Introduction to Location Permission Alert on iPhone with PhoneGap

As a developer working with mobile applications, especially those built using the PhoneGap framework, you may have encountered the infamous location permission alert. This prompt appears when an app requests access to your device’s current location, and it can be… unpleasant for users.

In this article, we’ll delve into how to change the string on this alert, making it more user-friendly and tailored to your application’s branding. We’ll explore the PhoneGap framework, its geolocation capabilities, and provide step-by-step guidance on modifying the location permission alert.

Understanding PhoneGap and Geolocation

PhoneGap is an open-source framework for building cross-platform mobile applications using web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It provides a set of APIs that allow developers to access device hardware, such as cameras, GPS, and notifications.

Geolocation, on the other hand, is the ability to determine your device’s current location based on data from various sources, including cell towers, Wi-Fi networks, and GPS satellites. In PhoneGap, geolocation can be accessed using the navigator.geolocation API.

The Location Permission Alert

When you request access to a user’s location in your application, PhoneGap displays a prompt with a generic message:

(Appname/whatever it is) would like to use your current location

This string is hardcoded into the PhoneGap framework and can be… unappealing for users. In this article, we’ll show you how to change this string to something more user-friendly.

Modifying the Location Permission Alert

To modify the location permission alert, you need to provide a custom title property when requesting access to the user’s location using the getCurrentPosition() method.

Here’s an example of how you can do it in JavaScript:

$(function(){
  document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
})

function onDeviceReady() {
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(onSuccess, onError, {
    title: 'Get Started'
  });
}

function onSuccess(position) {
  // your callback here 
}

function onError(error) { 
  // your callback here
}

In this example, we’re passing an options object with a title property set to 'Get Started'. This string will be displayed as the title of the location permission alert.

Customizing the Location Permission Alert

While you can change the title property, you might want to customize the rest of the prompt. To do this, you need to provide an additional message property.

Here’s an updated example:

$(function(){
  document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
})

function onDeviceReady() {
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(onSuccess, onError, {
    title: 'Get Started',
    message: 'Please allow us to find your current location'
  });
}

function onSuccess(position) {
  // your callback here 
}

function onError(error) { 
  // your callback here
}

In this example, we’re passing a message property set to 'Please allow us to find your current location'. This string will be displayed as the main message of the prompt.

Using PhoneGap’s Built-in Features

PhoneGap provides several built-in features that can help you customize the location permission alert. One such feature is the ability to display a custom icon next to the title.

To do this, you need to provide an icon property in the getCurrentPosition() method options object.

Here’s an updated example:

$(function(){
  document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
})

function onDeviceReady() {
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(onSuccess, onError, {
    title: 'Get Started',
    message: 'Please allow us to find your current location',
    icon: 'path/to/icon.png'
  });
}

function onSuccess(position) {
  // your callback here 
}

function onError(error) { 
  // your callback here
}

In this example, we’re passing an icon property set to 'path/to/icon.png'. This is the path to a PNG image file that will be displayed as the icon next to the title.

Customizing the Location Permission Alert with PhoneGap’s API

PhoneGap also provides a customizable template for the location permission alert using its API. You can use this template to display your own HTML string instead of the default prompt.

To do this, you need to provide a template property in the getCurrentPosition() method options object.

Here’s an updated example:

$(function(){
  document.addEventListener("deviceready", onDeviceReady, false);
})

function onDeviceReady() {
  navigator.geolocation.getCurrentPosition(onSuccess, onError, {
    title: 'Get Started',
    message: 'Please allow us to find your current location',
    template: '<div><img src="path/to/icon.png" width="24" height="24"><span style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold;">Get Started</span><br>Please allow us to find your current location</div>'
  });
}

function onSuccess(position) {
  // your callback here 
}

function onError(error) { 
  // your callback here
}

In this example, we’re passing a template property set to an HTML string that includes the icon and the main message. This string will be displayed as the custom location permission alert.

Conclusion

Modifying the location permission alert in PhoneGap is relatively straightforward. By providing a custom title, message, and optionally an icon or using PhoneGap’s template feature, you can make your application more user-friendly and tailored to your branding.

Remember to always follow best practices when requesting access to users’ locations, such as clearly explaining the purpose of location services and providing options for users to opt-out.

Last modified on 2023-10-17