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imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
Maybe some can help me?

My GEO FENCE reminders have NOT worked reliably for years... I really do want to use reminders as my "go to" app, but the lack of reliable "arrive / leave" notifications is just too bad.

I have reset Privacy settings, and tried many little things, but FAIL.

Recently, I even got a new iPhone 6s Plus (empty 10.0.1), and with only the basic new software (clean phone), it didn't remind me about arriving, nor leaving. It used to use HALF the TIME on my old iPhone & 9.3.5

Anyone else having this problem?

Would love to solve this GEO-FENCE problem, and use the Reminders app.

IAN :)
 

stephen1108

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2007
1,105
357
This is a problem I've experienced myself on my old iPhone and my new one... Maybe I'm not reminding the right way lol.

Mind you, I set up all my new phones as new, not restoring from a potential corrupt backup.
 

imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
This is a problem I've experienced myself on my old iPhone and my new one... Maybe I'm not reminding the right way lol.

Mind you, I set up all my new phones as new, not restoring from a potential corrupt backup.

Thanks for posting your feedback.

I see that you setup your new iPhones as NEW, so there is no point in me spending "days" to setup my phone as new (and reinstall & tweak everything) to try and troubleshoot the issue.

Is it me, or does this feature have to work 95% (at least, if not 100%) of the time for it to be VALUABLE to us?

IAN :)
 

eagleglen

macrumors 65816
Oct 2, 2009
1,127
309
Phoenix, AZ
I've used geo reminders on my 6s Plus and they worked well. I've used them to remind me of things when I arrive home and when I leave, where 'home' is set by my profile in the contacts app. I've also set them for arriving a certain stores, where the store location was found by search for the store's name, not by entering the address. Other than ensuring location services is on, I'm not sure there is much that can be adjusted. Sometimes Apple features do not 'just work', like handoff and airdrop occasionally, but they have gotten better recently.
 

imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
I just wish MY geo-fenced reminders worked half the time.... So sad that Apple can't fix this stuff.
 

stephen1108

macrumors 65816
Sep 30, 2007
1,105
357
There are several times when I tell it to remind me when I arrive at "Work"... my word address is set.

Yet I've arrived at work, EVERY TIME, and it hasn't worked. I know they USED to work consistently, but since I don't use it often I can't pinpoint when it stopped working.
 

Ntombi

macrumors 68040
Jul 1, 2008
3,822
1,636
Bostonian exiled in SoCal
Mine works like 90-95% of the time. I have a permanent reminder set for when I go to a specific restaurant (I often forget to tell them to skip the cilantro in my pho, thus ruining my lunch!), and I use it to remind me of topics for my doctor or errands or whatever.

It worked on my 6, and it works on my 7, which was restored from a backup.
 
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imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
So what have we learned so far. It appears to work for some people, not for others. Some people it works 90-95% of the time.

Others have started with a "new" phone setup, while others are restoring a backup, and the issue still exists.

Hmmmm, personally, I have some of the items in Privacy settings "turned off", and I have reset Privacy Settings, to no avail.

I wish Apple would fix the issue...

Does anyone have any clues as to WHAT to try next?
 

Daranx

macrumors regular
Sep 16, 2016
218
72
London
I'm probably not going to be much help as I haven't really used this feature properly but I have a few ideas:
Have you got Frequent Locations turned on? If so, how long have you had it turned on? Does it have all the relevant locations (home, work, etc) stored accurately? If you have set up a phone from new, it could be possible that the phone is still 'learning' your favoured locations and may need a few more days/trips to calibrate itself.

What other system location services do you have turned on (or off)? Maybe some of these help to 'locate' you for more accurate triggering of reminders?

Do you keep wi-fi switched on all day? Does connecting to a particular wifi signal help triggering geo-fenced locations?
 

imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
Does ANYONE have geo-fenced (location based) reminders working 100%?

Is there another APP that works 100% of the time that I could install. If I use a location based reminder, I need it to work perfectly.

Thanks for any replies, IAN.
 

Nikhil72

macrumors 68000
Oct 21, 2005
1,620
1,462
Works flawlessly for me in Manhattan and has for years. In privacy, location settings, system settings do you have the location alert toggle enabled?

I rely on it all the time and have never been disappointed by it.

Edit--I leave wifi and cellular on all the time if that's anything.
 
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imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
Thanks of the reply. I have all the settings in Location Service turned on. For me it has never worked consistently, even last week when I picked up a new iPhone (I tested it, and it didn't work).

Even on an empty, new, clean, fresh iPhone it didn't work, so I am really stumped.
 

now i see it

macrumors G4
Jan 2, 2002
11,247
24,263
Since it doesn't work and never has worked 100% reliably for anyone, it's worthless. Fakeware. What good is a reminder app that frequently "forgets" to remind you?
 

imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
I wonder if anyone has used an alternative app that works 100% of the time (for location, geo-fence based reminders)....?
 

nathanalf

macrumors regular
Mar 13, 2014
164
40
Wisconsin
Works flawlessly for me in Manhattan and has for years. In privacy, location settings, system settings do you have the location alert toggle enabled?

I rely on it all the time and have never been disappointed by it.

Edit--I leave wifi and cellular on all the time if that's anything.

Same here, been using it for years and have never noticed them misbehaving (except when I moved and telling siri to 'remind me at home' defaulted to my old address. Just edited my address and was good to go). Always have wifi + bluetooth on as well for reference...
 

imorton

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 21, 2010
275
22
Same here, been using it for years and have never noticed them misbehaving (except when I moved and telling siri to 'remind me at home' defaulted to my old address. Just edited my address and was good to go). Always have wifi + bluetooth on as well for reference...

That's what I don't understand... Some people have no problem with it... I am stumped :(
 

AlphaHumanus

macrumors 6502a
Feb 12, 2012
514
85
I can't recall having any issue with geofencing reminders, but I also haven't used it in a while. I'll set a few and test it out.

I've had a very similar problem with maps destinations, that seems to have worked itself out.
 
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