iPhone 6 Motion Calibration Always Using Location Services

Still working several hours later. Just to verify that the location icon is still working, when I open google maps the location icon shows, but when I close it, the icon is gone again, as it should be.

I just got my phone replaced by Apple Genius Bar and it came back after I installed some apps. Waiting for an iOS update to fix it now. Although the genius and my friend showed me their phones and they didn't have it. I'm pretty sure it is one of my apps that's causing it. (I thought it was Dropbox in a previous post but could be coincidental) I've set up as a new phone more than 4 times and I've given up testing each individual app.

The location icon will always work like that. The default is to have it hidden for System services like motion calibration, traffic and iAds. So it will probably still be using motion calibration.

Of course I turned on show system services.

iZian, thanks for explaining further. You are right, looks like the Apple support rep did pull a fast one. Just looked at my battery, it is way down due to the motion calibration being on. Back to square one, motion calibration turned off until Apple fixes this.

I tried to reset my iPhone and restore from iCloud backup.

For four days the location is no longer 24/24 but only briefly in the wake of the phone (it's always more often than on my 5S but it already seems like normal operation).

Have you noticed that even in airplane mode localization does not disappear?

Yeah, the other day I was in airplane mode at 36000 ft and the location services icon was sitting in the top corner.

This is a serious problem.

Or, as some put it, this is a display bug with the chip M8. But I do not believe because since my problem is solved my battery life is much more important. The M8 pice does not consume much while the GPS yes.

Either the GPS actually remains active in non stop and it is very problematic especially if the airplane mode does not disable the GPS chip.

You can try my method of reset and initialization with iCloud backup. I did the night. 10 minutes of manipulation before going to bed and then the backup sets all night for a phone recover in full working order the next day.

I had the same problem, reset iPhone 6 as new, but motion calibration was always on! Then I turned off background app refresh completely and for some reason the icon stayed mostly off over the last two days! Will keep an eye on it...

Hey guys - just pitching my side.

i talked to an Apple genius today, he assured me that motion calibration doesn't have anything to do with the co-processor. While I'm skeptical (obviously cause it's in the name) the genius did say that motion calibrarion is used mostly for GPS map features, and can help with some apps that provide assistance to disabled people. Not sure if that helps anyone or not. I turned mine off just to see if it made a difference but i was still able to track steps, flights of stairs etc.

For me though, resetting location and privacy helped get rid of it, my motion tracking was on every 15 minutes. Now I reset it, it hasn't gone on once.

Ok Great.

So after a full reset of my iPhone the problem was solved. Since iOS 8.1.1 update the location is again constantly active.

What app is using it? Is the indicator solid or outline? Note that it is NORMAL for a location icon to be on if you use any apps that provide information based on location. It is also a MYTH that Location Services use significant energy; it does not.

The location is still active. By going to the settings I see that it is "Motion Calibration" always active (purple logo constantly here).

I saw a real change of battery life (approximately 2 hours) between "motion calibration" set ON and set OFF

It's only normal if those apps all have background access to location and background app refresh.

And it's not a myth that location services is a power drain: Apple tell you it can be. There is a warning that pops up on the screen in iOS 8 that warns you of a new app using background location services as this could drain the battery quicker.

This motion calibration is trying to measure how far a step is so that when the iPhone tracks 1265 steps that it can more accurately predict how far that actually is.

steps are still counted without this on. Distance is still estimated. But won't be as accurate.

So this discussion is about motion calibration using the location services constantly with little relent; using it solid, not for geofence, and potentially keeping gps active as it's tracking location.

I speculated that this would probably calm down after calibration in about a few weeks; but some users report that isn't the case.

I have witnessed this on 4 different handsets including my own.

So when your battery discharges quickly and the phone is hot it ISN'T because it's using a lot of energy? I really should go have a talk to all my engineering professors, it seems as if physics doesn't work in the way that I was told. Also, we probably better ground a few thousand airplanes, because I've been using that engineering instruction for YEARS.

Oh, or more likely there are some cases where location services don't utilize much energy, allowing people to say things like "oh no, that's a myth," but in the actual real world, they do often take a lot of power, trashing battery life, and giving people legitimate reasons to be concerned when they are constantly in use and their phone is hot because the battery is discharging quickly.