How to fix iPad location services issues

Do you have a WiFi Only model of iPad, or WiFi+Cellular?

Only WiFi+Cellular models of iPad have GPS - this being a function of the iPad Cellular chipset. WiFi Only models of iPad have no GPS capabilities with which iPad Location Services can derive location. This fundamental difference may significantly impact your ability to use location-sensitive services or mapping Apps - in particular if real-time positioning (e.g., a moving map) is required.

WiFi Only models can only “infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of your public IP address. For static applications in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate. However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be very inaccurate. 

hippie1 wrote:

This not my experience.

I have an iPad 8 with WiFi only. Weather, Maps and a weather radar app I have downloaded all work showing

my exact location.

To reiterate...

WiFi Only models can only “infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of your public IP address. For static applications or in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate.

However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be very inaccurate. 

This not my experience.

I have an iPad 8 with WiFi only. Weather, Maps and a weather radar app I have downloaded all work showing

my exact location.

I'll admit that it has become intermittent since installing IOS 17, but it does work.

When I select the satellite view in Maps it drops the location dot directly on our house. Samething with the weather radar app.

I have no idea why this would be different from how a cellular phone works. Does not a phone use the the data radio signal whether it be 4G, 5G, or LTE?

Same thing as our internet connection isn't it. There is no hardwired internet in our area. I know of no one, even those in the nearest towns, who use anything but "mobile hotspots" to connect to the internet. Everybody has gone wireless.

The locations for on my iPad (without Cellular) began working again several days ago. Waited this long to make sure it was not some anomaly to report its return to normal. SO said she had see work being done on one of the four towers in our area about the time everything started working again. Left to believe the problem was caused by some sort of outage on our providers side.

All is good now.