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location services not working on iPad

iPad with iOS 14.4 will not find my location on maps and weather apps. Location services is on and also on for all of the apps in question. The apps have been uninstalled and reinstalled. The device has had a hard reboot.


can anyone help?

Posted on Feb 8, 2021 9:28 AM

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6 replies

Feb 8, 2021 9:33 AM in response to RoentgenRay

I’d make an educated guess that you perhaps have a WiFi Only model iPad.


Unlike your iPhone and WiFi & Cellular models of iPad, WiFi Only iPads do not have any GPS location capability with which to directly determine their location - and as such are completely reliant upon their network connection to infer an approximate location. If you have relocated your WiFi Router, this may be a contributing factor in misidentification of your location - as the Router itself is an identifier in some location databases.


Your approximate geographic location would be estimated from a “database lookup” of (a) your WiFi Network Name (SSID) or detected neighbouring WiFi networks - and (b) the “public” IP Address provided by your Internet Service Provider (ISP). 


If the mapped WiFi network name or IP Address are not available within the applicable databases, or if this information substantially differs between sources, then your approximate location may not be computed. This situation often occurs if you are in a remote/rural location where neighbouring WiFi networks are scarce - or if connecting over satellite or VPN connections.


Network IP Addresses and WiFi networks are frequently mapped in urban and cosmopolitan areas (including “crowd source” techniques) and as such approximation of your location from lookup against these databases can be provide relatively high accuracy. As population and network density diminishes, this mechanism becomes progressively less reliable.


If you can, perhaps try connecting to a different WiFi network - be it private, public or your telephone WiFi hotspot.


I hope this explanation as to possible cause is helpful.

Feb 9, 2021 5:52 AM in response to RoentgenRay

Your additional information actively supports the original hypothesis.


Given that your iPad has no means with which to directly compute its geographic location, unlike your iPhone which has Enhanced GPS (eGPS) capabilities, your iPad is entirely reliant upon database lookup.


Unless your iPad is able to detect neighbouring WiFi networks, for which the location is known (from previous survey), the iPad will have insufficient information from which to derive an approximate location. In the short term, there is nothing more that you can do - other than to consider replacement of your WiFi Only model of iPad with a WiFi+Cellular model.


As you have recently relocated to a rural location - and presumably relocated your pre-existing router - current database lookup of “known networks” and locations may be producing inconclusive or ambiguous results. In time, as your [relocated] WiFi network is detected by devices for which the geographic location is known (for example, your iPhone if connected to your WiFi network), then the location databases upon which your current iPad depends will eventually update; when they do, your iPad location services should become more usable.

Feb 9, 2021 6:35 AM in response to RoentgenRay

My personal recommendation borne of experience and handling of complaints often see here...


Unless you can say with complete certainty that you will never require accurate location services to be available to your iPad - when purchasing an iPad, always consider a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad in preference to a WiFi Only model. The lack of GPS functionality is not obvious - and impacts many Apps and system services.


Many buyers anticipate their iPad operating exactly as they experience with iPhone - and are both disappointed and frustrated that assumed functionality is missing.


I have never seen any complaint of a buyer choosing the Cellular models of iPad over WiFi Only - regardless of any intent to use Cellular features. However, we regularly see tales of woe and discontent from those unaware of implications of seeking the perceived economy of WiFi Only models of iPad.


Caveat Emptor.



location services not working on iPad

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