Maps & Location

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Learn how to integrate MapKit and Core Location to unlock the power of location-based features in your app.

Maps & Location Documentation

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The Example App for Monitoring Location Changes Doesn't Work
Downloaded example app from here Xcode version: Version 26.1.1 (17B100) Simulator iOS Version: 26.1 & 18.5 Set custom location in the simulator to the center of the condition being monitored in the example. The only log entry was "Setup Monitor". Tried a custom gpx starting at the same point and moving 500m away. Same logs. Didn't change any of the source code, granted always permissions, allowed notifications, tapped "AddCircularGeographicCondition". Let me know if there is something I am missing or more information I can provide.
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Jan ’26
iOS suspends app after BLE discovery even though I start Always-authorized location udpates (Target deployment: 16.3+)
I’m hitting a specific edge case with background execution that I can’t figure out. I'm using Flutter for the UI, but all the logic handles are in Swift using CoreBluetooth and CoreLocation. I need the app to wake up from a suspended state when it detects my specific BLE peripheral (OBD sensor), connect to it, and immediately start continuous location tracking for the duration of the drive. If I start this process while the app is in the foreground, or very shortly after going to BG, it works perfectly. The app stays alive for the whole trip. The issue only happens when the sequence starts from the background: The app is suspended. scanForPeripherals wakes the app when the sensor is found. In didDiscover, I immediately call locationManager.startUpdatingLocation(). locationd actually delivers updates successfully. However, 5-15 minutes later, iOS suspends the app again. Crucially, I never see the blue "Location In Use" pill on the status bar, even though I have showsBackgroundLocationIndicator = true set. Also, distance filter is set to None. Logs for reference (around suspending) locationd: {"msg":"Sending location to client","Client":"[appName]:","desiredAccuracy":"-1.000000"} runningboardd: Invalidating assertion ... from originator \\\[osservice<com.apple.bluetoothd>:...\\\] runningboardd: Removed last relative-start-date-defining assertion for process app<[appName]...> runningboardd: Calculated state ... running-suspended runningboardd: Suspending task locationd: Client [appName]: disconnected bluetoothd: State of application "[appName]" is now "suspended" Questions Why does invalidating the Bluetooth assertion cause an immediate suspend even though I called startUpdatingLocation() and am receiving updates? Does the missing blue location pill imply that the OS never fully "accepted" the location session? Is there a specific "handshake" required to transition from a BLE wake-up to a long-running location session? I'm wondering if I need to use a background task identifier to bridge the gap between the BLE wake and the location manager taking over. More context: Digging deeper in the comments, I just noticed the following patterns when the application is not suspended vs when it is recently suspended and got awaken by a BLE event. Not suspended: 303948:Jan 23 20:59:35.640118 locationd[6491] <Debug>: {"msg":"Client is setting ContinuousBackgroundLocationRequested", "Client":"[appName]:", "ContinuousBackgroundLocationRequested":1} 303949:Jan 23 20:59:35.640155 locationd[6491] <Debug>: {"msg":"Allowing process assertion due to foreground-ish status", "ClientKeyPath":"[appName]:"} Recently suspended and awaken by BLE: 564296:Jan 23 21:00:23.179125 locationd[6491] <Debug>: {"msg":"Client is setting ContinuousBackgroundLocationRequested", "Client":"[appName]:", "ContinuousBackgroundLocationRequested":1} 564298:Jan 23 21:00:23.179195 locationd[6491] <Notice>: {"msg":"#Warning Denying process assertion", "ClientKeyPath":"[appName]:"} The assertion fails for the second case and that's why the app could not persist. Most importantly, following the logs in the second case, I see the following: locationd[6491] <Notice>: {"msg":"computing freshAuthorizationContext", "Client":"[appName]:", "ClientDictionary":"{\n AlwaysServiceSession = 0;\n I suspect that the flag AlwaysServiceSession being 0 has to do with process assertion being denied for location.
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167
Jan ’26
why mapkit js does not have LookAroundSceneRequest
I want to update coordinate of the lookaround instance object. But mapkit.js does not have LookAroundSceneRequest class, how am I going to do. In swift, there is MKLookAroundSceneRequest class, you can specify a new coordinate with this class, to get a new LookAroundScene object, then attach new LookAroundScene to the existing lookAround object, But how am I going to do the same with mapkit.js ?? it missing LookAroundSceneRequest class in js
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Jan ’26
Scene-based Launch Detection
Our app supports UIScene. As a result, launchOptions in application(_:didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:) is always nil. However, the documentation mentions that UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey.location should be present when the app is launched due to a location event. Given that our app is scene-based: How can we reliably determine whether the app was launched due to a location update, geofence, or significant location change? Is there a recommended pattern or API to detect this scenario in a Scene-based app lifecycle? This information is critical for us to correctly initialize location-related logic on launch. Relevant documentation: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/corelocation/cllocationmanager/startmonitoringsignificantlocationchanges()
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Does anyone know how to achieve this custom MKAnnotation?
I’ve notice that in Maps, some pins contain images and do not have the little triangle at the bottom of it, yet they still animate the same when clicked. How could this be achieved? I believe the name of this annotation is MKMapFeatureAnnotation. I've tried this and it did not give the same result. I'm able to create a custom MKMarkerAnnotationView but it does not animate the same (balloon animation like the MKMapFeatureAnnotation). I was looking forward to create a custom MKMapFeatureAnnotation similar in design which would animate the same. Unfortunately, I cannot create a custom MKMapFeatureAnnotation because everything is privated
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Does Showing User's Current Location on the Map Require 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription'?
I have a desktop application that shows some real estate properties chosen by the user. The application shows those GPP locations on the map. The SwiftUI code is something like the following. import SwiftUI import MapKit struct ContentView: View { var body: some View ZStack { mapView } } private var mapView: some View { Map(position: $propertyViewModel.mapPosition) { ForEach(propertyViewModel.properties) { property in Annotation("", coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: property.lat, longitude: property.lon)) { Button { } label: { VStack { Image(systemName: "house.circle.fill") .resizable() .scaledToFit() .frame(width: 48) .foregroundStyle(colorScheme == .light ? .white : .black) ... } } .buttonStyle(.borderless) } } UserAnnotation() } .mapControls { MapUserLocationButton() } .mapControlVisibility(.visible) .onAppear { CLLocationManager().requestWhenInUseAuthorization() } } } The application only wants to use the CLLocationManager class so that it can show those locations on the map relative to your current GPS position. And I'm hit with two review rejections. Guideline 5.1.1 - Legal - Privacy - Data Collection and Storage Issue Description One or more purpose strings in the app do not sufficiently explain the use of protected resources. Purpose strings must clearly and completely describe the app's use of data and, in most cases, provide an example of how the data will be used. Guideline 5.1.5 - Legal - Privacy - Location Services The app uses location data for features that are not relevant to a user's location. Specifically, the app is not functional when Location Services are disabled. So I wonder if the application is even required to have 'NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription' and/or 'NSLocationUsageDescription'? just in order to show user's current location so that they can see property locations relative to it? The exact location privacy statement is the following. The application needs your permission in accessing your current location so that it will appear on the map
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iBeacon Monitoring in Flutter App: Background Wake-Up from Killed State, Time Limits for BLE, and Handling Multiple Regions/Identifiers
Hello Apple Developer Community, I'm developing a cross-platform app using Flutter and the flutter_beacon library to handle iBeacon detection on iOS. My goal is to wake up the app in the background when it's in a killed/terminated state upon entering/exiting beacon regions, allowing for BLE communication (e.g., ranging or connecting to beacons). I've configured the necessary Info.plist keys for always location access and background location modes, and it works partially for single regions, but I have some specific questions/issues regarding reliability and limitations: Background Execution Time After Wake-Up: When the app is woken in the background by a region monitoring event (enter/exit) from a killed state, approximately how much time (in seconds) does iOS allocate for the app to run before suspending it again? Is this sufficient for performing BLE operations like ranging beacons or establishing a short connection, or are there stricter limits in terminated wake-ups compared to standard background modes? Monitoring Multiple iBeacons with Unique Identifiers: I need to monitor multiple iBeacon devices, each with potentially different UUIDs, majors, and minors. Can I add and monitor up to 20 regions simultaneously, each with a unique string identifier? If multiple beacons (from different regions) enter their respective ranges at around the same time, will the app receive separate callbacks for each region/identifier, or is there coalescing/prioritization that might cause only the last-added identifier to trigger notifications/events? Reliability in Killed State: In a fully killed state (e.g., force-quit via app switcher), does iOS reliably relaunch the app in the background for region monitoring events? Are there any known caveats, such as requiring specific hardware (e.g., iPhone models with certain Bluetooth chips) or iOS versions (targeting iOS 14+), and how does this interact with Flutter's background execution handling via the flutter_beacon library?
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2w
Disable userLocationAnnotation bubble
Hello, thanks for your effort! I found that when showsUserLocation is set to true (by default), the pulsing blue dot user location annotation is shown, which is cool and beautiful. However, it will automatically and periodically attempt to call the Apple Server API GET https://api.apple-mapkit.com/v1/reverseGeocode within userLocationDidChange() and updateUserLocationAnnotation() to display, I assume, the user's current address when single-tapping on the blue dot. It will significantly use the MapKit service calls quota since the user location is automatically updated. It almost runs out of quota even though the map initialization is plenty enough. Is there any way to disable the bubble behavior but preserve the user location blue dot, which is lovely and better than drawing my own user location dot? It seems I can only turn off all user location features. Many thanks!
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Background execution window after CLBeaconRegion wake from terminated state
Hello, I am using CLLocationManager to monitor multiple CLBeaconRegion instances (up to 20). When the app is terminated by the system (not force-quit) and a region enter event occurs, the app is relaunched in the background. I have two questions: What is the expected execution time window after relaunch before the app is suspended again? Is it supported to start short CoreBluetooth operations (e.g., scanning or connecting briefly) within this window? I understand that force-quitting the app disables background relaunch, so this question applies only to system-terminated apps.
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iOS | 26.3 specific | Google Map hang issue
iOS | 26.3 specific | Google Map hangs after sharing the location to other app which open the location in new app Device: iPhone 13 Pro Max
iOS Version: iOS 26.3
Google Maps Version: 26.08.2 Steps to Reproduce: Open Google Maps. Select any location Tap Share. Share the location to another app (e.g., navigation app, co - pilot or any third party apps). Return to Google Maps. Expected Result:
Google Maps should continue functioning normally. Actual Result:
Google Maps becomes unresponsive and hangs.
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`MKLocalSearchRequest` change in behavior
aka MKLocalSearch.Request in Swift. Today my users reported that our address auto-complete functionality was returning strange results. We narrowed the issue down to pointOfInterestFilter being set. Sample code below: MKLocalSearchRequest *request = [[MKLocalSearchRequest alloc] init]; request.region = self.region; request.naturalLanguageQuery = addressString; request.resultTypes = MKLocalSearchResultTypeAddress; request.pointOfInterestFilter = [MKPointOfInterestFilter filterIncludingAllCategories]; That last line is the problem. When I stopped setting request.pointOfInterestFilter the MKLocalSearch started working as it always had. To further hammer home the point, with request.pointOfInterestFilter unset I set resultTypes to MKLocalSearchCompleterResultTypePointOfInterest (aka .pointOfInterest) and the issue returned. It seems Apple made a change on their backend recently such that pointOfInterestFilter now overrides resultTypes.
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MKDirections returns "Directions Not Available" when A and B are outside mainland China (e.g. Tokyo–Osaka)
I use MapKit and MKDirections for driving directions. The error "Directions Not Available" appears when the two points (A and B) are outside mainland China (e.g. Tokyo → Osaka). For routes inside China (e.g. Shanghai → Beijing), the same code works. let req = MKDirections.Request() req.source = MKMapItem(placemark: MKPlacemark(coordinate: origin)) req.destination = MKMapItem(placemark: MKPlacemark(coordinate: destination)) req.transportType = .automobile MKDirections(request: req).calculate { response, error in // Tokyo–Osaka (outside China): "Directions Not Available" // Shanghai–Beijing (inside China): works } Questions: Is MKDirections intended to support only routes within the device’s region (e.g. China)? When A/B are abroad, is "Directions Not Available" expected? Is this documented? For cross-country or overseas routes (e.g. Tokyo–Osaka), what is the recommended approach—third-party routing API + drawing on MapKit? Thanks.
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MapKit Snapshot API returning blank dark blue images — started today
Issue: MapKit Snapshot API returning blank dark blue images instead of satellite tiles as of March 4, 2026. This is affecting production and we need urgent assistance. Endpoint: snapshot.apple-mapkit.com/api/v1/snapshot Symptoms: HTTP 200 response with a valid image file, but image is a solid dark navy frame with only the Apple Maps watermark — no satellite data. Occasionally a correct satellite image is returned, but the vast majority are blank. Parameters: t=satellite, 640x640. Confirmed not caused by code changes (none made), auth errors or rate limiting (status is 200), or an invalid image format (image is well-formed, just blank). API keys have been rotated and the issue persists. The intermittent correct responses suggest a backend tile-serving issue on Apple's side rather than anything client-related. Started: March 4, 2026. Same requests that worked prior to this date now consistently fail. Please see the attached sample images for reference. ASAP resolution is appreciated as this is actively impacting production. Thanks, Tristan
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UIKit mapView color annotations
I have tried to make colored annotations in mapView (shown in the commented sections) but they always appear in black. Any help would be appreciated. func mapView(_ mapView: MKMapView, viewFor annotation: MKAnnotation) -> MKAnnotationView? { let annotationView = MKAnnotationView(annotation: annotation, reuseIdentifier: "TempAnnotationView") annotationView.canShowCallout = true annotationView.rightCalloutAccessoryView = UIButton(type: .detailDisclosure) let configuration = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(pointSize: 10, weight: .thin, scale: .default) if annotation.title == "Start" { // let config = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration.preferringMulticolor() // let image = UIImage(systemName: "flag.fill", withConfiguration: config) // // palette // let config2 = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(paletteColors: [.systemRed, .systemGreen, .systemBlue]) // let image2 = UIImage(systemName: "person.3.sequence.fill", withConfiguration: config2) // // hierarchical symbols // let config3 = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(hierarchicalColor: .systemIndigo) // let image3 = UIImage(systemName: "square.stack.3d.down.right.fill", withConfiguration: config3) // // color // let image4 = UIImage(systemName: "cone.fill")?.withTintColor(.systemRed, renderingMode: .alwaysTemplate) // annotationView.image = image4 annotationView.image = UIImage(systemName: "poweron", withConfiguration: configuration) } return annotationView }
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Apr ’25
CLMonitor related crash - EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Hello I started using CLMonitor on my App, and I am noticing the following crash on Xcode Organizer for dozens of my app users: Exception Subtype: KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000001 Exception Codes: 0x0000000000000001, 0x0000000000000001 VM Region Info: 0x1 is not in any region. Bytes before following region: …………. REGION TYPE START - END [ VSIZE] PRT/MAX SHRMOD REGION DETAIL UNUSED SPACE AT START ---> __TEXT ………-…….. [ 176K] r-x/r-x SM=COW /var/containers/Bundle/Application/.........../MyApp Termination Reason: SIGNAL 11 Segmentation fault: 11 Terminating Process: exc handler […..] Thread 4 name: Thread 4 Crashed: 0 libswiftCoreLocation.dylib 0x000000021680b4c8 @objc completion handler block implementation for @escaping @callee_unowned @convention(block) (@unowned CLMonitor) -> () with result type CLMonitor + 44 (<compiler-generated>:0) 1 CoreLocation 0x0000000196cdddd4 __76-[CLMonitorConfiguration vendMonitorWithIdentityAndAuthorizationAttributes:]_block_invoke + 216 (CLMonitorConfiguration.m:195) 2 libdispatch.dylib 0x0000000191138370 _dispatch_call_block_and_release + 32 (init.c:1549) 3 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019113a0d0 _dispatch_client_callout + 20 (object.m:576) 4 libdispatch.dylib 0x00000001911416d8 _dispatch_lane_serial_drain + 744 (queue.c:3934) 5 libdispatch.dylib 0x00000001911421e0 _dispatch_lane_invoke + 380 (queue.c:4025) 6 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019114d258 _dispatch_root_queue_drain_deferred_wlh + 288 (queue.c:7193) 7 libdispatch.dylib 0x000000019114caa4 _dispatch_workloop_worker_thread + 540 (queue.c:6787) 8 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x0000000211933c7c _pthread_wqthread + 288 (pthread.c:2696) 9 libsystem_pthread.dylib 0x0000000211930488 start_wqthread + 8 Does anyone have similar issue when using CLMonitor? How can I debug / fix this issue? Is it an CLMonitor API bug? Should I file a bug report?
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911
Jun ’25
Background location updates stop in IOS 17+
I'm calling .startUpdatingLocation() from the background to detect user's location but the updates stop shortly after they start. The issue seem to also be discussed here: https://developer.apple.com/forums/thread/726945 I wonder if any solution has been found? This is a critical feature for our app. I have: kCLLocationAccuracyBestForNavigation allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates = true pausesLocationUpdatesAutomatically = false Location Updates in background modes distanceFilter not set or kCLDistanceFilterNone
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492
Mar ’25
CarPlay map view stops updating when iPhone screen turns off
Hello all, I have a food delivery app that I am beginning to implement CarPlay support in. Route picking, navigation, turn-by-turn guidance features all work perfectly on iPhone, and on CarPlay while the iPhone is unlocked, or locked but screen on. However, when the iPhone is locked and the screen is off, the CarPlay map view stops following the user's location and appears to be frozen. When this happens, the other "map buttons" that are part of the CPMapTemplate continue to accept user input (I can enter and exit the map panning mode for example), the user's location continues to update, and the turn-by-turn guidance continues as normal. It appears to be just the map view (which is drawn on the window and is not part of the CPMapTemplate) that stops updating in this state. I've been through every page of Apple documentation on CarPlay but nothing references or addresses how to keep the CarPlay session active while the iPhone is locked. I'm not sure where else to look for answers and I'm out of theories as to why this might happen. Any guidance around this would be greatly appreciated.
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127
Mar ’25
Background Modes - App Identifiers
Hey All, Seem to be in a loop and unable to proceed. New app specific for iOS being built on xCode. Project is configured only to deploy and use iOS, not macOS or anything else. Trying to create a new App iD always see it default to all platforms which means "Background Modes" is not visible or available. Automatic signing etc in xcode can't seem to get around this and just continues to flag I'm missing the entitlement for locations.background. Not sure what I am missing as I cannot manually configure the ID for iOS only and xcode is also generating new ID's with the same platform structure and constraints. Any thoughts or insights here please?
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192
Apr ’25
Issue with calculating the distance between two points on a map
I have an error issue that I haven’t been able to solve despite doing extensive research. In fact the similar examples I have found so far have been educational but I have not been able to make work. The example below I am hoping will be easy to fix as it is only producing errors with one line of code… import SwiftUI import CoreLocation var currentLon = Double() var currentLat = Double() extension CLLocation { class func distance(from: CLLocationCoordinate2D, to: CLLocationCoordinate2D) -> CLLocationDistance { let from = CLLocation(latitude: from.latitude, longitude: from.longitude) let to = CLLocation(latitude: to.latitude, longitude: to.longitude) return from.distance(from: to) } func locationManager(_ manager: CLLocationManager, didUpdateLocations locations: [CLLocation]) { currentLon = (locations.last?.coordinate.longitude)! currentLat = (locations.last?.coordinate.latitude)! }/*⚠️ Not sure if this function will work? (Update User Location coordinates on the move?)*/ } struct Positions: Identifiable { let id = UUID() let name: String let latitude: Double let longitude: Double var coordinate: CLLocationCoordinate2D { CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: latitude, longitude: longitude) } } struct GameMapView: View { let from = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: currentLon, longitude: currentLat) let to = CLLocationCoordinate2D(latitude: thisCardPositionLongitude, longitude: thisCardPositionLongitude) let distanceFrom = from.distance(from: to) /*⚠️ ERRORS: 1. Cannot use instance member 'from' within property initializer; property initializers run before 'self' is available. 2. Cannot use instance member 'to' within property initializer; property initializers run before 'self' is available. 3. Value of type 'CLLocationCoordinate2D' has no member 'distance'. */ @State private var region = MKCoordinateRegion( center: CLLocationCoordinate2D( latitude: thisCardPositionLatitude, longitude: thisCardPositionLongitude), span: MKCoordinateSpan( latitudeDelta: 0.0001, longitudeDelta: 0.0001) ) var body: some View { Map(coordinateRegion: $region, showsUserLocation: true, annotationItems: locations){ place in MapMarker(coordinate: place.coordinate,tint: Color.accentColor) } .edgesIgnoringSafeArea(.all) VStack { Print("Distance from Location: \(distanceFrom)") font(.largeTitle) padding() }
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158
Apr ’25