Mobile location services have become the backbone of countless apps we use daily—from food delivery and ridesharing to fitness tracking and social media check-ins. As a mobile app developer, you'll quickly discover that implementing GPS and geolocation features isn't as straightforward as it might seem, particularly when you're building for both iOS and Android platforms.
The challenge lies in the fact that Apple and Google have developed completely different approaches to handling location data. iOS uses its own Location Services framework, whilst Android relies on the Google Play Services Location API (and the newer Fused Location Provider). These aren't just different names for the same thing—they're fundamentally different systems with their own quirks, permissions models, and implementation requirements.
The biggest mistake developers make is assuming location services work the same way across platforms—they absolutely don't
What makes this particularly tricky is that users expect location features to work seamlessly regardless of which device they're using. Your app needs to request permissions properly, handle battery optimisation, manage accuracy settings, and deal with background location tracking—all whilst following each platform's specific guidelines and user experience patterns. Getting it wrong can result in poor battery performance, rejected app submissions, or worse, users who simply delete your app because the location features don't work as expected. The good news is that once you understand the platform differences and implementation strategies, you can build robust cross-platform location services that work brilliantly on both iOS and Android.
Understanding Location Services Basics
Location services are one of those features that users expect to just work—and work well. When someone opens a map app or checks in at a restaurant, they don't think about the complex systems running behind the scenes; they just want their phone to know where they are.
At its core, location services help apps determine a device's geographical position using various methods. GPS is probably the most well-known, but it's not the only player in the game. Your phone also uses Wi-Fi networks, mobile towers, and even Bluetooth beacons to figure out where you are. Each method has its own strengths: GPS works brilliantly outdoors but struggles indoors, whilst Wi-Fi positioning can be more accurate in buildings but relies on having known network databases.
How Phones Actually Know Where You Are
The process is more clever than you might think. Your device constantly scans for signals—whether that's satellites overhead or the coffee shop's Wi-Fi router. It then cross-references this information with huge databases to pinpoint your location. The accuracy can range from a few metres to several kilometres, depending on which signals are available and how strong they are.
Privacy and Permissions
Here's where things get interesting from a development perspective. Both iOS and Android have strict rules about when and how apps can access location data. Users must explicitly grant permission, and they can choose different levels of access—like only when using the app versus all the time. This means we developers need to be really thoughtful about when we ask for location permissions and how we explain why we need them. Get this wrong, and users will simply say no, leaving your app without the data it needs to function properly.
iOS Location Framework Deep Dive
Apple's Core Location framework has been the backbone of iOS location services since the platform's early days, and frankly, it's one of the more straightforward APIs to work with once you understand its quirks. The framework handles everything from basic GPS positioning to complex geofencing operations, but what makes it particularly interesting is how Apple has designed it with privacy at its core.
The main player here is CLLocationManager, which acts as your gateway to all location functionality. You'll need to request permissions before accessing any location data—Apple takes this seriously and your app will simply fail silently if you don't follow the rules properly. The permission model offers two main options: "When In Use" and "Always" authorisation, each serving different purposes depending on your app's needs.
Key Components You'll Work With
When building with Core Location, you'll primarily interact with these classes and their specific roles:
- CLLocationManager - Your main interface for all location requests and settings
- CLLocation - Individual location readings with coordinates, altitude, and accuracy data
- CLGeocoder - Converts between addresses and coordinate pairs
- CLRegion - Defines geographical boundaries for monitoring
- CLBeacon - Handles proximity detection using Bluetooth beacons
Accuracy and Battery Trade-offs
One thing I've learned over years of iOS development is that accuracy settings make a huge difference to battery life. Apple provides several preset accuracy levels, from kCLLocationAccuracyBestForNavigation (which drains battery quickly) down to kCLLocationAccuracyThreeKilometers (which sips power gently). Most apps don't need pinpoint accuracy, so choosing the right level saves your users' battery and keeps them happy.
Always call stopUpdatingLocation() when you no longer need location data. Leaving location services running unnecessarily is one of the fastest ways to drain a user's battery and get negative reviews.
Android Location API Breakdown
Android's location services have evolved quite a bit over the years, and honestly, they can feel a bit overwhelming at first. The good news is that Google has made things much more straightforward with their fused location provider—it's part of Google Play Services and does most of the heavy lifting for you.
The fused location provider is clever because it combines data from GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks to give you the most accurate location possible whilst being kind to your battery. Before this existed, developers had to manually juggle between different location providers, which was a proper headache.
Key Components You'll Work With
When building location features on Android, you'll mainly interact with a few core components. The LocationRequest class lets you specify how often you want location updates and how accurate they need to be. The LocationCallback handles what happens when new location data arrives. And FusedLocationProviderClient is your main interface for requesting location services.
Permissions on Android work differently than iOS—you've got coarse location (network-based) and fine location (GPS-based) permissions. Users can grant one without the other, so your app needs to handle both scenarios gracefully.
Implementation Approach
- Request appropriate location permissions in your manifest
- Check for runtime permissions before accessing location services
- Create a LocationRequest with your desired accuracy and update intervals
- Set up a LocationCallback to handle incoming location data
- Use FusedLocationProviderClient to start and stop location updates
One thing that catches developers out is background location restrictions. Recent Android versions have tightened up significantly on apps that want location data when they're not actively being used—and rightly so from a privacy standpoint.
Platform-Specific Implementation Differences
After working with both iOS location services and Android location API for years, I can tell you the differences between these platforms go far beyond just different programming languages. Each system has its own personality when it comes to handling location data—and understanding these quirks will save you countless hours of debugging.
The most obvious difference is how each platform handles permissions. iOS takes a more protective approach, asking users for permission at the exact moment your app needs location access. Android, on the other hand, traditionally required permissions upfront during installation, though newer versions have adopted a more iOS-like approach. This means your permission handling code will look completely different on each platform.
Battery Life and Power Management
Here's where things get interesting. iOS has always been quite aggressive about battery optimisation—if your app isn't being used actively, the system will throttle location updates pretty quickly. Android gives you more control but with that comes more responsibility; you can easily create a battery-draining monster if you're not careful with your location request parameters.
The biggest mistake developers make is assuming that cross-platform GPS implementation is just about translating code from one language to another—it's really about understanding two completely different philosophies.
Accuracy and Update Frequency
iOS tends to be more conservative with location updates, often providing fewer but more accurate readings. Android gives you granular control over update intervals and accuracy requirements, which can be both a blessing and a curse depending on your use case. The way each platform handles indoor positioning and GPS signal loss also varies significantly, with iOS generally being more graceful in degraded signal conditions whilst Android provides more detailed information about signal quality and satellite connectivity.
Cross-Platform Development Strategies
After working with both iOS and Android location services for years, I can tell you that cross-platform development isn't just about writing code once and running it everywhere—it's about making smart choices that save time without compromising quality. The reality is that location-based apps have enough platform-specific quirks to make you pull your hair out if you're not prepared.
React Native and Flutter have become the go-to solutions for most teams tackling location-based apps. React Native gives you access to native modules like react-native-geolocation-service, which handles the differences between Core Location and Android's Location API behind the scenes. Flutter's geolocator package does something similar. Both frameworks let you write your business logic once whilst still accessing platform-specific features when needed.
Handling Platform Differences Gracefully
The trick is building abstraction layers that account for each platform's quirks. iOS requests permission differently than Android—and Android's permission model changes between versions. Your cross-platform code needs to handle these differences gracefully rather than pretending they don't exist.
I've found that hybrid approaches work best for complex location apps. Use a cross-platform framework for your core app logic, but don't be afraid to write native modules for performance-critical location tracking or when you need features that aren't well-supported cross-platform yet.
Testing Across Platforms
Location services behave differently on different devices—battery optimisation, GPS accuracy, and background processing all vary. Test extensively on real devices, not just simulators. What works perfectly on an iPhone might drain an Android phone's battery in two hours, and you won't know until you test it properly.
Conclusion
Building location-based apps across different platforms doesn't have to be a headache—but it does require some careful planning. After working with both iOS location services and Android location APIs for years, I've learned that each platform has its own personality. iOS tends to be more straightforward with its Core Location framework, whilst Android gives you more flexibility but requires a bit more setup work.
The biggest differences you'll encounter are around permissions and battery optimisation. Android's background location restrictions have become much stricter over time, which is good for users but means more work for developers. iOS has always been protective of user privacy, so you'll need to be crystal clear about why your app needs location data. Both platforms are heading in the same direction—giving users more control—but they're taking slightly different routes to get there.
When it comes to cross-platform GPS development, you've got solid options like React Native and Flutter that can handle most location requirements. They won't give you every single native feature, but they'll cover probably 90% of what most apps need. For simple location tracking and mapping, they work brilliantly; for complex geofencing or precise indoor positioning, you might need to write some native code.
The mobile geolocation development landscape keeps evolving, with new privacy requirements and battery optimisations appearing regularly. The key is understanding these platform differences upfront so you can design your app architecture accordingly. Whether you go native or cross-platform, getting location services right from the start will save you countless hours down the road.
