Location Explanation

[mrtoner]

Why does GasTracker+ need my location when I'm not using the app? The reason given is "This is solely for ensuring the app accurately maps your fuelup locations", but this doesn't make any sense — you only need the location when I'm actually in the app, entering a fill-up.

[joshlehman]

Thanks for the inquiry. Could you let me know where in the app you are being prompted for location when the app is not in use? We aren't asking for permission nor do we need to access your location when the app is not in use so I'm surprised that you're seeing a prompt for this anywhere in the app.

You should see a prompt that specifically says we are asking for permission to use your location only when the app is in use.

Apple has two types of location permissions we can request. We are using: "requestWhenInUseAuthorization". The prompt that this permission generates should match what you see in this screenshot:



We request this permission for the first time when you access either the new fuelup, edit fuelup, new service entry or edit service entry screens. Each of those screens has a location selection box and thus we need to request permission at that point. We ask for permission BEFORE you actually add a location because we want to "preload" the nearby locations list as fast as possible.

Just to be absolutely sure I did a quick code review and search to be sure I didn't have any legacy code or test code in the app that was using the permission when the app was not in use. I didn't find any references to it and we have no use case where that is needed right now.

So, bottom line... if you could Fuelly Mail (or post here) a screenshot where you're seeing that app request permission when not in use I'd really appreciate it, or if you could give me any insight into why it seems to you that the app is using location when not in use. Thanks for your help in testing!

[mrtoner]

The app includes plist keys for both authorization types:





I'm not sure why the app would need my ongoing location?

[joshlehman]

App includes both plist keys, correct. Purely so we'd have a message covered in the event that we add a feature that needs persistent location. Right now don't need that, have no plans for persistent location and thus we don't request it. In the event that we added a feature that needed persistent location the user could be prompted.

I simply added both keys when I originally implemented location. I can remove the ongoing key so as to avoid any confusion.

[mrtoner]

Thanks, Josh. I was trying to figure out why location wasn't working in the app, thought perhaps I hadn't enabled location services for the app (I had), and saw both options. Thought it was odd.