Location Services - iOS 7

[jahall05]

Hey guys,

I have an iPhone 5 and I was wondering if there were any "system services" under location services that I should leave on, or should I just switch them all off?

Here is the list in case anyone wants to know what they are:

Cell Network Search
Compass Calibration
Diagnostics and Usage
Location-Based iAds
Popular Near Me
Setting Time Zone
Traffic
Wi-Fi Networking
Frequent Locations

Thanks in advance!

 

[Fatboy71]

Hey guys,

I have an iPhone 5 and I was wondering if there were any "system services" under location services that I should leave on, or should I just switch them all off?

Here is the list in case anyone wants to know what they are:

Cell Network Search
Compass Calibration
Diagnostics and Usage
Location-Based iAds
Popular Near Me
Setting Time Zone
Traffic
Wi-Fi Networking
Frequent Locations

Thanks in advance!

I've got all mine turned off. Traffic is I believe used by the Maps app to gather traffic information from other iPhone users using the Maps app.

Most I find are unnecessary and are just a battery drain, especially the Setting Time Zone. This uses your GPS constantly to know your location, so that the time on your iPhone is set correctly. Good perhaps if you are a frequent traveller and don't want to have to keep altering the time on your iPhone. But personally I would rather set the time myself and save a heap of battery life in the process.

 

[Zcott]

Leave them all on.

 

[liteshow]

Leave them all OFF.

 

[Max(IT)]

Leave them all on.

Leave them all OFF.

Here we are .... Everyone with a personal theory about battery drain and what is needed and what is not.
Basically no one really know.

I keep all of them on except diagnostic and iAds (I hate them, no other reason).
In my experience the difference between all on and all of is very very little.

Btw battery on my iPhone just sucks since iOS 7 installation ....

 

[Fantasigraphic]

Unless Apple fixed it at one time the Setting Time Zone was the culprit for the mass battery drain. I def keep this one OFF regardless. Rest of them other than Diagnostics, iAds and Popular Near Me I keep those off as well. Rest I have ON and my Battery is really solid!

 

[Max(IT)]

Unless Apple fixed it at one time the Setting Time Zone was the culprit for the mass battery drain. I def keep this one OFF regardless. Rest of them other than Diagnostics, iAds and Popular Near Me I keep those off as well. Rest I have ON and my Battery is really solid!

Do you have any documentation about setting time zone bug ?
Last time I checked, it was a problem with iOS 5, already solved (never had battery drain issue with iOS 6)

 

[570934]

I found the frequent locations thing is the culprit for draining my battery. Ios6 I'd constantly have eight hour usage and three days standby. Ios7 that went down to 5 hours usage and less than a day standby. Turned Frequent Location off and I'm now back to ios6 usage which is fine with me.

As far as turning them or off if you battery life your after turn them off, if you want all the functions working in the background ready to be used then turn them on.

 

[Max(IT)]

I found the frequent locations thing is the culprit for draining my battery. Ios6 I'd constantly have eight hour usage and three days standby. Ios7 that went down to 5 hours usage and less than a day standby. Turned Frequent Location off and I'm now back to ios6 usage which is fine with me.

As far as turning them or off if you battery life your after turn them off, if you want all the functions working in the background ready to be used then turn them on.

Frequent locations already off for me: it changed something but not so much.

I'm investigating for a Safari iCloud sync issue : it seems to be always trying to send data ....

 

[570934]

Frequent locations already off for me: it changed something but not so much.

I'm investigating for a Safari iCloud sync issue : it seems to be always trying to send data ....

Defiantly changed mine for the better. Just finishing do a from flat charge so will see over the next few days if I get the same results.

 

[VSMacOne]

Here's my location setup and I get 6-10 hours of battery per charge.

 

[Nevaborn]

Used to have all off on iOS6 and before. But now as my battery is a bit better I leave them on.

My issue with location services is how inaccurate my location it. Weather is right but I'm a couple miles from where it says I am.

 

[scoop2mylue]

might try to turn a couple of mine off and see if there is any difference

 

[Fantasigraphic]

Do you have any documentation about setting time zone bug ?
Last time I checked, it was a problem with iOS 5, already solved (never had battery drain issue with iOS 6)

You an internet/apple cop? "Any documentation... Blah blah blah and Last time I checked...Blah Blah Blah"

And yes you are correct it was ios5 NOT 6 so as I bow down to you to beg for my forgiveness I apologize for incorrectly stating the wrong firmware.

 

[Max(IT)]

You an internet/apple cop? "Any documentation... Blah blah blah and Last time I checked...Blah Blah Blah"

And yes you are correct it was ios5 NOT 6 so as I bow down to you to beg for my forgiveness I apologize for incorrectly stating the wrong firmware.

I'm not a cop ... I just ask for any confirmation about a new battery drain bug related to that old problem, and it's not the case ....

 

[Rigby]

I would recommend to leave at least Cell Network Search, Traffic and Wi-Fi Networking on, since they allow the phone to send anonymous data to Apple that help keep their crowdsourced location and traffic databases updated. Remember that this is what we all rely on to get the location very quickly without having to wait for a GPS fix (and also works indoors if a known WIFI hotspot is nearby).

Personally, I only turn Diagnostics and Usage, Location-Based iAds and
Popular Near Me off, since I am not interested in location-based ads and feel that there is not enough transparency about exactly what information is included in the diagnostics that are sent to Apple.

 

[C DM]

Have kept them all off on multiple devices since whenever I could, at least iOS 6 if not 5 or earlier. Don't think I've ever seen anything negative from keeping them all off.

 

[Zcott]

Where do you guys get your tin hats?

 

[Rigby]

Have kept them all off on multiple devices since whenever I could, at least iOS 6 if not 5 or earlier. Don't think I've ever seen anything negative from keeping them all off.

Well, for one thing, if you turn off compass calibration in iOS 7, third party apps will no longer be able to access the compass. This means, for example, that the compass mode and the fabulous "look-around" streetview mode in Google Maps no longer work.

 

[adam044]

All off. None provide anything beneficial

 

[C DM]

Well, for one thing, if you turn off compass calibration in iOS 7, third party apps will no longer be able to access the compass. This means, for example, that the compass mode and the fabulous "look-around" streetview mode in Google Maps no longer work.

Interesting, never had a problem with either one of those things in Google Maps (while having everything including Compass Calibration turned off in system location settings).

 

[Rigby]

Interesting, never had a problem with either one of those things in Google Maps (while having everything including Compass Calibration turned off in system location settings).

Just try it. I think this has been changed in iOS 7.

 

[C DM]

Just try it. I think this has been changed in iOS 7.

What do you know, I had to play around with it some more, and you are right it seems. I recall it usually working just fine without anything enabled in system location settings, but it seems I might be remembering how it was before iOS 7. Seems like there might be one setting I might need to enable there after all.