iPad Air Non-Cellular iPad Location Options

[mtngal]

I’ve had an M1 cellular iPad Pro for a couple of years, but recently it has developed a battery issue. Rather than spend the money to replace it with another iPad Pro when the rumors are indicating they will have a new one out relatively soon, I replaced it with a WiFi only iPad Air. Reasons - when I got the 12.9 screen, I found it a bit heavier than I liked and I was wondering if I would be able to adjust to a smaller screen. I now have Starlink for internet so a second cellular carrier isn’t as big of a deal (I’m often off-grid where one carrier would be better than a different one). I prefer to use the iPad for such things as next day routing, looking up the weather and a few other things where the extra screen size comes in handy.

Recently I was camping out in the middle of nowhere so the only WiFi signal I had was my Starlink. I went to check the weather and the iPad showed my location as 500 miles away - my last urban location. Apparently Starlink doesn’t tell my iPad where I am. I didn’t think about hot spotting off of the phone, but a search here indicates that the phone doesn’t share GPS/location through hot spot.

Is there any way to get an approximate location to my iPad? Can I somehow tell it that I’m in a particular area? Other than buying a separate GPS unit? I don’t need it to be particularly accurate as I’m using it for weather and basic navigation, not for pinpoint accuracy. I’ll be spending more time off-grid in the next couple of months and while I can set the weather app to show the weather at a number of locations, it’s annoying when the widget shows weather that is wildly inaccurate for where I’m currently located. I’d rather not buy a separate GPS unit since I will be getting another cellular iPad as soon as the new ones are released. I know there are various work-arounds but they are annoying and take up more time.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

For the weather app, you can enter the zip code where you are at the time. I don't know for sure but it might also take longitude, latitude manual entry like Maps (that's worth a try). If Weather won't take coordinates, you can manually expand and drag radar to approx. where you are.

Even though you don't want it, the easiest option is a bluetooth GPS device that can communicate coordinates to wifi-only iDevices. Maybe you can find a refurb/used one at a deep discount for now, then sell it to someone else in a similar boat when you replace the iPad with a cellular one.

 

[sparksd]

For the weather app, you can enter the zip code where you are at the time. I don't know for sure but it might also take longitude, latitude manual entry like Maps (that's worth a try). If Weather won't take coordinates, you can manually expand and drag radar to approx. where you are.

Even though you don't want it, the easiest option is a bluetooth GPS device that can communicate coordinates to wifi-only iDevices. Maybe you can find a refurb/used one at a deep discount for now, then sell it to someone else in a similar boat when you replace the iPad with a cellular one.

I have the Garmin GLO 2 - works great.

 

[mtngal]

I guess I’ll just change the zip code to get approximate weather or grumble and look at my phone (when I have cell service). While the Garmin is interesting, I’m not sure I want to spend more on something I’m using temporarily. I also have a Garmin InReach for hiking and such. I sure got used to the cellular iPad and all it can do!