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You are here: Home / iPad / iPad: “Your Location Could Not be Determined”; Fix

iPad: “Your Location Could Not be Determined”; Fix

By SK 6 comments Last updated July 26, 2019

Some iPad users have reported receiving the error message “Your Location Could Not be Determined” when attempting to use location services in Maps or other applications.

Note that Wi-Fi-only iPads may not be able to determine location if connected to a Wi-Fi network in a rural area or another location where hotspots are sparse and the device is unable to triangulate itself.

Your iPad’s Location Services uses GPS, Bluetooth, crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspots, and cellular towers to determine your location. Consequently, its accuracy in determining location may also vary widely (see this Apple Knowledge Base article for an explanation of how iPad location services work).

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Contents

  • Potential Fixes for error “Your Location Could Not be Determined” on iPad
    • Submit location to Skyhook
    • Report this issue from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
  • Problems with Google Maps App?

Potential Fixes for error “Your Location Could Not be Determined” on iPad

  • Turn on Find my iPad: Visit your iCloud settings in Settings > Apple ID > iCloud and toggle on Find My. After a few minutes, location services may begin working again
  • Check for any Restrictions. Verify that you do not have Screen Time or any restrictions enabled for privacy and location services
  • Turn on your compass. Your iPad’s compass calibration might be turned off. Check Settings>Privacy>Location Services>System Services > Compass Calibration
  • Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services and make sure that Location Services and Maps is set to While Using.
  • Check your iPad’s date, time, and time zone. Go to Settings > General > Date & Time. If possible, use Set Automatically or set it manually, if desired

    Screenshot of the Date & Time settings with Set Automatically turned off
    With Set Automatically turned off you can manually choose the date and time.
  • Make sure that cellular data and/or Wi-Fi is turned on, and that you have an active connection

    Turn on these buttons if your iPhone cellular data is not working.
    Make sure cellular data is turned on!
  • Restart the Maps app. Open your app switcher and swipe up on the app and pause, then swipe up again on the app preview to close it. Then open Maps again
  • Restart or force restart your device how to force restart an iPad with no home button
    • On an iPad with no Home Button and iPhones 8 or later: Press and quickly release the Volume Up button. Press and quickly release the Volume Down button. Then press and hold the Side/Top/Power button until the device restarts.
    • On an iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus: Press and hold both the Side and Volume Down buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo.
    • On an iPhone 6s and earlier, iPad with a Home Button, or iPod touch: Press and hold both the Home and the Top (or Side) buttons for at least 10 seconds, until you see the Apple logo.
  • Try a different location or switch to a different Wi-Fi network by going to Settings > WiFi guest network on wifi
  • Go to a public wifi location and see if your location works at that location

Submit location to Skyhook

Wi-Fi-only iPads use Skyhook Wireless to determine location. As such, if your area is not in Skyhook’s database, your iPad may not be able to determine location.

Navigate to this page and map your location, then determine your Wi-Fi network’s MAC address and submit it.

Report this issue from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

You can report an issue from these Apple Maps features:

  • Map
  • Search
  • Navigation
  • Transit
  • Image quality
  1. Tap the “i” icon in the upper-right corner
  2. Tap Report an Issue report an issue for Apple Maps on iPhone iPad or iPod
  3. Select your issue from the options and follow the onscreen instructions to provide further information
  4. Choose if it’s okay or not for Apple to contact you with questions about your reported issue by going to Settings > Maps > Follow up by Email

Problems with Google Maps App?

  1. On your iPhone or iPad, open Settings > Privacy and then Location Services
  2. Make sure the switch next to “Location Services” is green
  3. Scroll down and select Google Maps
  4. Choose While Using the App or Always.  Location History works best for Google Maps when Location Services is set to Always
sudz - apple
SK

Obsessed with tech since the early arrival of A/UX on Apple, Sudz (SK) is responsible for the original editorial direction of AppleToolBox. He is based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Sudz specializes in covering all things macOS, having reviewed dozens of OS X and macOS developments over the years.

In a former life, Sudz worked helping Fortune 100 companies with their technology and business transformation aspirations.

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Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 6 Comments

  1. Jasmine says

    October 25, 2019 at 12:58 AM

    You are my saviour…. apple needs to hire you…….

    Reply
  2. Don863 says

    May 10, 2015 at 4:55 AM

    So, what good is ..find my phone if I pad cannot find location. Apple sucks.

    Reply
  3. Mohit says

    March 21, 2013 at 11:53 PM

    Apple location services are,pathetic. Never had such prob with google or android for that matter

    Reply
  4. Chris says

    April 2, 2011 at 12:07 AM

    Install google apps and open maps within there, this will find your location and mean all other location services start working. Seems location database is still linked to google despite apple saying it isn’t.

    Reply
    • der1949 says

      February 8, 2013 at 1:32 PM

      Installing google app didn’t work either

      Reply
  5. Tom Tolkien says

    July 12, 2010 at 12:38 PM

    This is poor – in other words to get location services working due to the bug in the ver4 upgrade users are required to pay a £59 subscription.

    I think apple should allow people the free trial without having to give out credit card details as this appears to be the only workaround.

    Not impressed – 2 hours ago before with ver3.1 everything was fine. After 4.0 – no location services.

    Reply

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