Location Services

[Dukat]

I noticed on iOS6 when location services is on but no apps that use it are running, the arrow at the top right that indicates location services is on is not turned on.

When I launch maps, yelp or something else that uses location services, the arrow indicator appears, once you close the app it goes away.

Does that mean that location services is not running unless the app that needs it is active? If so leaving it on shouldn't drain the battery unless an app that uses it is running. Great news if true. I don't recall iOS5 working that way.

 

[S.B.G]

That's correct. The arrow only displays while an app is currently using it. It helps for battery usage and privacy issues.

 

[GoCubsGo]

I always thought that was the case but I am not 100% sure. Do you have Find My iPhone on as well?

 

[brokenbuyer]

I always thought that was the case but I am not 100% sure. Do you have Find My iPhone on as well?

I keep Location Services on and almost all my apps are off besides for Find My Phone.

I think Find My Phone is always on?

 

[Dukat]

I always thought that was the case but I am not 100% sure. Do you have Find My iPhone on as well?

I have Find My iPhone turned off.

Glad to hear this. I used to keep location services off and turn it on only when I needed it to save battery, but now that it only uses it when the app is running there's no need to turn it off. Good stuff.

 

[Weaselboy]

I keep Location Services on and almost all my apps are off besides for Find My Phone.

I think Find My Phone is always on?

Find my Phone does not use location services all the time.

If you go to Settings>Privacy>Location service and scroll to the bottom you will see the meaning of the three different arrows listed beside apps in this screen. Purple for a recently used app, grey for app that used location services in the last 24 hours, and lastly outlined purple for an app using geofencing. You can scroll the list and look next to each app for one of the three arrows, or no arrow at all.

 

[Gav2k]

Find my iphone won't display a location services arrow unless system services is set to show

 

[Dukat]

So the arrow appears when an app is using location services.

When an app isn't using location services, is the GPS receiver turned off to save power, or does it always run, and the indicator is just to show something is reading the GPS data?

If that's the case, then I'll have to continue keeping it turned off to conserve power.

 

[Gav2k]

So the arrow appears when an app is using location services.

When an app isn't using location services, is the GPS receiver turned off to save power, or does it always run, and the indicator is just to show something is reading the GPS data?

If that's the case, then I'll have to continue keeping it turned off to conserve power.

It's turned off unless a system service or app polls it for a location