iOS 5.1 , released this past Wednesday , brought a few additional features , but you might have missed a subtle Modern one if you ’re not a heavy user of the Reminders app introduced in iOS 5 : Your gadget will now alert you if you ’ve get a presently combat-ready geofence .
A geofence is a perimeter that triggers an alert when you pass through it . In the most common example , you set a reminder to do something when you leave or arrive at a placement .
As of Io 5.1 , your machine will now show a hollowed - out arrow in the position streak to signify when you have an active geofence . Similarly , that ikon will appear in preferences - > Location Services next to any app that is presently using a geofence . And , at the bottom of that options screen , Apple even takes the time to spell out just what a geofence is .
Thanks toprivacy business organization , Apple has become progressively persevering about letting you know when an app is currently access your location . Starting iniOS 4 , Apple begin providing a list of apps that have requested approach to your fix , along with the power to become disable that data on an app - by - app basis . In iOS 5 , the equipment even let you to switch off certain organization - layer features that use your locating , such as emplacement - base iAds , dealings data point , electric cell web look , and so on .
It could be this is simply a subject of Apple protecting itself against the next round of secrecy complaints , or it could be that geofencing is poised to become an even more significant feature of speech in a subsequent Io update . To date , Reminders remains the only app I ’ve look that uses geofences , though apps can ask for location data in the backdrop .
I ’d sure care to see more apps take advantage of geofencing . For example , my telephone set already knows when I ’m home — it’d be corking if I could congeal it to , say , not use a passcode while I was in my house , but enable that high security when I left . Or it could permit me recognize when I ’m near one of my friends , using Apple ’s line up My Friends app . Android already has apps that deactivate Wi - Fi when you leave palisade locations , potentially saving you battery animation as your headphone constantly looks for Wi - Fi networks . locating - mindful technology have enriched many smartphone experience , and it seems as though geofencing is one mode to raise those capabilities going onward .
