How do I get a background location update every n minutes in my iOS application?

Question

I\'m looking for a way to get a background location update every n minutes in my iOS application. I\'m using iOS 4.3 and the solution should work for non-jailbroken iPhones

Answer 1

Attached is a Swift solution based in:

Define App registers for location updates in the info.plist

Keep the locationManager running all the time

Switch kCLLocationAccuracy between BestForNavigation (for 5 secs to get the location) and ThreeKilometers for the rest of the wait period to avoid battery drainage

This example updates location every 1 min in Foreground and every 15 mins in Background.

The example works fine with Xcode 6 Beta 6, running in a iOS 7 device.

In the App Delegate (mapView is an Optional pointing to the mapView Controller)

func applicationDidBecomeActive(application: UIApplication!) {
    if appLaunched! == false { // Reference to mapView used to limit one location update per timer cycle
        appLaunched = true
        var appDelegate = UIApplication.sharedApplication().delegate as AppDelegate
        var window = appDelegate.window
        var tabBar = window?.rootViewController as UITabBarController
        var navCon = tabBar.viewControllers[0] as UINavigationController
        mapView = navCon.topViewController as? MapViewController
    }
    self.startInitialPeriodWithTimeInterval(60.0)
}

func applicationDidEnterBackground(application: UIApplication!) {
    self.startInitialPeriodWithTimeInterval(15 * 60.0)
}

func startInitialPeriodWithTimeInterval(timeInterval: NSTimeInterval) {
    timer?.invalidate() // reset timer
    locationManager?.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBestForNavigation
    timer = NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(5.0, target: self, selector: Selector("getFirstLocationUpdate:"), userInfo: timeInterval, repeats: false)
}

func getFirstLocationUpdate(sender: NSTimer) {
    let timeInterval = sender.userInfo as Double
    timer?.invalidate()
    mapView?.canReportLocation = true
    timer = NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(timeInterval, target: self, selector: Selector("waitForTimer:"), userInfo: timeInterval, repeats: true)
}

func waitForTimer(sender: NSTimer) {
    let time = sender.userInfo as Double
    locationManager?.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBestForNavigation
    finalTimer = NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(5.0, target: self, selector: Selector("getLocationUpdate"), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
}

func getLocationUpdate() {
    finalTimer?.invalidate()
    mapView?.canReportLocation = true
}

In the mapView (locationManager points to the object in the AppDelegate)

override func viewDidLoad() {
    super.viewDidLoad()
    var appDelegate = UIApplication.sharedApplication().delegate! as AppDelegate
    locationManager = appDelegate.locationManager!
    locationManager.delegate = self
    canReportLocation = true
}

  func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager!, didUpdateLocations locations: [AnyObject]!) {
        if canReportLocation! {
            canReportLocation = false
            locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyThreeKilometers
        } else {
            //println("Ignore location update")
        }
    }