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Comeagain?

macrumors 68020
Feb 17, 2011
2,190
46
Spokane, WA
To calibrate your compass.

Sorry...had to. It just means the compass will be more accurate. Turn it off if you don't use the compass as much.
 

Lukeyy19

macrumors 6502a
Feb 16, 2010
771
3
England, UK
in the Maps app tap the Location button with the little arrow on it twice, and with the compass your map will turn to face where you are facing.

if you turn compass calibration off, it won't do this, and that setting it will only be used when you have to calibrate the compass, so if you don't calibrate the compass, it will never do anything anyway, so what's the point in turning it off, just means if you do need to use the compass, you'll have to turn it back on again.
 

louis0nfire

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 22, 2008
300
7
Okay, what about diagnostics and usage? That won't affect anything if I turn it off right?
 

Rubo Draco

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2011
151
1
The only thing I keep On is the Cell Network Search
so when I take a Photo they are organized by Places in Photos app
 

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,838
6,339
Canada
Okay, what about diagnostics and usage? That won't affect anything if I turn it off right?

Those are useful to have logged and monitor: battery usage and Diagnostics if something goes wrong with your phone.

Do turn off automatic sending of Diagnostic and Usage data - that will help stop needless battery drain, Settings -> General -> About > Diagnostic & Usage. Over on apple discussions, people have found this quite a battery drain ( the Apple server being overwelmed and the iPhone keeps trying and trying to send its data... )
 
Last edited:

kas23

macrumors 603
Oct 28, 2007
5,629
288
I believe Traffic, Diagnostics & Usage, and Cell Network Search are for crowd-sourced data. They do not effect how your iPhone works, but just provides Apple with a bunch of data about how the iPhone is used, exactly where it is used, and when it is used.

I am unsure exactly what Compass Calibration does. I woke up today with an arrow on my iPhone. I looked in System Services and my Compass Calibration was being used. Why exactly was this being used right when I woke up? I wasn't using my compass or any app that uses the compass (unless my alarm clock does). Needless to say, I shut it off. And my compass feature within the Maps app still works.

iAds and Time Zone are self-explanatory.

Since Apple gives us the option to turn these features on/off, I wish they were more transparent in what exactly these options do.

The only thing I keep On is the Cell Network Search
so when I take a Photo they are organized by Places in Photos app

What exactly leads you to believe that having Location Services marked "on" for your Camera app doesn't already accomplish this function?
 

Rubo Draco

macrumors regular
Sep 21, 2011
151
1
What exactly leads you to believe that having Location Services marked "on" for your Camera app doesn't already accomplish this function?

Camera uses 3 things to determine where you are...
- 3G connection
- WiFi connection
- Cell network antenas

even tho my device is a 3G iPad, I never use it (3G slot has always been empty)... when I'm on the street and I'm not under a WiFi connection, the only thing I can use to make the camera locate me are the Cell Network Antenas
 

yeah

macrumors 6502a
Jul 12, 2011
978
291
I believe Traffic, Diagnostics & Usage, and Cell Network Search are for crowd-sourced data. They do not effect how your iPhone works, but just provides Apple with a bunch of data about how the iPhone is used, exactly where it is used, and when it is used.

I am unsure exactly what Compass Calibration does. I woke up today with an arrow on my iPhone. I looked in System Services and my Compass Calibration was being used. Why exactly was this being used right when I woke up? I wasn't using my compass or any app that uses the compass (unless my alarm clock does). Needless to say, I shut it off. And my compass feature within the Maps app still works.

iAds and Time Zone are self-explanatory.

Since Apple gives us the option to turn these features on/off, I wish they were more transparent in what exactly these options do.



What exactly leads you to believe that having Location Services marked "on" for your Camera app doesn't already accomplish this function?

I'm going to answer your "compass" question. That feature is for an accurate compass using your 3G/WiFi network. It does need some juice because it's always calibrating (resetting) your compass to comply with true north or magnetic north.
 

tivoboy

macrumors 68040
May 15, 2005
3,978
791
not sure

The only thing I keep On is the Cell Network Search
so when I take a Photo they are organized by Places in Photos app

I dont think this is the setting which enables that. I have this setting off, and many others and yet the images from the camera show up fine in camera roll and in iphoto in places
 
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domdreah

macrumors newbie
May 27, 2019
1
0
if you turn compass calibration off, it won't do this, and that setting it will only be used when you have to calibrate the compass, so if you don't calibrate the compass, it will never do anything anyway, so what's the point in turning it off, just means if you do need to use the compass, you'll have to turn it back on again.

Not true I haven’t used my maps or any app needing compas calibration in the last few days and the setting has a purple filled arrow(meaning that it recently has used my location) in front of it, and just before I started typing it had a grey filled in arrow(meaning it used my location in the last 24 hours) in front of it.

Which means that the ‘compass and calibration’ service uses your location whether your using maps or not. Why and how much it uses it I’m unsure but I’m turning mine off u til further notice.
 
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