iPad Survey - iPad7 - Location Service

[hobro]

Hi there,

just wondering whether anyone else has issues with the location service on a new iPad7?

Background:
Bought a new iPad7 with iOS13.1.3 and configured that in my WiFi network. Turns out, the iPad does not find its location, hence time & date settings, maps, weather etc. are not working. 5 Mac's and 3 iPhone's find their location with no problem in exactly the same environment. After a long service call with a senior technician from Apple (who couldn't really find an issue with the iPad), I got a new iPad. Unfortunately, exactly the same problem. Took the iPad to another location and it shows up in the right location. Took the iPad back to my house - location not found. Created a hotspot on an iPhone connected the iPad and walked several hundred metres up and down the road, iPad still cannot find its location (the iPhone does).
Not sure at the moment whether that's a hardware (iPad7) or software (iOS13) issue.

Any feedback is much appreciated.

 

[ericwn]

If it works elsewhere, it’s likely software. I read on this forum a few times that only cellular iPads have gps chips. I would expect a software issue of sorts somewhere at Apple.

 

[AutomaticApple]

just wondering whether anyone else has issues with the location service on a new iPad7?

You should've bought the cellular version if you wanted to use certain features.

 

[ericwn]

You should've bought the cellular version if you wanted to use certain features.

You are not correct here. The wifi only version can use location services, just like your Mac can. It may not have gps but that’s not required for a wifi connected device if you have a map of where this wifi network is located. Apple does have that map - but there is some issue in this particular setup right now.

 

[AutomaticApple]

You are not correct here. The wifi only version can use location services, just like your Mac can. It may not have gps but that’s not required for a wifi connected device if you have a map of where this wifi network is located. Apple does have that map - but there is some issue in this particular setup right now.

Oh, thanks for correcting me.

 

[hobro]

An update:
this case is still under investigation with Apple whether this is a hardware or software issue. Apple looked into the iPad via remote session and all settings are correct. Also, all my other Apple devices are working fine in the environment. An iPad2, which I sold about 1 year ago, didn’t have any issues either.
Although I’m using the iPad mainly at home - hence I do not need cellular - I would like to use some location based services, e.g. weather.

 

[brucemr]

I have a gen. 7 WiFi only iPad and it knows it’s location, at home, and in several other locations where it has been connected to WiFi.

When you are connected via WiFi only device, the network‘s location is coming from location info stored remotely by Apple (and Google, etc.). They may have gotten that info from phones with gps previously on same network.

This makes it highly unlikely you have a iPad hardware problem.

An iPad is quite capable of communicating with iPhone via Bluetooth behind the scenes. As I have always had my iPhone nearby each time my iPad successfully identified location, am not 100% sure it didn’t (in some cases) get it from the iPhone’s gps (or even its cell connection) via Bluetooth. If it can do this, iphone and iPad must be on same Apple ID.

You might try a reset network settings. If not tried, also Setup and test the Find My app, to see if it shows the iPad location (together with locations of your iPhones that are on same Apple ID).

 

[hobro]

You might try a reset network settings. If not tried, also Setup and test the Find My app, to see if it shows the iPad location (together with locations of your iPhones that are on same Apple ID).

I went through the whole reset process (network, privacy, complete) twice with Apple - with the iPad I bought and the replacement I received after the first showed the very same problem.
The iPad does not show the location at our place - no matter whether it's connected to the WiFi network or a hotspot on my phone (the latter doesn't even work when walked 200m up and down the road). All computers in my network - WiFi only - show the location perfectly.

 

[Richard8655]

The interesting thing I discovered (although it may not help the issue here) is that non-cellular iPads can determine location without having a direct WiFi connection. Nearby WiFi networks apparently enable this ability. This, from an earlier discussion related to the Mini 5 and location.

So based on all this, the issue with this iPad 7 is perplexing. Although probably already done, I would again verify all location-related settings, including toggling off and on all switches and settings. Some may have been set incorrectly at set up time, or by default.

 

[brucemr]

Try a hard reboot on iPad (Hold both on off button and home button until see white Apple).

Try few more things on iPad...I would do a soft reboot after each...

Try turning off screen time. If already off, turn it on, the verify privacy and restrictions is off. Then turn screen time back off.

Try turn on airplane mode. Then do reboot. Then turn off airplane mode.


If above doesn’t work, try some things on router...I think I would “forget this network“ in iPad pad WiFi settings before doing these, then log back in on WiFi to test.

Try rebooting router by unplugging power, wait a minute, replug in. Do same at same time on modem if that is separate device.

Is router dual band (2.4 and 5Gz)? If so, connect to the other WiFi band and try.

Note: If your router is set up like many dual band routers are by default, you will see only 1 network on devices, because both have same outward facing SSID. In this case there are nevertheless actually 2 Networks. But you cannot tell which (2.4Gz or 5 GHz) your devices have chosen to connect to. But your iPad/router may have put you on the one that your other devices have never used (and therefore the internet servers don’t know where it is). Only way to be sure is to go into router settings and set different SSID name for each netwpork (2.4Gz and 5Gz)..you can use same password for both no problem. After you do that, you will never have any doubt which network each of your devices is on.
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The interesting thing I discovered (although it may not help the issue here) is that non-cellular iPads can determine location without having a direct WiFi connection. Nearby WiFi networks apparently enable this ability. This, from an earlier discussion related to the Mini 5 and location.

So based on all this, the issue with this iPad 7 is perplexing. Although probably already done, I would again verify all location-related settings, including toggling off and on all switches and settings. Some may have been set incorrectly at set up time, or by default.

WiFi only iPad will track you all over the place. If you turn off cellular on iPhone, it will do same. Anytime your iPad or iphone get the slightest smell of a signal from any WiFi network that the internet location services already has a location stored on. Not a new thing...10 years ago.

 

[Richard8655]

WiFi only iPad will track you all over the place. If you turn off cellular on iPhone, it will do same. Anytime your iPad or iphone get the slightest smell of a signal from any WiFi network that the internet location services already has a location stored on. Not a new thing...10 years ago.

Not new, but probably to many it is. I think GPS is often assumed to be necessary for location tracking. But good to share this here.

 

[hobro]

Thanks to the replies. As already mentioned: It happens with two (!) iPads and it doesn't matter whether the iPad is connect to 2.4GHZ or 5GHZ network or my iPhone (as a hotspot). Also: I went through all the (partial and full) reset procedures with an Apple technician (on the phone for almost 2 hours and remote access). Nothing helped.

Update: I haven't changed anything on the iPad (not even a software update) nor have I changed anything on my network infrastructure. After about 3 weeks of laying around, the iPad now finds the location. Problem magically solved, but I have absolutely no explanation for that