listening for changes.

I think they should differentiate between the active transfers and just listening. E.g., having a listening or running GPS enabled app represented as a grey icon while active transfers are shown with the purple icon. Having it always there and always purple throws the impression that it is active and functioning, while having both will allow the user to know that there is an app polling location, but it's currently not requesting it versus an app is fetching your location.
 
The Weather Channel's updated app 4.0 has a bug where location services is stuck on. I removed the app and awaiting an update from them...

Glad I had not installed that one yet. The Weather Channel sucks so bad at updating their app, I always wait a few days. I don't think a single update has come down that did nto have some pretty major issue that required another update soon after.

As far as location services gettign stuck, I have noticed the stock Camera App doing it lately for me.
 
The Weather Channel's updated app 4.0 has a bug where location services is stuck on. I removed the app and awaiting an update from them...

+1

I updated The Weather Channle app to v4, opened it, and immediately the arrow came on and stayed on. Restarting does nothing. I just manually turned off location services for that app till an update comes out that fixes it (which I'm sure will be very soon). First time I've ever seen this bug before.
 
Thank god you aren't on iOS 5. You might had hit the "Time Zone Location Service" issue.
 
Weather Channel app

The same thing happened to me with the Weather Channel app. Their app page says they have received feedback about the GPS symbol constantly being on and are working on an update.
 
Its actually a security feature, if you can see the icon you know something is tracking your location. You should never see the compass arrow when not actively using gps.
 
I've noticed this also, and my weather channel app was causing it.. I turned location services off for that app and it went away..

I don't have that problem on my ipad, I can leave it on and the arrow goes away when I close the app..


James
 
Weather Channel was the culprit for me too. I noticed the arrow icon stuck on even after several resets and ensuring nothing was running in the background.
 
The Weather Channel app is definitely the problem. Turning location services off for it "fixes" the problem.
 
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