iPad The big mystery: Wifi and cellular turned off – iPad still finds location

[Silly John Fatty]

Who can solve this mystery?

My iPad is the first iPad Air in the cellular edition. But I actually only use it with wifi, in fact I don't even have a SIM card installed. Today I went for a ride to take some pictures. In the gallery I later noticed that all the photos are display the correct location of where the pictures have been taken.

I then noticed it did that for other photos I've taken too. But how is that possible? When I take my iPad with me to take pictures etc. I never have wifi and also don't have any SIM card either.

I've searched about this already and some other users have createdmsimilar threads around the web, but nobody could really deliver an answer.

 

[aristobrat]

The cellular iPads have GPS built-in to them.

WiFi and cellular can help the iPad more quickly figure out where it's at, but they're not required in order for the GPS to eventually be able to determine the location (using signals from the GPS satellites, like how traditional car GPS units work without WiFi or cellular).

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If you wanted further confirmation, check out Apple's page below, and look for the Location section:
http://www.apple.com/ipad-air/specs/

It lists "Assisted GPS and GLONASS".

Assisted GPS is where the cellular and WiFi come into play.
GLONASS is the satellite system that it uses.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

But what is it for? I mean, I tried to search the iPad with turned off wifi / cellular (with "Find my iPad") but it didn't appear. But when it comes to photos it does save the location. That's weird priorities! Haha

 

[Gav2k]

But what is it for? I mean, I tried to search the iPad with turned off wifi / cellular (with "Find my iPad") but it didn't appear. But when it comes to photos it does save the location. That's weird priorities! Haha

You need a data connection for your iPad to be found hence why it won't show on fmi. However unless you put your iPad in airplane mode the gps chip is still active and geotagging your location in photos will be enabled by default.

 

[Silly John Fatty]

I see, but it's sort of weird isn't it. I mean what's more important, finding your iPad when it was stolen/lost, or your pictures appearing correctly on the map.

 

[Gav2k]

I see, but it's sort of weird isn't it. I mean what's more important, finding your iPad when it was stolen/lost, or your pictures appearing correctly on the map.

Then leave wifi switched on.....lol

 

[JoEw]

I see, but it's sort of weird isn't it. I mean what's more important, finding your iPad when it was stolen/lost, or your pictures appearing correctly on the map.

There is no way to the iPad to communicate to Find my iPhone with just GPS, GPS lacks data communication ability it just can talk to satellites to pinpoint location.

 

[rigormortis]

f you install a sim card, like t-mobiles offer of free 200 mb of hotspot data.
turn off everything for cellular, because you only have 200 mb! but keep
find my iPhone on. it stands a pretty good chance of being found
the chances of getting back a lost iPad are millions times better then a wifi one

also , i would like to point out, is if you disable control center access from the lock screen, you can't turn off the cellular connection without entering your passcode

furthermore, siri will not turn off cellular, you can tell siri to turn off wifi and bluetooth all you want, but you can never tell siri to turn off cellular, you can never tell siri to enter airplane mode, she won't do it

go to the t-mo store or go to amazon, pick up a tmo sim, you might have to pay up to $15 for a sim card, stick it in your iPad and sign up for their 200 mb free plan.

there is no other monthly fees for the 200mb

if you use up all 200 mb , your data runs out till the next month

if your iPad gets lost, and you have no data left, you can add data to the plan
and your data will come back using t-mobile's iPad website



also worth pointing out is for $20 a month you get "data stash" starting in janaury where unused data is rolled into the next month

another benefit of the $20 1 gig plan is free unlimited music streaming to 27 music providers.

any streaming music does not go against your data allowance.

its just like the $50 phone deal, except on an iPad its only $20

im not so sure if we get 10 gigs of free data into our data stash like john legere said. I'm waiting to find out on that one

 

[aristobrat]

I see, but it's sort of weird isn't it. I mean what's more important, finding your iPad when it was stolen/lost, or your pictures appearing correctly on the map.

Hmm, to me, it's a matter of "what's possible" vs. "what's more important".

In order to find a stolen or lost iPad, two steps are required:
1) the iPad has to know its location
2) the iPad has to transmit its location <thru the Internet> back to Apple

As you've discovered, step 1 works even if the iPad has no ability to use Wi-Fi or cellular data. This is great for tagging your pictures.

However, step 2 (as important as it is) is impossible if your iPad doesn't have an Internet connection.

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f you install a sim card, like t-mobiles offer of free 200 mb of hotspot data.

Based on what the OP has for his Location, it looks like he lives in Austria. I think it's only T-Mobile in the US that offers the free hotspot data.

 

[rigormortis]

[/COLOR]
Based on what the OP has for his Location, it looks like he lives in Austria. I think it's only T-Mobile in the US that offers the free hotspot data. [/QUOTE]

oh rats ! i didn't see if he was in the united states or not

well anyway get a cellular plan. i mean if your iPad gets lost and its just a wifi iPad. your not getting it back. if you lock your iPad, which i am sure every one of us does, it will not connect to any wifi networks ---- unless it already connected to before.

meaning if gets stolen by your friend and its at your friends house and you came over and connected to his wifi once, it will be located and found

if it gets lost and there are no wifi networks around that it already knows about, then its never coming back or even responding to apple's lost request.

and with wifi, the location you get back is a random guess based on apple's best information.

it can't even connect to starbucks or mcdonalds free wifi hotspots , because it can't click on "i agree"

 

[Silly John Fatty]

Yeah I don't think they have this plan over here, but I get your idea and it's pretty smart! But then again, the chances of my iPad being stolen over here is I think very very small

I actually planed to get a SIM Card too at some point, with a real plan, that's why I bought the cellular version. More for like when I am further away from home, in another Bundesland or somewhere else in Europe. I always turn off the cellular on my iPhone (for health reasons, although I have 6 GB I think) so I wouldn't use it much on the iPad either. Wifi is less harmful as far as this goes. But if I got this correctly, even if it's turned off, I could spot the iPad.

There is no way to the iPad to communicate to Find my iPhone with just GPS, GPS lacks data communication ability it just can talk to satellites to pinpoint location.

I see, it makes sense now!

 

[Mildredop]

There is no way to the iPad to communicate to Find my iPhone with just GPS, GPS lacks data communication ability it just can talk to satellites to pinpoint location.

It doesn't talk to satellites, it only 'listens'.