Mastodawn

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland

So, on an iPhone, if you allow an app to have background location access it'll just nag you nonstop until you give in and disable access to it?

How is that not an anti-competitive measure to promote their own Find My network? Like I get the security side of it, but as a user I should be able to permanently whitelist an app to have background location access.

People defend the decision by saying it's a security measure, which kind of baffles me because 1) no it's not, it's clearly a way to hamstring apps like Tile from using location access, and 2) at that point you're just saying that you deserve to have Apple treat you like you're a complete moron with your own device.

#iPhone #iOS #Apple

toddbuddy Apr 13, 2025

@Rusty you’re using it wrong

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 13, 2025

The antennagate gaslighting was wild.

Rad Joshua Apr 13, 2025

@Rusty is this not the case for other third party apps on iOS? The two apps I have granted "always" access to my location including precise location are the FUJIFILM XApp and a medical device app. Neither nag me and both regularly find and talk to Bluetooth devices. What's different about Tile?

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 13, 2025

@RadJoshua It does it for every app. Do they have background location access? If they're only granted permission to access your location when the app is in the foreground, it won't nag you.

Rad Joshua Apr 13, 2025

@Rusty thankfully the FujiFilm app works without needing to run it or leave open in the foreground since I'd 100% forget to do that & not get geotagging on my photos. macOS does frequently make me re-grant screen recording access to OBS. I'd prefer a scary red menu bar icon that shows a list of apps w/access to screen, mic, cam etc over the dialog. I wonder if the Fuji app would have a harder time if Apple had a competing product/service?

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 13, 2025

@RadJoshua Maybe, but the background locations access popup is universal to any app that's using it. That said, the notification goes away over time and will nag you less and less as time goes on, so maybe your apps have just had that location access long enough that it doesn't nag.

Rad Joshua Apr 21, 2025

@Rusty you cursed me, following the last beta update I got a notification that the Fuji app has been tracking my location in the background. Chose always allow and haven't seen it since but really hope it doesn't start nagging me like you

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 21, 2025

@RadJoshua sorry I didn't mean to

Grumpywolfdaddy Apr 14, 2025

@Rusty i also hate this system. Particularly hypocritical that none of their first party apps ever need to request access again. Lots of implied "we know better than you" by not providing a true permanent setting.

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 14, 2025

@grumpywolfdaddy Well the real reason is because they want to block apps like Tile, but they can't single them out so they just do it with every third-party app. You should only be using their apps anyway, after all.

But yeah, the Apple fanboys that defend it confuse me. It feels really demeaning as a user.

moss 🦌🐕Apr 14, 2025

@Rusty ugh I get nagged by things like the apple weather and astronomy widgets all the time and I just want it to stop. I put them on my Lock Screen or watch face, clearly I want them to work.

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 14, 2025

@moss I don't understand the repeated nags and why it pops up over the screen. When Android does a nag it at least plunks it into a silent notification that, like, is obviously there, but doesn't interrupt what I'm doing

It really feels like Apple is trying to be intentionally annoying. The fact that they don't nag about their own Find My background access makes me think it's intentionally nefarious.

Kay Ohtie 🔜 FWA Apr 14, 2025

@Rusty Android it usually will just pop a notification every so often but it's easily swiped away. It tends to just be a reminder that "hey, you gave this app background access fyi" in case you didn't realize. Definitely isn't a "you should only use our find" thing because some food apps even ask for that permission, and it's super infrequently shown. I only ever see it like maybe monthly at most.

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 14, 2025

@KayOhtie I only get silent notifications for apps I've given accessibility access to, and even those notifications seem to have cooled off.

blobfoxthinkgoogly

Putting silent notifications is such a huge improvement over Apple's nonsense. Then again, does iOS even support silent notifications? Their notification system seems pretty awful.

@Rusty I’ve recently been getting nagged for the same thing, for Apple’s own weather app. Lol

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 19, 2025

@forgifuzzbutt I don't get why they exempt the Find My service from the nag but not their own weather app

Oasus Plainsview

@Rusty @forgifuzzbutt That's really fucking stupid

Rusty Corgi ➡️ Furcationland Apr 19, 2025

@itsOasus @forgifuzzbutt I wonder if they just wanted something to point to if app developers point out that they're giving their own apps an unfair advantage. "Nuh uh, we're not leveraging our platform to benefit our own products. See?? The weather app is annoying!!"

Like if it wasn't meant to be anti-competitive I feel like they'd let you shut off the nag in the settings.