iPhone 4: GPS Indicator Stuck?

I had this same issue and it was being caused by a location-based alert I set for myself in Reminders. Effectively, it hadn't recognized that I was at the destination I had chosen to trigger the reminder and kept the GPS active, searching.

There's not an option to delete a native app like Reminders, so I went to Location Services and just turned Reminders off. This triggered the alert, turned off the GPS and it went back to normal. Turning Reminders location services back on did not cause the issue again.

I found an update to BUMP caused my problem; switched the location service off for that app and it went away 🙂

Turned out to be Red Cross' Hurricane app in my case

In iOS6 "Location services" is now under Settings>>Privacy>>Location Services

Then check which apps are using GPS. Turning them off one by one will tell you which app is miss-behaving as stated earlier - thanks!!

This is basically a bug in ios and happens when a app crashes. If the app chrashes the CLLocationManager isn't freed the normal way and the location icon gets stuck for this app. If you get this on Safari or Maps you will never get rid of it.

For me it was Google Now. It is also interesting to add that inside Location Services there was a blue (not grey) GPS icon next to the Apps that were holding the GPS on and active.

In Google Now, this can be turned off in the settings of the app itself... tap the gear at the top right and turn Google Now off.