iPhone Location Services Not Working - Fixed!

Part 2. How to Fix iPhone Location Services That Aren’t Working

If your Find My iPhone does not work or if you’re having problems with your location in different apps, try one of the following solutions.

Enable Location Services

Though it may sound silly if you’re someone who always keeps their location turned on, it may have been accidentally turned off. Perhaps you wanted to turn it off for a second, or someone else who had access to your phone did it. Whatever the case, this is the number one reason your Find My iPhone address is unavailable or your location doesn’t seem to be working.

Here’s how to enable location services on your device:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security;
2. Select Location Services;
3. Toggle the slider next to Location ServicesON.

If your location services are turned on but not working, you must try one of the following solutions.

Turn on Precise Location for the App

Many apps require you to enable your general location services and precise location. Otherwise, they won’t work.

Most commonly, those apps include ride-sharing apps, for instance, maps, location-based games, and the like. Therefore, you’ll need to give these apps permission to use your precise location.

You can do that in a few steps:

1. Go to Settings > Privacy & Security;
2. Select Location Services;
3. Scroll down to the app that requires your precise location and select it;
4. Select when to allow location access (make sure to select Ask Next Time, While Using the App, or Always);
5. Toggle the slider under Precise Location ON.

You’ll need to repeat these steps for every app requiring your precise location. Moreover, ensure you don’t check Never under Allow Location Access since that will prevent the app from using your location.

Turn on Automatic Date & Time

Occasionally, inaccurate or manually adjusted date and time settings could interfere with some apps and services, including location services. Even if there’s just a few seconds difference between your iPhone’s time and Apple servers, for instance, you might notice your phone start to misbehave.

To avoid this issue, you’ll want to ensure that your date and time are automatic. Here’s how to do that:

1. Go to Settings > General;
2. Select Date & Time;
3. Toggle the slider under Set Automatically ON.

This way, your date and time will automatically adjust to your location (changing every time you change time zones). You won’t have to fiddle with manually adjusting them; hopefully, you won’t have to worry about your iPhone location services not working.

Enable Location Services in Privacy Restrictions

The solutions above will work if you can toggle your location services on and off without issues. However, if this option is grayed out and you can’t toggle the slider, you might have a different issue.

In this instance, the most likely culprit is your privacy restrictions. So, you’ll only be able to fix it if you lift the restrictions. Here’s how:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time;
2. Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions > Location Services;
3. Select Allow Changes;
4. Toggle the slider by Location Services ON.

Once you’ve allowed changes and turned your location services on, check to see if everything is working correctly.

Disable Low Data Mode

Low data or low power modes can help you prolong battery life and save your mobile data by preventing your apps from using the internet without restrictions. The problem is that these modes can also prevent apps from properly tracking your location.

Therefore, you should disable the low data mode and check whether this fixes your issue. Here’s how to do that when you’re using WiFi:

1. Open WiFisettings;
2. Tap the Infoicon by your network Name;
3. Toggle the Low Data Mode OFF.

To turn off the low data mode on your mobile network, follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Cellular;
2. Go to Cellular Data Options> Data Mode;
3. Toggle the Low Data Mode OFF.

Finally, to turn off low power mode, you’ll need to follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Battery;
2. Toggle the Low Power Mode OFF.

Once you’ve completed all of these steps, check whether your issues with location services have been fixed.

Reset Location and Privacy Settings

If nothing you’ve tried works, there could be a glitch or a bug in your location configurations. In this instance, the only way to fix the problem is by resetting your location and privacy settings.

In a nutshell, this will return your settings to their default, which means you’ll lose all your location preferences. The good news is that if this solution works for you, you can set your preferences once again.

Here’s how to reset your location and privacy settings:

1. Go to Settings > General;
2. Go to Transfer or Reset iPhone;
3. In the lower left-hand corner, select Reset;
4. Tap Reset Location & Privacy.

From there, check to see if your location services are working properly. Then, adjust your location settings and preferences and check everything again.

Use an App to Change Your Location

Recommend dr.fone - Virtual Location (Ios) and Add Steps.

If nothing seems to be working, you might have no choice but to use a virtual location app. These apps are most commonly used for spoofing your location in video games, for instance, on social media or even on dating sites. However, there’s stopping you from “spoofing” to your actual current address when your iPhone is misbehaving.

Among the top virtual location tools is Wondershare Dr.Fone. Compatible with all location-based apps like Pokémon Go, Snapchat, and the like, it gives you access to a wide variety of useful features that can make you forget you ever had troubles with your location services in the first place.

With just a few taps, you can set your location to anywhere in the world, create detailed routes, simulate movement when you’re just sitting at home, and bypass geo-restrictions when browsing the web.

To change your location using Dr.Fone, you’ll need to follow these steps:

safe & secure

1. Download the tool on your computer;
2. Use a USB cable to connect your iPhone to your computer, then launch Dr.Fone;
3. Go to Toolbox > Virtual Location, then click Get Started;

4. On the default map that opens, click No Device, and in the new pop-up, select your device;
5. Let your iPhone connect to the computer and the app;

6. On your iPhone, follow the on-screen instructions and go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Developer Mode;
7. Toggle the Developer Modeslider ON;
8. Restart your iPhone, unlock it, and tap on the Turn Onbutton that appears;

9. Wondershare Dr.Fone will recognize your device, and you can go to Manage Deviceto start using the available features.

While this won’t necessarily fix the issues you might have with your location services, it will help you bypass them and continue using your phone and apps as usual.

Install Any Pending iOS Updates

Sometimes, when your location is buggy, the main culprit is your OS. Outdated iOS can cause various issues – from glitchy apps to an overall laggy phone. It could even put your security at risk, as outdated systems tend to have known vulnerabilities that can be exploited.

So, it’s always in your best interest to install any pending iOS updates you may have:

1. Go to Settings > General;
2. Go to Software Updateand install the latest update if available.

It could take a moment for your iOS to update. Don’t interrupt the process, and check whether the update has fixed your issues.

Update the App

Of course, it might not be your iOS that’s causing trouble. It might not even be your location services but a specific app that’s decided to misbehave because it isn’t updated. You can easily test this by using a different app to see if it has problems accessing your location.

If the problem is caused by a single app, updating it should help you overcome it:

1. Open the App Storeand tap on your profile icon;
2. Scroll down to find pending updates;
3. Locate the outdated app and tap Update;
4. Alternatively, tap Update Allto update all your apps.

Once the update is complete, you can check whether the app can use your location without issues.

Do a Hard Reboot

In some instances, no specific issue is preventing your location services from working as expected. Your phone might’ve simply gotten its wires crossed, so to speak. A simple solution would be forcing a reboot. That will clear your RAM and help your phone get back to normal.

Here’s how to force a reboot:

1. Quickly press and release the volume upbutton;
2. Quickly press and release the volume downbutton;
3. Press and hold the side button until you see the Apple logo.

Once the system starts back up, check if your location is working.

Do a Factory Reset

Finally, if nothing seems to be able to help you, you might need to do a factory reset. As the name suggests, this will return your phone’s software to its original factory condition. That includes erasing your data (so make sure to create backups), resetting configurations, and reinstalling the latest version of iOS.

To perform a factory reset, you’ll want to follow these steps:

1. Go to Settings > General;
2. Go to Transfer or Reset iPhone;
3. TapErase All Content and Settings;
4. Tap Continue.

Hopefully, if the problem with your location services was caused by software issues, that should be gone now.