[Help Wanted]: iOS — DesiredAccuracy.Medium still maps to High Location Energy / GPS-class (NearestTenMeters)? Docs say Medium is Wifi+Cellular only

[lavpreetsandhu]

Required Reading

• Confirmed

Plugin Version

5.3.0

Mobile operating-system(s)

• iOS
• Android

Device Manufacturer(s) and Model(s)

iPhone 13, 11

Device operating-systems(s)

iOS 26.5

React Native / Expo version

React Native 0.84.0

What do you require assistance about?

Expected Behavior
Per docs (DesiredAccuracy.Medium = Wifi + Cellular; “Only DESIRED_ACCURACY_HIGH uses GPS”), after:

BackgroundGeolocation.setConfig({
  geolocation: { desiredAccuracy: BackgroundGeolocation.DesiredAccuracy.Medium } // 10
});

Core Location should leave the GPS / Best energy path (similar to Low → HundredMeters).

Actual Behavior

Xcode Power Profiler → Location Energy:

1. Plugin starts with kCLLocationAccuracyBest briefly (TSLocationRequestService startUpdatingLocked) → Location Energy High
3. After onChangeDesiredAccuracy → kCLLocationAccuracyNearestTenMeters (Medium) → Location Energy stays High
5. With Low (100) → kCLLocationAccuracyHundredMeters → Location Energy drops to Low

Same on mock GPS and a real drive. Fixes under Medium often still have meter-level coords.accuracy + speed/heading.

Steps to Reproduce

1. ready() with config below (iOS), start()
2. setConfig({ geolocation: { desiredAccuracy: DesiredAccuracy.Medium, distanceFilter: 50, elasticityMultiplier: 1 } })
3. Confirm getState().geolocation.desiredAccuracy === 10
4. Record Power Profiler; watch CL accuracy events + Location Energy

Context / question

Is Medium expected to use kCLLocationAccuracyNearestTenMeters and stay GPS-class / High energy on iOS?

If we need no GPS when idle (viewers=0), should we use Low / VeryLow instead of Medium?

Could any of these keep GPS-class location on even after Medium?

• activityType: AutomotiveNavigation
• disableElasticity: false + distanceFilter/elasticity
• Kalman filter (LocationFilterPolicy.Adjust, Aggressive)
• Motion / changePace / stop-detection creating a second CLLocationManager at Best

Evidence
Instruments CL: Best → NearestTenMeters; Location Energy remains High
Contrast: Low → HundredMeters; Location Energy Low

[Optional] Plugin Code and/or Config

await BackgroundGeolocation.ready({
  reset: true,
  geolocation: {
    desiredAccuracy: BackgroundGeolocation.DesiredAccuracy.High, // bootstrap
    distanceFilter: 30,          // iOS baseline; later setConfig → 50 when idle
    elasticityMultiplier: 1,
    disableElasticity: false,
    stopTimeout: 3,
    activityType: BackgroundGeolocation.ActivityType.AutomotiveNavigation,
    locationAuthorizationRequest: 'Any',
    showsBackgroundLocationIndicator: true,
    locationUpdateInterval: 2500,          // mainly Android
    fastestLocationUpdateInterval: 2000,
    deferTime: 0,
    geofenceProximityRadius: 150,
    geofenceInitialTriggerEntry: false,
    filter: {
      policy: BackgroundGeolocation.LocationFilterPolicy.Adjust,
      useKalman: true,
      kalmanProfile: BackgroundGeolocation.KalmanProfile.Aggressive,
      burstWindow: 3,
      trackingAccuracyThreshold: 50,
    },
  },
  activity: {
    minimumActivityRecognitionConfidence: 75,
    activityRecognitionInterval: 10000,
  },
  app: {
    stopOnTerminate: false,
    startOnBoot: true,
    enableHeadless: true,
  },
  persistence: {
    persistMode: BackgroundGeolocation.PersistMode.None,
  },
  logger: { debug: false, logLevel: BackgroundGeolocation.LogLevel.Off },
});

// Idle / no viewers:
await BackgroundGeolocation.setConfig({
  geolocation: {
    distanceFilter: 50,
    elasticityMultiplier: 1,
    desiredAccuracy: BackgroundGeolocation.DesiredAccuracy.Medium, // 10
    disableElasticity: false,
  },
});

[Optional] Relevant log output

[github-actions]

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