Daniel LO

Q: Compass calibration GPS usage everytime unlock phone!

Hi!

 

Here is what I found: everytime I unlock my iPhone 6s with ios 9.0.2 the location icon ALWAYS comes up. I went over and over in location services section and The compass calibration icon is marked. This happens every time...  Is This normal? Is this necessary? Do I really need to calibrate the compass even when not using it? I'm sure uses battery for something that I don't need every single time...

 

Many thanks in advance for your help!

 

 

 

 

and is the same everytime. image.png

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.0.2

Posted on Oct 11, 2015 10:15 AM

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Q: Compass calibration GPS usage everytime unlock phone!

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  • by Galrandil,

    Galrandil Galrandil Nov 12, 2015 9:40 AM in response to Daniel LO
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 12, 2015 9:40 AM in response to Daniel LO

    My 6S+ have the same behavior and sometimes it also seems to get stuck at "calibrating compass" for quite some time. I don't know if this action is actually draining the battery faster though.

    Anyway I found in another forum that someone already submitted this to apple and they replied:

    This issue behaves as intended based on the following:

     

    For the 6s/6s+ there is a new compass calibration algorithm that is always running on the motion coprocessor, so that is why you notice that the service is on frequently compared to older phone models. On older devices, the compass calibration service only ran when a client requested compass data. 

     

    However, this service does not turn on GPS, it simply uses GPS data when available (such as another app/service using location updates). Thanks for filing!

     

    We are now closing this bug report.

    It's still strange considering that it calibrate the compass everytime I turn on the screen or unlock the phone even if all the apps that use gps are closed.

  • by Daniel LO,

    Daniel LO Daniel LO Nov 12, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Galrandil
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 12, 2015 10:12 AM in response to Galrandil

    Hi

     

    Very helpful answer

     

    Thanks. I still there has to be the option and there is no need to do it all the time

  • by Vinoth S,

    Vinoth S Vinoth S Nov 18, 2015 12:46 PM in response to Daniel LO
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 18, 2015 12:46 PM in response to Daniel LO

    IT doesn't seems to be a problem friends!

    Read this

    http://iphone.appleinsider.com/articles/15/09/10/apples-efficient-m9-coprocessor -will-let-your-iphone-6s-track-pace-make…

     

    I tried the following and the compass calibration didn't use the location again. I don't know which one solved this!

    1) Disable show on Dashboard for all service in Health app

    2) Go to Privacy in Settings - and disable motion and fitness

    3) Disable Hey Siri also in Siri Settings

  • by aphonecom,

    aphonecom aphonecom Nov 18, 2015 2:16 PM in response to Vinoth S
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 18, 2015 2:16 PM in response to Vinoth S

    I just tried your three steps, and compass calibration still comes on for me

    I wonder what else we have different...

     

    This might indeed just be a feature of the new 6s, but it sure is an annoying one. I think I will just leave compass calibration off altogether for now. Rather not have the compass, than have my location services activated every time I touch the phone.

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 18, 2015 2:42 PM in response to Daniel LO
    Level 8 (38,236 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 18, 2015 2:42 PM in response to Daniel LO

    Daniel LO wrote:

     

    As some people say," it does not have a big impact in the battery". Well, if I wake up my phone 100 times a day as I might do, I'm sorry it does have an impact in the battery.

    No, it does not. If you activate it 100 times a day the energy used by the display for just one of those hundred is probably greater that 100 activations of Location Services.

  • by Vinoth S,

    Vinoth S Vinoth S Nov 18, 2015 11:38 PM in response to aphonecom
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 18, 2015 11:38 PM in response to aphonecom

    You are right Lawrence. It continues to me again after few minutes. Only Apple could solve the problem!!

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 19, 2015 2:57 AM in response to Vinoth S
    Level 8 (38,236 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 19, 2015 2:57 AM in response to Vinoth S

    As I said earlier, it isn't a problem. Apple won't fix it because it is working the way it was designed. Just forget it and enjoy your phone. It isn't hurting anything, and it enables lots of features of the phone that would not work without it.

  • by Vinoth S,

    Vinoth S Vinoth S Nov 19, 2015 3:16 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2015 3:16 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    If its not a bug then then compass calibration should stop using that location service when we disable using that service. Which service is using compass calibration location service? Why is it using unnecessary??

  • by Vinoth S,

    Vinoth S Vinoth S Nov 19, 2015 3:18 AM in response to Vinoth S
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2015 3:18 AM in response to Vinoth S

    I replied to aphonecom mistakenly typed as Lawrence!

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 19, 2015 3:25 AM in response to Vinoth S
    Level 8 (38,236 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 19, 2015 3:25 AM in response to Vinoth S

    The Location Services screen shows which functions are using it. And read the legend. A purple arrow does NOT mean the function is using location services; it means only that it has used it at some time in the past.

  • by Galrandil,

    Galrandil Galrandil Nov 19, 2015 4:13 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2015 4:13 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Lawrence, if there is an arrow on the status bar and in the exact same moment the only service with a purple arrow is "Compass Calibration", it IS definitely using Location Services in that moment. The point is that it is using LOCATION SERVICES but not directly the GPS. I think that the phone, once you wake it up, checks the GPS data previously collected by others application to calibrate the compass.

     

    I also noticed that when you are in a place where you can't get a strong GPS signal or you haven't used an app that actively uses the GPS for a while, sometimes you may notice that on the status bar the Location services icon may be constantly on. I suppose that is because some System Services (privacy->location services->system services) just get "stuck" at searching for GPS data which, in that moment, is not available, but as soon as you use Maps, for example, (or any other app that actively uses the GPS) they get the data they were looking for and, once you close Maps, in a few seconds the icon will disappear from the status bar.

     

    Btw I agree on the fact that the battery used for those services is negligible. I used the phone with Location Services completely disabled for a week and the battery life seems basically the same.

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 19, 2015 8:04 AM in response to Galrandil
    Level 8 (38,236 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 19, 2015 8:04 AM in response to Galrandil

    My location services arrow is on whenever I wake the phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 (366) days a year. And it stays on as long as the screen is open. My battery life is fine, so I don't care; I just ignore it. I just enjoy using the phone and don't obsess about it, or even think about it. If it gives someone pleasure to be obsessive about a non-issue, I say go for it. But I don't see the point.

  • by Galrandil,

    Galrandil Galrandil Nov 19, 2015 9:12 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2015 9:12 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Lawrence Finch wrote:

     

    My location services arrow is on whenever I wake the phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 (366) days a year. And it stays on as long as the screen is open.

    Well maybe THAT is actually a problem unless you deliberately chose to give every app the permission to use Location Services even if not active which has no sense.

    And btw noone is obsessing over something: when you buy a new car and while driving it you hear a noise that you didn't hear on your old car, it's pretty **** normal to start wondering what is causing it. And probably you end up asking a mechanic if it's normal that is making this noise because, as far as you know, it may or may not be a problem. I doubt anyone would say "it is designed to make that noise, just don't think about it".

  • by aphonecom,

    aphonecom aphonecom Nov 19, 2015 9:28 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 19, 2015 9:28 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Lawrence Finch wrote:

     

    My location services arrow is on whenever I wake the phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 (366) days a year. And it stays on as long as the screen is open.

     

     

    In contrast, my location services is NEVER ON unless I am using Apple or Google Maps. I do not allow weather, health, yelp or whatever else access to location services. So it all depends on how you use/setup your phone.

     

    For those of us who do not use location services 24/7 it is very confusing why an app you are not using is suddenly using location services on the iPhone 6s when it didn't on previous editions of iPhone. And it is fine to be asking why an app you are not using is running without your permission!

     

    For those of us that have location services on 24/7, well this new design is not really an issue. And that is fine!

     

    I am not sure why you feel the need to tell other people how they should use their phone. Different people use their phone differently....that is OK!

  • by King of Pumkins,

    King of Pumkins King of Pumkins Nov 24, 2015 2:17 PM in response to Paul Lam
    Level 1 (14 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 24, 2015 2:17 PM in response to Paul Lam

    I have the same issue with my 6S Plus.

     

    If I have the compass calibration "enabled" in system settings (under location services), then it does seem to get stuck "on" occasionally. I think when the "Geo tag" stays on AND the purple arrow is showing in the settings next to compass calibration, it is telling me that it is currently trying to do something.

     

    I have restored the phone through iTunes to get a completely new software install; and have reset the location settings a few times. Did seem to help any.

     

    Fun or not, if I turn of compass calibration (in location services) then my "location based alerts" gets stuck on at a greater frequency.

     

    My 6 never did this (and my 5 or prior iPhones) never did this; where the Geo tag stays on on top of the screen.

     

    My question is, could this be a hardware issue? My problem seems to intensify; where I don't have a stuck Geo tag (stuck on top of the screen) to where it is stuck on for hours. Very odd and very disappointing.

     

    I also don't get my notifications regularly like I used to get them. They come in once in a while; I basically miss have of 3rd part apps notifications.

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