As an expert, let me tell you one thing: location tracking in React Native presents challenges that go far beyond simply fetching GPS coordinates (trust me!!).
In real-world production apps, location services intersect with platform-specific behaviors, battery optimization policies, privacy regulations, and strict app store guidelines. After building multiple location-intensive applications, including financial planning tools with geo-fencing and real-time delivery tracking systems, one thing became clear: location tracking is never “set it and forget it.”
This detailed blog post narrates hard-earned lessons from implementing location tracking across foreground, background, and killed-app states in React Native, along with practical strategies that work well in production environments.
For teams working with a React Native App Development Company or planning to hire React Native app developers, understanding these pitfalls early can save months of rework and rejected app submissions.
Location tracking complexity increases dramatically when you consider the three core app states:
What works perfectly in the foreground often fails silently in the background, and almost everything behaves differently once the app is killed. Treating these states as separate engineering problems is essential
Handling foreground, background, and killed app states requires more than libraries. Our React Native engineers design location systems that remain reliable across platforms, devices, and OS versions.
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Here are the top seven issues encountered when mastering location tracking with React Native.
The problem:
Location tracking stopped immediately when users backgrounded the app, even after permissions were granted.
Root cause:
On iOS, background tracking requires explicit “Always” permission. On Android, background location access must be requested separately. Many apps mistakenly rely on “When in Use” permissions.
Resolution:
We adopted a progressive permission model. Core features worked with “When in Use” access, and background permissions were requested only when users activated features that clearly needed them.
Key learning:
Users are far more likely to grant background permissions when they understand the value, not when permissions are requested upfront.
The problem:
Location updates stopped unpredictably on iOS, even with correct permissions.
Root cause:
Background App Refresh settings and Low Power Mode aggressively restrict background execution.
Resolution:
We shifted from continuous tracking to significant location change monitoring where possible and added graceful fallbacks when background execution was limited.
Learning:
iOS battery optimization rules are non-negotiable. Design around them instead of trying to bypass them.
The problem:
Android devices suspend location services during inactivity, especially overnight.
Investigation:
Testing revealed manufacturer-specific power management behaviors. Samsung, Xiaomi, and OnePlus devices behaved very differently from Pixel devices.
Resolution:
Critical tracking periods used foreground services, while less critical updates relied on scheduled alarms and deferred checks.
Insight:
Android location behavior is device-dependent. Real-device testing is mandatory.
The problem:
Users revoked location permissions from system settings while the app was running, causing crashes on resume.
Solution:
We implemented permission checks on every app state change and before every location call, combined with clear recovery flows for users.
Learning:
Permissions are dynamic. Your app architecture must assume they can change at any time.
The problem:
High-frequency, high-accuracy tracking drained batteries rapidly, leading to negative reviews.
Optimization:
We introduced adaptive tracking that adjusted frequency and accuracy based on movement, battery level, and user context. Geofencing replaced constant polling for stationary users.
Result:
Battery usage dropped by nearly 70% without compromising core functionality.
High-accuracy tracking does not have to mean high battery drain. Our devs build adaptive location strategies that balance precision, performance, and user trust.
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The problem:
iOS and Android behaved differently across identical scenarios.
Approach:
We built a platform-agnostic location manager that unified APIs while allowing platform-specific optimizations internally.
Insight:
Consistency does not mean identical behavior. It means predictable behavior.
The problem:
Apps were rejected for insufficient justification of background location usage.
Solution:
We aligned in-app messaging, privacy policies, and store descriptions around user benefits instead of technical explanations.
Learning:
App store reviewers think like users. So should developers.
Successful implementations shared a few common patterns:
These patterns are now standard practice across all location-enabled apps we build at Devstree.
Here are some of the vital technical and business learnings that we would like to share as your React Native app development partner.
Technical Learnings
User Experience Learnings
Business Learnings
Expert guidance for reliable, compliant, battery-efficient location tracking.
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Conclusion
Location tracking in React Native is not just a technical challenge. It is a balance between platform limitations, user trust, battery efficiency, and long-term maintainability. Teams that treat it as a simple API integration often struggle. Teams that treat it as a core system design problem succeed.
Whether you are partnering with a React Native App Development Company or planning to hire React Native app developers for a complex location-enabled product, the key is preparation. You must build the app with platform realities in mind, prioritize user trust, and design for failure as much as for success.
Location tracking is a privilege, not a right. Handle it with care, and users will reward your app with trust, retention, and long-term engagement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it does. But reliability depends on proper permission handling, background task configuration, and platform-specific optimizations. React Native can support background and killed-state tracking when combined with native modules, foreground services on Android, and iOS-compliant background modes.
iOS prioritizes battery preservation and user privacy, aggressively limiting background execution. Android allows more flexibility but enforces device- and manufacturer-specific power management policies. A production-ready React Native app must account for these differences rather than treating both platforms identically.
Use adaptive tracking strategies such as adjusting accuracy and update frequency based on movement, leveraging geofencing for stationary users, and avoiding continuous high-accuracy polling. This approach significantly improves battery performance without sacrificing user experience.
Feel free to call or visit us anytime; we strive to respond to all inquiries within 24 hours.
Dec 17, 2025 
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