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User profile for user: orlagh272
orlagh272 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

My iPad and iPhone think I’m in the Uk when I’m actually in Ireland

Hi there,


I am currently in Co. Wexford, Ireland however when I try to get into certain apps they are telling me that I’m logging in from a location near London and I cannot access the app unless I am in Ireland. All settings are set to Ireland and the region and time zone are all Irish. I’ve tried turning on and off my devices but nothing seems to work. Can somebody suggest something that might correct this problem as I’m starting to get frustrated. I’m not very technical so seem to be missing something that could sort this out. Any help greatly appreciated.

iPad (6th gen) WiFi

Posted on Dec 6, 2019 1:04 AM

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
281,232 points

Posted on Dec 6, 2019 5:28 AM

Your VPN may be the source of your location issue.


Unlike Cellular models of iPad, that can determine their location using adjacent Cell Tower IDs and GPS positioning, WiFi Only models can only infer their location from a lookup table of IP Address and “known” WiFi networks.


When using VPN, your public IP will appear to be at the Data-centre where your VPN is located (UK in this instance) - and if your WiFi connection is not within the database of known networks (i.e, within the lookup-table used by Apple), then your iPad has no other source of location information with which to better refine its inferred location.


As such, there’s not much you can do to improve derivation of your actual location. You certainly won’t be the first owner of a WiFi Only iPad to discover this hardware limitation - and Apple, for some inexplicable reason, are rather shy in overtly publishing this [potentially - for some] important nugget of information when purchasing.


Hope this helps to explain what’s likely to be occurring.

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User profile for user: LotusPilot
LotusPilot
Community+ 2024
User level: Level 10
281,232 points

Dec 6, 2019 5:28 AM in response to orlagh272

Your VPN may be the source of your location issue.


Unlike Cellular models of iPad, that can determine their location using adjacent Cell Tower IDs and GPS positioning, WiFi Only models can only infer their location from a lookup table of IP Address and “known” WiFi networks.


When using VPN, your public IP will appear to be at the Data-centre where your VPN is located (UK in this instance) - and if your WiFi connection is not within the database of known networks (i.e, within the lookup-table used by Apple), then your iPad has no other source of location information with which to better refine its inferred location.


As such, there’s not much you can do to improve derivation of your actual location. You certainly won’t be the first owner of a WiFi Only iPad to discover this hardware limitation - and Apple, for some inexplicable reason, are rather shy in overtly publishing this [potentially - for some] important nugget of information when purchasing.


Hope this helps to explain what’s likely to be occurring.

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My iPad and iPhone think I’m in the Uk when I’m actually in Ireland

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