Permissions

Background location tracking requires runtime permissions on both Android and iOS. This guide covers the permission model for each platform, the recommended hook-based approach, and the manual PermissionsAndroid alternative for Android.

The useLocationPermissions Hook (Recommended)

The useLocationPermissions hook provides a unified cross-platform permission API. It handles the correct multi-step sequencing on both platforms automatically.

import {
  useLocationPermissions,
  LocationPermissionStatus,
  NotificationPermissionStatus,
} from '@gabriel-sisjr/react-native-background-location';

function PermissionGate({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  const {
    permissionStatus,
    requestPermissions,
    checkPermissions,
    isRequesting,
  } = useLocationPermissions();

  if (!permissionStatus.location.hasPermission) {
    return (
      <View style={{ flex: 1, justifyContent: 'center', padding: 20 }}>
        <Text>Location permission is required to track trips.</Text>
        <Button
          title={isRequesting ? 'Requesting...' : 'Grant Permissions'}
          onPress={requestPermissions}
          disabled={isRequesting}
        />
        {permissionStatus.location.status === LocationPermissionStatus.BLOCKED && (
          <Button
            title="Open Settings"
            onPress={() => Linking.openSettings()}
          />
        )}
      </View>
    );
  }

  return <>{children}</>;
}

Permission State Shape

The permissionStatus object returned by the hook uses a granular nested structure:

interface PermissionState {
  hasAllPermissions: boolean;      // true only when both location AND notification are granted
  location: {
    hasPermission: boolean;        // true if location access is granted
    status: LocationPermissionStatus;
    canRequestAgain: boolean;
  };
  notification: {
    hasPermission: boolean;        // true if notification permission is granted
    status: NotificationPermissionStatus;
    canRequestAgain: boolean;      // true only when status is UNDETERMINED
  };
}

Note: hasAllPermissions requires both location and notification permissions. If you only need to check location (which is sufficient for tracking), use permissionStatus.location.hasPermission instead.

Return Values

Property	Type	Description
permissionStatus	PermissionState	Current state of location and notification permissions
requestPermissions	() => Promise<boolean>	Requests all permissions. Returns true if location is granted
checkPermissions	() => Promise<boolean>	Checks current status without prompting. Returns true if location is granted
isRequesting	boolean	true while a permission request is in progress

What requestPermissions Does

On Android, requestPermissions() executes three sequential steps:

1. Requests ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION + ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION (foreground)
2. Requests ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION separately (Android 10+)
3. Requests POST_NOTIFICATIONS (Android 13+) or checks via native module (older versions)

On iOS, requestPermissions() executes two sequential steps:

1. Requests location permission with WhenInUse-to-Always escalation via CLLocationManager
2. Requests notification permission via UNUserNotificationCenter

Notification permission denial is non-blocking -- requestPermissions() returns true as long as location permission is granted. Check permissionStatus.notification separately if you need notification state.

---

Android Permission Model

Android uses a layered permission system where each permission level must be requested separately and in the correct order.

Required Manifest Permissions

These must be declared in AndroidManifest.xml (see Installation):

Permission	When Required	Purpose
ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION	Always	GPS-based location
ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION	Always	Network-based location
ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION	Android 10+ (API 29+)	Location when app is not visible
FOREGROUND_SERVICE	Always	Required for background service
FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION	Android 14+ (API 34+)	Foreground service type declaration
POST_NOTIFICATIONS	Android 13+ (API 33+)	Show foreground service notification

Runtime Permission Flow

The correct order for requesting permissions on Android is critical. Requesting background and foreground permissions together will silently fail on Android 11+.

Step 1: Foreground Location
  ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION + ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
    |
    v
Step 2: Background Location (Android 10+)
  ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
  (must be a separate request)
    |
    v
Step 3: Notification (Android 13+)
  POST_NOTIFICATIONS

Android API Level Differences

API Level	Android Version	Permission Behavior
24-28	7.0 -- 9.0	Foreground permission grants background access automatically
29	10	Background location requires separate ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION request
30+	11+	Background location must be requested separately (combined request silently fails)
33+	13+	Notification permission (POST_NOTIFICATIONS) required at runtime
34+	14+	FOREGROUND_SERVICE_LOCATION type must be declared

Manual Android Permissions (Without Hook)

If you prefer to manage permissions manually using React Native's PermissionsAndroid API:

import { PermissionsAndroid, Platform, Alert, Linking } from 'react-native';

async function requestLocationPermissions(): Promise<boolean> {
  if (Platform.OS !== 'android') return true;

  // Step 1: Request foreground permissions
  const foreground = await PermissionsAndroid.requestMultiple([
    PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION,
    PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION,
  ]);

  const foregroundGranted =
    foreground['android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION'] === 'granted' ||
    foreground['android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION'] === 'granted';

  if (!foregroundGranted) {
    return false;
  }

  // Step 2: Request background permission (Android 10+)
  if (Number(Platform.Version) >= 29) {
    // Show rationale before the system dialog
    await new Promise<void>((resolve) => {
      Alert.alert(
        'Background Location',
        'To track your location when the app is closed, please select '
        + '"Allow all the time" on the next screen.',
        [{ text: 'Continue', onPress: () => resolve() }]
      );
    });

    const background = await PermissionsAndroid.request(
      PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
    );

    if (background !== 'granted') {
      return false;
    }
  }

  // Step 3: Request notification permission (Android 13+)
  if (Number(Platform.Version) >= 33) {
    await PermissionsAndroid.request(
      PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.POST_NOTIFICATIONS
    );
    // Notification denial is non-blocking for tracking
  }

  return true;
}

Checking Android Permissions

async function checkPermissions(): Promise<{
  foreground: boolean;
  background: boolean;
  notification: boolean;
}> {
  if (Platform.OS !== 'android') {
    return { foreground: true, background: true, notification: true };
  }

  const fine = await PermissionsAndroid.check(
    PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
  );
  const coarse = await PermissionsAndroid.check(
    PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION
  );
  const background =
    Number(Platform.Version) >= 29
      ? await PermissionsAndroid.check(
          PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION
        )
      : true;
  const notification =
    Number(Platform.Version) >= 33
      ? await PermissionsAndroid.check(
          PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.POST_NOTIFICATIONS
        )
      : true;

  return {
    foreground: fine || coarse,
    background,
    notification,
  };
}

Handling "Never Ask Again" (Android)

When a user selects "Don't ask again" on Android, you can no longer show the system permission dialog. Direct them to Settings:

const result = await PermissionsAndroid.request(
  PermissionsAndroid.PERMISSIONS.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION
);

if (result === PermissionsAndroid.RESULTS.NEVER_ASK_AGAIN) {
  Alert.alert(
    'Permission Required',
    'Location permission was permanently denied. Please enable it in Settings.',
    [
      { text: 'Cancel', style: 'cancel' },
      { text: 'Open Settings', onPress: () => Linking.openSettings() },
    ]
  );
}

The hook handles this automatically -- check permissionStatus.location.status === 'blocked' and canRequestAgain === false.

---

iOS Permission Model

iOS uses a two-tier location permission model and a separate notification permission.

Permission Flow

Step 1: WhenInUse Authorization
  CLLocationManager.requestWhenInUseAuthorization()
  User sees: "Allow While Using App" / "Don't Allow"
    |
    v
Step 2: Always Authorization (escalation)
  CLLocationManager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
  User sees: "Change to Always Allow" / "Keep Only While Using"
    |
    v
Step 3: Notification Authorization
  UNUserNotificationCenter.requestAuthorization()
  User sees: "Allow Notifications" / "Don't Allow"

The useLocationPermissions hook handles all three steps when you call requestPermissions().

Location Permission Status Values

Status	CLAuthorizationStatus	Meaning
undetermined	.notDetermined	User has not been asked yet
whenInUse	.authorizedWhenInUse	Foreground only -- app can track while visible
granted	.authorizedAlways	Full background tracking support
denied	.denied	User explicitly denied
blocked	.restricted	Restricted by parental controls or MDM

Notification Permission Status Values

Status	UNAuthorizationStatus	Meaning
undetermined	.notDetermined	User has not been asked yet
granted	.authorized	Notifications allowed
denied	.denied	User denied -- tracking still works

iOS Permission Behavior

Key differences from Android:

• One-shot dialogs: iOS shows each permission dialog only once. If denied, the user must change the setting manually in Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services
• WhenInUse is partial: With whenInUse permission, tracking works while the app is in the foreground or recently backgrounded, but is not reliable for long-term background tracking
• Always is required for background: For reliable background tracking, the user must grant "Always" permission
• Notification is independent: Notification denial does not affect location tracking or geofence detection -- only visual notification display
• No foreground notification: iOS uses a blue status bar indicator instead of a notification. All notificationOptions are silently ignored

Directing Users to Settings (iOS)

When permission is denied on iOS, direct the user to the app's settings page:

import { Linking, Platform } from 'react-native';

function openAppSettings() {
  if (Platform.OS === 'ios') {
    Linking.openURL('app-settings:');
  } else {
    Linking.openSettings();
  }
}

---

Notification Permission

Notification permission is separate from location permission on both platforms:

Platform	When Required	Impact of Denial
Android 13+ (API 33+)	At runtime	Foreground service notification may not appear, but tracking continues
Android < 13	Auto-granted	N/A
iOS	At runtime	Geofence transition alerts will not display, but detection continues

The hook requests notification permission as the final step after location permission. Notification denial is non-blocking -- the return value of requestPermissions() only reflects location permission status.

To check notification permission separately:

const { permissionStatus } = useLocationPermissions();

if (!permissionStatus.notification.hasPermission) {
  console.warn('Notifications disabled -- geofence alerts will not appear');
}

---

Permission Decision Tree

Use this to determine the minimum permissions your app needs:

Use Case	Location Permission	Background	Notification
Foreground-only tracking	Foreground (fine/coarse)	Not needed	Optional
Background tracking	Foreground + Background	Required	Recommended
Background tracking + geofence alerts	Foreground + Background	Required	Required for alerts

For foreground-only tracking, you can skip the background permission request entirely:

import { startTracking } from '@gabriel-sisjr/react-native-background-location';

// No background permission needed
const tripId = await startTracking({
  foregroundOnly: true,
});

---

Google Play and App Store Compliance

Google Play (Android)

Before publishing to Google Play with background location:

1. In-app disclosure: Show a prominent explanation before requesting background location
2. Privacy policy: Disclose location data collection, background access, and data retention
3. Play Console declarations: Complete Data Safety Form and Sensitive App Permissions form

See the Production guide for complete compliance details.

App Store (iOS)

Apple reviews location usage descriptions during App Review:

1. All three NSLocation* Info.plist keys must be present and clearly written
2. Privacy manifest must declare location data collection
3. App must have a legitimate reason for "Always" authorization

See the iOS Setup for Info.plist requirements.

Next Steps

• Quick Start -- Start tracking with a working example
• iOS Setup -- iOS-specific configuration details
• Hooks Guide -- Complete hooks API documentation
• Google Play Compliance -- Publishing requirements for Android