@nativescript/geolocation

Contents

Intro
Installation
Android permissions requirements
iOS permissions requirements
Use @nativescript/geolocation
- Get current location
API
Known Issues
- Version conflicts with Google Play Services
- openSettingsIfLocationHasBeenDenied on Android API level 30

Intro

A geolocation plugin to use for getting current location, monitor movement, etc.

Installation

To install the plugin, run the following command in the root of your project.

npm install @nativescript/geolocation

Android permissions requirements

To use geolocation on Android, you need to add the following permissions to your app's AndroidManifest.xml inside the App_Resources/Android/src/main directory:

  <!-- Always include this permission -->
  <!-- This permission is for "approximate" location data -->
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />

  <!-- Include only if your app benefits from precise location access. -->
  <!-- This permission is for "precise" location data -->
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

  <!-- Required only when requesting background location access on
       Android 10 (API level 29) and higher. -->
  <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION" />

More information can be found in the Android docs here.

iOS permissions requirements

If iosAllowsBackgroundLocationUpdates property of the options object is set to true, the following code is required in the App_Resources/iOS/Info.plist file:

<key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
<array>
  <string>location</string>
</array>

Use @nativescript/geolocation

Get current location

Before you call any method that gets the user's location, request for the user's permission by calling the enableLocationRequest method. Once the user has granted the permission, you can call the getCurrentLocation() method, passing it a options object to get the user's current location.

import * as geolocation from '@nativescript/geolocation';
import { CoreTypes } from '@nativescript/core' // used to describe at what accuracy the location should get

geolocation.enableLocationRequest().then(() => {
    
    geolocation.getCurrentLocation({ desiredAccuracy: CoreTypes.Accuracy.high, maximumAge: 5000, timeout: 20000 }).then((currentLocation) => {

      console.log("My current latitude: ", currentLocation.latitude)
    })
  })

API

Plugin functions

The plugin provides the following functions for getting current location and more:

Method	Returns	Description
`getCurrentLocation(options: Options)`	Promise<Location>	Gets current location applying the specified options (if any). Since version 5.0 of the plugin, it will use requestLocation API for devices using `iOS 9.0+`. In situation of poor or no GPS signal, but available Wi-Fi it will take 10 sec to return the location. The `options` parameter is optional.
`watchLocation(successCallback: successCallbackType, errorCallback: errorCallbackType, options?: Options)`	`number`	Monitors location change.
`watchPermissionStatus(permissionCallback: permissionCallbackType, errorCallback: errorCallbackType)`	`number`	(`iOS-only`)Monitors a change in location permission.
`clearWatch(watchId: number)`	`void`	Stops monitoring a change in location. The `watchId` parameter is returned from the `watchLocation()` method.
`enableLocationRequest(always?: boolean, openSettingsIfLocationHasBeenDenied?: boolean`	`Promise<void>`	Asks for permissions to use location services. On iOS if `always` is `true`, add the following keys to the `Info.plist`: NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription (iOS 11.0+) OR NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription (iOS 8.0-10.0) and NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription. Read more about request always usage. On Android `SDK >= 29`, the `always` parameter set to `true` requires the `ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION` permission to be added to the `AndroidManifest.xml`. That results in the user getting a system dialog with the option `'allow all the time'` option. Read about Android location permissions here and here. If `openSettingsIfLocationHasBeenDenied` is `true` and the permission has previously been denied then the Settings app will open so the user can change the location services permission. See the exception to this.
`isEnabled(options?: Options)`	`Promise<boolean>`	Resolves `true` or `false` based on the location services availability.
`distance(loc1: Location, loc2: Location)`	`number`	Calculates the distance between two locations. Returns the distance in meters.
`getIOSLocationManagerStatus()`	CLAuthorizationStatus	Returns the status of the Location Authorization permission.

Location class

This is a data class that encapsulates the following common properties for a geolocation.

Property	Type	Description
`latitude`	`number`	The latitude of the geolocation, in degrees.
`longitude`	`number`	The longitude of the geolocation, in degrees.
`altitude`	`number`	The altitude (if available), in meters above sea level.
`horizontalAccuracy`	`number`	The horizontal accuracy, in meters.
`verticalAccuracy`	`number`	The vertical accuracy, in meters.
`speed`	`number`	The speed, in meters/second over ground.
`timestamp`	`Date`	The time at which this location was determined.

Options interface

The following are the properties of the options object that you pass to the geolocation functions of the plugin.

Property	Type	Description
`desiredAccuracy`	`CoreTypes.Accuracy`	Optional: Specifies if high accuracy or any is required. Defaults to `CoreTypes.Accuracy.high` which returns the finest location available but use more power than the `CoreTypes.Accuracy.any` option. `Accuracy.any` is considered to be about 100 meter accuracy.
`updateDistance`	`number`	Optional: Specifies how often to update the location. Update distance filter in meters. Read more in Apple document and/or Google documents
`updateTime`	`number`	Interval between location updates, in milliseconds (ignored on iOS). Read more in Google document. Defaults to `1 minute`
`minimumUpdateTime`	`number`	Optional: Minimum time interval between location updates, in milliseconds (ignored on iOS). Read more in Google document.
`maximumAge`	`number`	Optional: The maximum age of the location data, in `ms`.
`timeout`	`number`	Optional: It indicates how long, in `ms`, to wait for a location. Defaults to `5 minutes`.
`iosAllowsBackgroundLocationUpdates`	`boolean`	Optional: Indicates whether to allow the application to receive location updates in the background (ignored on Android). Defaults to `false`. If enabled, the `UIBackgroundModes` key in `Info.plist` is required. A. Read more in Apple document
`iosPausesLocationUpdatesAutomatically`	`boolean`	Indicates whether to allow the deactivation of the automatic pause of location updates (ignored on Android). Read more in Apple document

Breaking changes

9.0+:
- watchLocation is now async in order to check for permissions before attempting to watch

Known issues

openSettingsIfLocationHasBeenDenied on Android API level 30

If the user declines the permission twice during the installation lifetime of the app on Android API level 30 , the user won't be taken to the settings even if the openSettingsIfLocationHasBeenDenied option is true for enableLocationRequest().

License

Apache License Version 2.0

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