iOS location tracking enabled but no history appears in HexnodeSolved

For iOS devices, location history will appear only after a few device-side requirements are met:

1. Location Services must be enabled on the iPhone under Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.

2. Location permission for the Hexnode app must be set to Always.

3. The Hexnode app must be installed and opened at least once after enrollment.

4. The device must have a stable internet connection.

5. A new location update is sent only when the device moves more than 500 meters from its previous known location.

If the app was installed but never launched after enrollment, location tracking registration may not complete, and the portal may not receive location history even if the policy is assigned.

Regards,
Mary Romero

The phones were enrolled and then handed out, but I didn’t open the Hexnode app on them after installation. I assumed applying the policy from the portal was enough. Can the “Always” location permission be pushed automatically to iPhones?

Apple does not allow MDM solutions to fully enforce GPS/location access remotely for an app in the same way some other settings can be managed. The user may need to open the Hexnode app once and grant the required location permission when prompted.

The recommended immediate step is to ask users to launch the Hexnode app once and set location access to Always when prompted. After that, location updates should start reporting, provided Location Services is enabled, the device has internet access, and the movement threshold is met.

As a preventive workaround, you can use Screen Time restrictions on the device to reduce the chance of users changing location settings later:

1. Open Settings > Screen Time.

2. Turn on Screen Time.

3. Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions and enable it.

4. Open Location Services.

5. Confirm Location Services is enabled and the Hexnode app is set to Always.

6. Select Don’t Allow Changes to prevent users from modifying Location Services.

7. Set a Screen Time passcode so the restriction cannot be changed without the passcode.

This does not remove the need to initialize the app once, but it can help keep location settings from being changed afterward.

Regards,
Mary Romero