Location Services

Question

Level 9

78,103 points

Location Services

File path: Settings > General > Restrictions > Location Services is on (for some things), but I cannot change it - it is showing the green button, but greyed out. (iPad Air with 9.3, which is soon to be replaced with the new iPad Pro 9.7!!!)

I know I have a lot of restrictions/privacy settings on and I had asked this previously, but failed to write down the answer (from sjf or Demo at the time), so I will ask again: what do I need to do to be able to make changes there?

I am determined to learn this thing (iOS) once and for all!

iMac, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), 2012 i7 3.4 GHz 16 GB RAM

Posted on Mar 23, 2016 5:59 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 23, 2016 11:29 PM in response to babowa

It's under Settings > Privacy > Location Services, rather than under the General submenu.

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Answer 2

bobseufert

Level 6

15,844 points

Mar 24, 2016 12:47 AM in response to babowa

Earlier discussion below.

Location Services greyed out

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Answer 3

Demo

Level 10

166,500 points

Mar 25, 2016 12:52 PM in response to babowa

You have restrictions set for Location Services. Go to Settings>General>Restrictions>Privacy>Location Services>Don't Allow Changes>Off. After you turn that off, you will be able to change the location services settings and the button will no longer be greened grayed out.

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Answer 4

babowa Author

Level 9

78,103 points

Mar 24, 2016 8:24 AM in response to Demo

Thanks, guys, but....... here are personalized screenshots (and, in both, the location services is greyed out although on):

SJF's path:

Demo's:

@ bobs:

Thanks, but that was not the thread I was referring to.

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Answer 5

Demo

Level 10

166,500 points

Mar 24, 2016 8:40 AM in response to babowa

That is odd. I do not see that behavior when I use restrictions. I set restrictions and then set to Allow Changes to Locations Services. Backed out of and actually closed settings completely, went back in and I was able to make changes.

Have you tried turning restrictions off and then starting over again? Or the alway popular forced restart? To force restart your device, press and hold both the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons for at least ten seconds, until you see the Apple logo.

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Answer 6

babowa Author

Level 9

78,103 points

Mar 24, 2016 2:24 PM in response to Demo

It's not a big deal; but I don't like it when it appears to have a behavioral glitch so to speak. I have now reset the iPad twice; I have also enabled/disabled every setting I can think of and stuff is still greyed out. Unless someone comes along with the magic wand, I'll wait until I get to the Genius Bar late next week when I pick up the iPad Pro I just ordered and see if I can stump the Genius(es) - probably will since I am already talking to the real experts here.... thanks for the help!

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Answer 7

Mar 25, 2016 12:52 PM in response to babowa

I doubt this will work, but what if you try changing the menu shown in Demo's screenshot to "Don't Allow" and then back to "Allow?"

If that does not work, I cannot think of anything else short of going to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings. This may not be something you want to do if the issue doesn't bother you that much, but note that it will not erase any data, just settings.

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Answer 8

babowa Author

Level 9

78,103 points

Mar 24, 2016 3:11 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

Gotta go do something else right now - I'll try that later or tomorrow, thanks!

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Answer 9

Mar 24, 2016 3:35 PM in response to babowa

If you have find my Phone enabled you cannot disable location services completely without disabling find my iPhome first. I have the same gray location services bar on my iPads and iPhones and it won't become active unless you disable find my iPhone/iPad first as that requires location services be active.

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Answer 10

Mar 24, 2016 4:08 PM in response to Michael Black

Are you sure? I have Find my iPhone yet my location services are not grayed out.

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Answer 11

Mar 24, 2016 4:18 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

On mine, if I turn off find my iPad or iPhone, that gray Location Services in babowa's postEd second screen shot immediately lights up and is responsive. maybe something else can affect that as well?

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Answer 12

Mar 24, 2016 4:13 PM in response to Michael Black

Hmm, that's odd.

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Answer 13

Demo

Level 10

166,500 points

Mar 24, 2016 6:01 PM in response to stevejobsfan0123

stevejobsfan0123 wrote:

Are you sure? I have Find my iPhone yet my location services are not grayed out.

I See the same behavior as you do on my iPad and on my iPhone, I have Find My iPhone activated on both and my Location Services are not grayed out.

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Answer 14

babowa Author

Level 9

78,103 points

Mar 24, 2016 10:32 PM in response to Michael Black

Hello all,

Ok, things are suddenly stranger. Spent some time (again) turning things off/on/off/on.

If you'll check my two screenshots above, both Location Services and Share my Location are greyed out. Oddly enough and suddenly, after going to General>Restrictions>Location Services>Share my Location was not greyed out and I turned it on/off. After that, neither was greyed out. Strange. I will still ask when I'm at the Apple store late next week although my initial question appears to have resolved itself. That is the kind of thing that puzzles me about iOS - it seems far easier for me to figure out Mac OS behavior and/or its options/settings.

In any case, I learned something today which all of you probably know, but I didn't: all the settings under either/both General>Restrictions> Location Services and Privacy>Restrictions>Location Services are exactly the same. If you change it in one, it'll automatically change in the other location.

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Answer 15

babowa Author

Level 9

78,103 points

Mar 25, 2016 12:56 PM in response to babowa

Since there haven't been any other comments, I'll wait to update this (if there is anything to update) until late next week after the Genius Bar visit. Thanks for the ideas - much appreciated! FWIW, turning off/on Find my Phone did not change any settings; however, finding out that changing settings in either of the two file paths results in the same behavior was a big aha moment for me (although it technically didn't solve the question, but solved a related one that I didn't know I had)!!!

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