Daniel LO

Q: Compass calibration GPS usage everytime unlock phone!

Hi!

 

Here is what I found: everytime I unlock my iPhone 6s with ios 9.0.2 the location icon ALWAYS comes up. I went over and over in location services section and The compass calibration icon is marked. This happens every time...  Is This normal? Is this necessary? Do I really need to calibrate the compass even when not using it? I'm sure uses battery for something that I don't need every single time...

 

Many thanks in advance for your help!

 

 

 

 

and is the same everytime. image.png

iPhone 6s, iOS 9.0.2

Posted on Oct 11, 2015 10:15 AM

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Q: Compass calibration GPS usage everytime unlock phone!

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  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Oct 29, 2015 2:23 AM in response to Paul Lam
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 29, 2015 2:23 AM in response to Paul Lam

    You misremember. It has happened on every phone and with every version of iOS since Location Services was added. If you browse the forum you will find mention of this non-problem going all the way back in time.

     

    Further, if you read about Location Services in the manual you will learn that a purple arrow means that it is NOT using location services. It means that the function has used location services in the recent past, but is not using it now. So Compass calibration (or whatever else is displaying a purple arrow) probably momentarily used Location Services when you unlocked the phone to see where you are, then dropped the connection.

  • by Paul Lam,

    Paul Lam Paul Lam Oct 30, 2015 3:28 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 30, 2015 3:28 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    I used my old iPhone 5 again for a whole day, no problem, Compass Calibration didn't on in a wrong way. Also, I keep using iPhone 4(iOS 7.1.2) since 2010 until today, no such problem.

     

    Meanwhile, my new iPhone 6s in Airplane mode(without SIM, with wifi turn off, all Apps short cut remove), the Compass Calibration still always on.

    IMG_5107.PNGIMG_5108.PNG

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Oct 30, 2015 3:53 AM in response to Paul Lam
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 30, 2015 3:53 AM in response to Paul Lam

    In your image Compass Calibration IS NOT ON. It is purple, which means it WAS on, and is now OFF.

  • by Paul Lam,

    Paul Lam Paul Lam Oct 30, 2015 4:15 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 30, 2015 4:15 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Hi Lawrence,

     

    As you said, purple arrow mean the function has used location services in the RECENT past, but I didn't use my 6s for more than 12 hours.

     

    By the way, what model you are using?

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Oct 30, 2015 5:15 AM in response to Paul Lam
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 30, 2015 5:15 AM in response to Paul Lam

    Paul Lam wrote:

     

    Hi Lawrence,

     

    As you said, purple arrow mean the function has used location services in the RECENT past, but I didn't use my 6s for more than 12 hours.

     

    Yes you DID use it more recently than 12 hours, because you had to wake the phone to take that picture. Which means you used it seconds before you took the picture, which was not 12 hours ago.

     

    I have a 6, a 4S and a 3GS. Every time you wake the phone it will use location services for a few seconds for several different functions, including compass calibration, network search, weather, and several other apps. So just the fact that you wake it to see the screen you will see the location services arrow. IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. The phone is working as designed. If you DO NOT see the locations services arrow when you wake the phone that would be a problem.

  • by Paul Lam,

    Paul Lam Paul Lam Oct 30, 2015 10:39 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 30, 2015 10:39 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Hi Lawrence,

     

    Can you do me a favor by:

    remove all Apps short cut, turn on Airplane mode, wait 5 mins. Then, capture the lock screen and the system services screen like the one in my previous thread?

     

    Thanks a lot!

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Oct 30, 2015 2:35 PM in response to Paul Lam
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 30, 2015 2:35 PM in response to Paul Lam

    No, I won't bother, because Location Services usage IS NOT A PROBLEM. It is a feature of the phone. Forget about it.

  • by Paul Lam,

    Paul Lam Paul Lam Oct 30, 2015 6:53 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Oct 30, 2015 6:53 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Thanks anyway.

  • by Daniel LO,

    Daniel LO Daniel LO Oct 31, 2015 5:36 AM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Oct 31, 2015 5:36 AM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Hi, thanks for your answer.

     

    I can understand why all of us are a bit worried about it, it never happened before. Not for compass calibration when waking up the phone (yes when using the App).

     

    I think Apple should change that, If I don't use the compass it does not make sense to use the GPS.

  • by harold3k,

    harold3k harold3k Nov 2, 2015 5:17 PM in response to Daniel LO
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 2, 2015 5:17 PM in response to Daniel LO

    Hi,

     

    I had the opportunity to exchange my iPhone 6s for a new one, and im getting the same behavior.

     

    The "Compass Calibration" is turning ON most of the time at random occasions, even when im not using the phone... At the moment there are no apps using this on my phone, basically because I have configured them to use locations services only while using.

     

    I have tested this on an iPhone 5, 6 and 6S and this issue in only on the 6S.

     

    So basically this is a software issue or a hardware problem present on most iPhone 6S out there. I guess we would have to wait for iOS 9.2

     

    IMG_0576.PNG

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 2, 2015 5:35 PM in response to harold3k
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 2, 2015 5:35 PM in response to harold3k

    Doesn't anyone get it? THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM. THIS IS THE WAY THE PHONE IS DESIGNED TO WORK. IF LOCATION SERVICES DID NOT COME ON THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM, BECAUSE IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE PHONE WAS NOT WORKING AS DESIGNED.

     

    Specifically, in the image you posted, compass calibration shows a PURPLE arrow. A purple arrow means that the function is NOT using location services.

  • by harold3k,

    harold3k harold3k Nov 2, 2015 5:45 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 2, 2015 5:45 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    You are the one not getting it,

     

    The problem is location services using the compass calibration without any reason, that means doing a background activity and using phone resources and battery without any purpose, thats a problem

     

    I've been using iPhone for years and this is the first time this is happening

     

    And i don't know if you even have an iPhone but the purple arrow with an arrow on the status bar means that the location service is doing the compass calibration at that exact time.

     

    And please Mr. Caps Locked guy, just go to bed if you are not going to help

  • by Lawrence Finch,

    Lawrence Finch Lawrence Finch Nov 2, 2015 5:59 PM in response to harold3k
    Level 8 (38,117 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 2, 2015 5:59 PM in response to harold3k

    This is an exact quote from the Location Services page on the iPhone (and in the manual):

     

    • A purple location services icon will appear next to an item that has recently used your location
    • A gray location services icon will appear next to an item that has used your location within the last 24 hours
    • An outline location services icon will appear next to an item that is using a geofence.

     

    Note that it does not say that "the purple arrow with an arrow on the status bar means that the location service is doing the compass calibration at that exact time."

     

    I have had 5 iPhones in the past 8 years, and all of them work the same way.

     

    But you are right about one thing; you and most of the others in this thread are so far out in la la land that there's no point in talking to you. I'll leave now and let you all stew over nothing on your own.

  • by harold3k,

    harold3k harold3k Nov 2, 2015 6:10 PM in response to Lawrence Finch
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 2, 2015 6:10 PM in response to Lawrence Finch

    Oh thank you

     

    Thank you for such a good help, you did a great copy/paste there,

     

    very knowledgeable

    much iPhone

    wow

     

    Good day sir

  • by Daniel LO,

    Daniel LO Daniel LO Nov 2, 2015 11:27 PM in response to harold3k
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Mac OS X
    Nov 2, 2015 11:27 PM in response to harold3k

    As some people say," it does not have a big impact in the battery". Well, if I wake up my phone 100 times a day as I might do, I'm sorry it does have an impact in the battery.

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