Ibeacon and Suggested apps - ios

I need to do that if is possible use the "Suggested apps" feature using IBeacons
This is my code:
self.beaconRegion = [[CLBeaconRegion alloc] initWithProximityUUID:uuid major:1 minor:1 identifier:#"EstimoteSampleRegion"];
self.locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
[self.locationManager startRangingBeaconsInRegion:self.beaconRegion];
[self.locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
[self.locationManager startUpdatingLocation];
Background method's are called,like didRangeBeacons, but my lockscreen is empty.
Thanks!

For the Suggested Apps feature, you need to use startMonitoringForRegion instead of the startRangingBeaconsInRegion.
Also, it seems you're doing ranging in the background ([self.locationManager startUpdatingLocation]; + a Background Mode for Location Services which I assume you enabled), you don't need that for the Suggested Apps feature. It'll drain the phone's battery (because it keeps the apps awake) and Apple usually rejects apps that do it without a good reason (e.g. a navigation app that's augmented with support for beacons).

Related

allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates only working for a few seconds

I have a bluetooth device that triggers location services in my app when a button is pressed. And location services do run, but only for about 8 seconds. I have an NSLog outputting Location Found in the didUpdateToLocation delegate method. It outputs that NSLog for only that 8 seconds.
When I put the app in the foreground, location services continue again. Here is how I initialize the location manager:
self.locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
[self.locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
[self.locationManager requestWhenInUseAuthorization];
self.locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest;
[self.locationManager setAllowsBackgroundLocationUpdates:YES];
[self.locationManager allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates];
When button is pressed, I run this:
[self.locationManager startUpdatingLocation];
You need enabling the background mode (location), as long as your location-manager is capable to receive location-updates, your app will receive all bluetooth data.
As #Paulw11 mentioned in comments, using significant-location-updates will drastically reduce battery usage.
Here is the link to Apple guide.
Here is the link to a question related to getting location updates in background.

iBeacon and iOS 9

I'm currently working on app that requires iBeacon monitoring.
I wrote the app one year ago, using iOS 8.x SDK.
It was working as it was supposed to, but now, one year from then, the same code doesn't work anymore (I'm testing it with the same beacons!).
Beacon regions detection has become much more unpredictable.
It has a will of its own.
Some beacons get detected, some are just ignored.
I couldn't find anything relevant on OpenRadar.
A few people complained about something similar on Apple Dev Forums, but Apple never came back to them.
Thoughts?
This is how I initialize the location manager.
self.locationManager = [CLLocationManager new];
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
// Worst accuracy is set in order to preserve battery life.
self.locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyThreeKilometers;
self.locationManager.allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates = YES;
// Required to keep the app living in the background.
// Background mode "Location Updates" is enabled.
[self.locationManager startUpdatingLocation];
I think before you were using geofences or CLCircular regions. Core location doesn't need any of that code to detect iBeacons. Try setting it up like this:
self.locationManager = [CLLocationManager new];
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
[self.locationManager startMonitoringForRegion:beaconRegion]; // Where "beaconRegion" is a CLBeaconRegion with a UUID that matches the beacon you want to detect (major & minor optional)
beaconRegion.notifyEntryStateOnDisplay = YES;
beaconRegion.notifyOnEntry = YES;
beaconRegion.notifyOnExit = YES;
You also need to add NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription to your info.plist. Once all that is done, you should begin getting enter and exit events for your beacons through these two methods:
- (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didEnterRegion:(CLRegion *)region;
- (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didExitRegion:(CLRegion *)region;

Is there anyway to monitor CLBeaconRegion without using CLLocationManager

In my current app i am using
self.locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
if ([_locationManager respondsToSelector:#selector(requestAlwaysAuthorization)])/
[_locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
//self.locationManager.allowsBackgroundLocationUpdates = YES;
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
[self.locationManager startMonitoringForRegion:tempRegio
[self.locationManager startRangingBeaconsInRegion:beaconRegion];
in this case nowhere i need to know user's location still my app asks that it will use you current location even when you're not using this app
Which is annoying for end user plus it constantly display purple arrow on the statubar indicating that the app uses GPS (Which it does not )
My question is
Can we have mechanism where we can scan the beacon without use of CLLocationManager
1 possible solution is to use CBCentralManager but i do not find a proper way where i can use it to detect beacons/ibeacons
Thanks

iOS 8 CLLocationManager enterRegion: not getting called if use requestWhenInUseAuthorization

I'm trying to get being called the delegate method locationManager:didEnterRegion in iOS 8 for custom region. Here is the code:
self.locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
self.locationManager.delegate = self;
if ([self.locationManager respondsToSelector:#selector(requestWhenInUseAuthorization)]) {
[self.locationManager requestWhenInUseAuthorization];
}
CLCircularRegion *region = [[CLCircularRegion alloc] initWithCenter:CLLocationCoordinate2DMake(20, 20) radius:1000 identifier:#"asda"];
region.notifyOnEntry = YES;
region.notifyOnExit = YES;
[self.locationManager startMonitoringForRegion:region];
It does call method locationManager:didStartMonitoringForRegion, but it doesn't call "enter" or "exit" region methods.
The one more strange thing is that it DOES work if I use requestAlwaysAuthorization for locationManager. But I need to get it worked with "When In Use".
Note: In iOS7 it works for both WhenInUse and Always Authorization methods.
region monitoring - it's not working with requestWhenInUseAuthorization
check Apple Docs:
".. “when-in-use” ... Apps cannot use any services that automatically relaunch the app, such as region monitoring or the significant location change service"
You must call requestAlwaysAuthorization!!!
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/CoreLocation/Reference/CLLocationManager_Class/index.html#//apple_ref/occ/instm/CLLocationManager/requestWhenInUseAuthorization

Is it possible to allow iBeacon app work properly without GPS?

I've been working on iOS app which interacts with iBeacon devices. Workflow is next:
if user near iBeacon then app receiving push notification from internet.
So for recognizing if user near some iBeacon needs to be turned on next modules:
gps
bluetooth
wifi/3G
push notification
The issue is that without turned on GPS module app can't find any iBeacons. It's weird since iBeacon technology works using bluetooth only.
How to solve the following problem?
I use Xcode 6.1.1, iOS 8, CoreLocation and CoreBluetooth frameworks.
Here is a code how I implemented:
if ([CLLocationManager locationServicesEnabled]) {
_locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
_locationManager.delegate = self;
if([_locationManager respondsToSelector:#selector(requestAlwaysAuthorization)]) {
[_locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
}
NSUUID *uuid = [[NSUUID alloc] initWithUUIDString:#"12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012"];
NSString *bundleIdentifier = [[NSBundle mainBundle] bundleIdentifier];
CLBeaconRegion *beaconRegion = [[CLBeaconRegion alloc] initWithProximityUUID:uuid
identifier:bundleIdentifier];
[_locationManager startMonitoringForRegion:beaconRegion];
[_locationManager startRangingBeaconsInRegion:beaconRegion];
}
else {
NSLog(#"location service is disabled");
}
You don't need GPS for iBeacon to work, but you do need Location Services.
This why I asked how you were "turning off the GPS", as I am not aware of any way in iOS that you can turn off the GPS receiver specifically.
When the user disables Location Services in the Settings app they aren't just turning off GPS - as the name says, they are turning off Location Services. Location Services in iOS refers to anything that can locate the user, which includes GPS, WiFi location and iBeacon.
No, without GPS, iBeacon will not work properly. CLLocation Manager is a class in the core location framework. The delegates of CLocation Manager will not get triggered without GPS. Here iBeacon works with the help of CLocation Manager.
- (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didEnterRegion:(CLRegion *)region;
This is the delegate that is getting triggered while an iBeacon is identified in a region. This delegate will not work without GPS.

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