iOS Unreliable Location Permission Alert

Question

In our app we ask for location permission (WhenInUse) on one view that is used to display a map.

If the user choses to disable device location service (ie globally disabled in device settings) and then opens our view in the app, the location permission popup will show. Rinse repeat a few times (turn service back on, go on app, leave app, turn service off, etc.) and after a few times the location permission alert will stop showing.

Anyone know if this is a bug in iOS (happens on iOS 10)?

We could use our own alert that shows when

CLLocationManager locationServicesEnabled = NO

but since we have no control about if/when the iOS location alert pops up, it sometimes happens that they both would show at the same time which is bad UX.

Any known solution to the problem? I have to explain to our QA and manager if this is a bug in iOS.

EDIT:

- (BOOL)negotiateLocationServicePermission:(UIViewController *)context
{
    /* Device location service is enabled. */
    if ([CLLocationManager locationServicesEnabled])
    {
        /* App location service is already authorized. */
        if ([CLLocationManager authorizationStatus] == kCLAuthorizationStatusAuthorizedWhenInUse
            || [CLLocationManager authorizationStatus] == kCLAuthorizationStatusAuthorizedAlways)
        {
            /* App location service is authorized. Start location updates ... */
            [self startUpdatingLocation];
            return YES;
        }
        else
        {
            /* App location service not yet authorized and status is not determined (aka: first time asking for permission). */
            if ([CLLocationManager authorizationStatus] == kCLAuthorizationStatusNotDetermined)
            {
                /* Request the location permission from the user. */
                if ([self respondsToSelector:@selector(requestWhenInUseAuthorization)])
                    [self requestWhenInUseAuthorization]; /* iOS 8+ */
                else
                    [self startUpdatingLocation]; /* iOS 7 */
                return YES;
            }
            /* App location service not authorized and previously denied. */
            else
            {
                /* App location service permission was denied before. */
                // Show custom alert!
                return NO;
            }
        }
    }
    /* Device location service is disabled. */
    else
    {
        // Show custom alert!
        return NO;
    }
}

Answer 1

I don't think this is a bug, this is different AlertView.

If the user accept the location permission once, it's saved, it won't ask him again. But if the location service is disabled, this is a different case scenario.

You can implement it this way :

if ([CLLocationManager locationServicesEnabled]){

    NSLog(@"Location Services Enabled");

    if ([CLLocationManager authorizationStatus]==kCLAuthorizationStatusDenied){
        alert = [[UIAlertView alloc] initWithTitle:@"App Permission Denied"     
                                           message:@"To re-enable, please go to Settings and turn on Location Service for this app." 
                                          delegate:nil 
                                 cancelButtonTitle:@"OK" 
                                 otherButtonTitles:nil];
        [alert show];
    }
}

So if the user disables the location service from the Settings, the alert view can make a redirection to the Settings page.

This way multiple AlertViews won't show up. It just depends how you want to handle every case scenario like :

• Location service enabled in Settings but permission denied for this App
• Location service enabled in Settings and authorized permission
• Location service disabled in Settings

Make sure you handle every case, and test it out.

I don't know if I answered your question precisely, I hope it will help for your implementation.

Answer 2

If I remember correctly, the iOS dialog is only issued when authorizationStatus is undetermined . if the status is denied (when only the specific app is denied or the entire location service is disabled) you need to issue your own dialog with a deep link to settings