react-native-geolocation-provider

Native Core Location and Android LocationManager bindings for React Native.

Why this package exists

This package is intended as a maintained replacement for @react-native-community/geolocation. The community package has seen limited maintenance for modern React Native versions, while many applications still need a small native geolocation API that works with current Android, iOS, and React Native New Architecture tooling.

It is implemented as a React Native TurboModule using codegen, rather than the deprecated legacy bridge module used by older geolocation packages. The JavaScript API keeps the familiar getCurrentPosition, watchPosition, clearWatch, and stopObserving methods so existing usage can be migrated with minimal application changes.

Installation

yarn add react-native-geolocation-provider
cd ios && pod install

The application remains responsible for deciding when to request runtime location permission. Add NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription to the iOS application Info.plist. Android coarse and fine location permissions are merged from this library's manifest.

Repository structure

This project is a monorepo managed using Yarn workspaces. It contains the library package at the repository root and the React Native example app in example.

Example app

The example app provides a simple manual test screen for the native module. It includes separate buttons for one-shot current location requests and continuous watch updates, plus an on-screen log panel for positions and errors.

To run it:

yarn
yarn example android

For iOS, install pods before running:

cd example/ios && pod install
cd ../..
yarn example ios

The example app does not request runtime location permission automatically on startup. Tap its permission button before testing, or grant location permission from device settings. On real devices, the first high-accuracy GPS fix can still take several seconds, especially indoors. Keeping watchPosition active can warm the device location provider before a one-shot request.

Improvements over the community package

• Uses React Native TurboModule/codegen rather than the old bridge module.
• Uses current native Android and iOS location APIs directly.
• Provides both promise and callback forms for getCurrentPosition.
• Emits watcher updates immediately instead of filtering startup fixes in JS.
• Supports Android interval, fastestInterval, and distanceFilter.
• Stops native observation automatically when the final watcher is cleared.
• Uses a 30 second default current-location timeout for slower GPS cold starts.

Current location

import { requestAuthorization } from 'react-native-geolocation-provider';

const status = await requestAuthorization();

requestAuthorization()

Requests location permission and resolves with granted, denied, restricted, or notDetermined. Location is not requested automatically by the library.

import { getCurrentPosition } from 'react-native-geolocation-provider';

const position = await getCurrentPosition({
  enableHighAccuracy: true,
  timeout: 30_000,
  maximumAge: 5_000,
});

The community geolocation callback signature is also supported:

getCurrentPosition(onLocation, onError, { enableHighAccuracy: true });

getCurrentPosition(options)

Returns a promise that resolves with one GeolocationPosition.

• options.enableHighAccuracy uses GPS/high accuracy when available.
• options.timeout sets the maximum wait time in milliseconds.
• options.maximumAge allows a cached location within this age in milliseconds.

getCurrentPosition(success, error, options)

Callback-compatible form for replacing community geolocation calls.

• success(position) receives the resolved GeolocationPosition.
• error(error) receives a GeolocationError.
• options supports the same fields as the promise form.

Location updates

import { clearWatch, watchPosition } from 'react-native-geolocation-provider';

const watchId = watchPosition(onLocation, onError, {
  enableHighAccuracy: true,
  distanceFilter: 5,
  interval: 1_000,
  fastestInterval: 500,
});

clearWatch(watchId);

watchPosition(success, error, options)

Starts native location observation and returns a numeric watch id.

• success(position) is called for each native location update.
• error(error) is called when native observation fails.
• options.enableHighAccuracy uses GPS/high accuracy when available.
• options.distanceFilter sets the minimum movement in metres.
• options.interval sets the preferred Android update interval in milliseconds.
• options.fastestInterval sets Android's fastest accepted interval in milliseconds.

clearWatch(id)

Stops the watcher matching the id returned by watchPosition. Native observation is stopped automatically when the final watcher is cleared.

stopObserving()

Stops all watchers and removes native location subscriptions.

API surface

Documented public methods are requestAuthorization, getCurrentPosition, watchPosition, clearWatch, and stopObserving. There are no additional public methods. Native event emitters are internal implementation details.

Positions contain W3C-style coords and millisecond timestamp values. Errors use codes 1 (permission), 2 (unavailable), and 3 (timeout).

License

MIT