location based reminders don't work in ios7 ?

In iOS7, location-based reminders won't fire if the Reminders app is explicitly terminated by the user.

That is if the user removes an application from the Multi-Tasking application list (brought up with a double-press of the Home button), iOS 7 will conclude that the user doesn't want this app to get any more run-time. That implies that Reminders won't be launched again to display your location-based reminders.

The Reminders app needs to be running in the foreground or to be put in the background for location-based reminders to work.

This is not a bug. This is intended behavior.

Hi,

Could you clarify which "Background Activitys" setting you're referring to?

Are you referring to the following?

Settings > General > Background App Refresh

One of the statements I made in my previous post is inacurrate. Below is a correction:

"That is if the user removes an application from the Multi-Tasking application list (brought up with a double-press of the Home button), iOS 7 will conclude that the user doesn't want this app to get any more run-time iOS7 won't monitor geo-fences for this app."

Even if the Reminders app is removed from the app switcher, its time-based reminders will work (like Calendar).

The text in English is the following under Settings > General > Background App Refresh:

"Allow apps to refresh their content when on Wi-Fi or cellular, or use Location Services, in the background. Turning off apps may help preserve battery life."

The "in the background" part applies to refreshing content and to using Location Services, not just to refreshing content.

So, in order to have location-based reminders to work on iOS7, you need:

- Reminders to be either in the foreground or in the background

- The general switch under Settings > General > Background App Refresh set to ON

- The Reminders switch under Settings > General > Background App Refresh set to ON

I'm in agreement that despite it being "intended behavior", this is terrible behavior. The idea of a reminder is that I created it because I don't remember. Needing to specifically keep an application running in the background so it remembers is silly and a regression from how it worked in iOS 6. In fact, all apps work the same way on iOS 7. I use a pedometer app and Google Now to track location and movement. On iOS 6, neither needed to be in the multitasking bar for them to work. Now, they need to always be running in the background to receive updates.

Bottom line: Background App Refresh absolutely shouldn't require that we clutter up our multitasking list to reap the benefits.

I'll be posting to Feedback in hopes it is seen and eventually addressed. If you also disagree with current behavior, I suggest you comment at http://www.apple.com/feedback/iphone.html

If you use the Apple Bug Reporter (or if any readers use it), I have filed a bug on this issue under #15069004. Feel free to reference this bug report number in your efforts. Hopefully this behavior can be reverted, because as it is currently makes no sense.

Glod,

I also have the same problem and I have a call into Apple and they allegedly forwarded the info to an engineer, so hopefully it will be resolved soon. This is definitely some sort of bug because one of my co-workers also has an iPhone5 with io7 and his location based reminders work even when the app is closed through the app switcher. Another way we can tell this is a bug and not the intended design is this: Try to create a location based reminded through Siri, such as "Remind me when I get home to call work". Siri will give you the confirmation showing that a reminder has been created to activate at a location. However, Siri never actually opens the app when you do this, and therefor if your iPhone is suffering from this bug you will never be reminded when you arrive home. Also, the Find my Friends app, another native Apple App, does not function unless it is open and running in the background on my phone, with my coworkers phone it shows no matter what state his app is in (open/closed). Hope this helps and that they get a fix soon!

Glad to hear someone has a device where it works the way it should, not the "way its designed"! Hope there is a fix in the near future. Thanks for posting, @dpj912!

I too cannot get location based reminders to work. If I tell Siri to set a reminder for when I get to work, it says it will remind me when I get to work OR by 9am. Well so far it only works when 9am hits, and not when I arrive to work.

Can anyone explain what the purpose of the "background app refresh" actually is?

I HATE HOW THEY CHANGED THE REMINDERS APP... I do not see or understand the meaning behind the change.. I also ask siri to remind me at a certain location and nothing happens..When I do have the app running in the background it will remind me.. I do not see how this change is helpful.. i guess it has something to do with saving battery life..

@vanillathesloth: Background App Refresh allows you to configure which apps can continue working when they're not front and center. Think Google Maps giving navigation assistance while you're in Mail. That would be Background App Refresh. However, and this is the issue, it completely ignores apps which are closed from the multitasking area. Those cannot refresh whatsoever, at all, no matter what the settings are. This is why location-based reminders don't work unless you also remember to open Reminders and leave it in the background.

@vitico: Agreed. But I never had an issue with battery life on iOS 6, so it's really puzzling why they changed it as they did. Surely it's not more intuitive.