Understand location permissions
Driver App uses device permission state to decide when to show maps, location-dependent controls, or a request to review device Settings. Permission availability and labels vary by platform and operating-system version.
Do not treat one prompt, one selection, a returned screen, or an open map as proof that every requested permission is effective or that location sharing is active.
:::warning Location access and location sharing are separate
Granting a device permission changes operating-system access. It does not by itself prove that Driver App has a fresh position, is tracking in the background, sent a location, or made that location visible to another person.
:::
Availability
A location permission surface can appear after startup or the tutorial, when you open Map view, or when a delivery control needs location access. When Driver App's permission state does not pass the relevant local gate, the app can show an explanation with Go to settings instead of the map or requested action.
The current source has more than one local permission gate. A gate controls what Driver App presents; it is not an operating-system receipt and does not establish that all platform requirements were checked or granted.
State and result matrix
| State | What it means | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Declared | The packaged app identifies a device capability it may use | That the current device can grant it or that the app requested it |
| Requested | Driver App asked the operating system for one or more permissions | That the person responded or that every result was granted |
| Granted | The operating system returned a granted result for a particular permission | That another required permission is granted or that tracking started |
| Denied | The operating system returned a denied result | That the denial is permanent or that Settings is the only recovery path |
| Blocked or unavailable | The operating system or device does not currently offer the permission through the request flow | That the device has no location service or that account access failed |
| Local gate passed | Driver App's current state allows the guarded surface or background setup to advance | That all effective permission results settled correctly |
| Go to settings visible | Driver App offers a handoff to device Settings | That Settings opened, a value changed, or the app rechecked successfully |
| Map or delivery surface visible | Navigation selected the product surface | That a fresh location exists or any location effect completed |
Requested access by platform
The permission set in current Driver App source changes with the operating system:
| Platform | Source-selected permission family | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| iOS | When-in-use and always-location access | The operating system controls sequencing, labels, and effective status |
| Android 11 or newer | Precise location, approximate location, and physical-activity access | This source-selected list is not proof that every item is effectively declared or granted |
| Android 10 | The effective combined request set is not established by the inspected permission logic | Confirm the packaged build and device behavior with the app owner; do not infer the four-item set or completeness |
| Earlier Android versions | Precise location | Device and OS behavior still own the effective result |
The packaged declarations and the source-selected request list are related but not identical concepts. Driver App documentation therefore does not certify a complete permission set for a particular build, device, or store release.
Settings and return behavior
Selecting Go to settings hands control to the device operating system. The available page, labels, and choices belong to iOS or Android, not Driver App. After you return to Driver App, the app can recheck permission state and update the current surface.
Keep these transitions separate:
- Go to settings was selected.
- Device Settings opened.
- A particular permission changed.
- Driver App returned to the foreground.
- Driver App rechecked the permission.
- A guarded surface became available.
No earlier step proves a later one. A separate iOS prompt about persistent notification banners can also open Settings; that notification setting is not a location permission result.
Effects and boundaries
Checking permission state is local to the device. Requesting permission can show an operating-system prompt, and Go to settings leaves Driver App for an external system surface. Those are real device interactions, not passive reads.
If effective access and other app conditions later allow location features, separate components can read device position, start or stop tracking, log events, or request a location update. This article does not establish that any of those actions ran, settled, or reached another system.
Troubleshooting
Map view shows the permission explanation
Review the message currently shown. If you intend to change device access, select Go to settings once and use the controls offered by the operating system. Return to Driver App and wait for the screen to refresh. Do not infer that the change settled only because the app returned to the foreground.
The expected permission is missing from Settings
Permission availability varies by device, operating-system version, packaged declarations, and prior choices. Confirm that you are viewing Settings for the current Driver App. If the expected control remains absent, contact the operator that provides the app; repeatedly reopening Settings does not add a missing declaration.
Access looks granted but a guarded action is unavailable
One granted permission may not satisfy another platform requirement or the current Driver App gate. Reopen the affected surface once and follow the state shown there. Do not repeat a delivery or status action to test location permissions.
Map view opens but location is missing or stale
An open map is only a navigation result. Device location services, effective permission, position freshness, connectivity, and later app processing remain separate. Do not treat a displayed position as usable until the visible location-validation state has also been resolved.
Related guides: Driver App overview · Understand startup and loading · Sign in as a driver