What is background location?

Access to location is considered in the foreground if it happens while the app is open and visible to the user. If the user closes the app, or hits the home button to return to their main screen , then the app’s access to location is considered in the background.

Background location use. If you give an app permission to access your location while it’s in use, the app can then ask to know where you are at all times .21 Eyl 2019

In order to enable background location access, users must set the Allow all the time option for your app’s location permission on a settings page , as described in the guide on how to Request background location.

When a feature in your app requests background location on a device that runs Android 10 (API level 29), the system permissions dialog includes an option named Allow all the time . If the user selects this option, the feature in your app gains background location access.

Android 10 features a background access location reminder, which increases transparency into how much access apps have to a device’s location and helps users maintain control over such access . In Android 9 and lower, an app can track a device’s location while running in the background without the user’s knowledge.

In an effort to reduce power consumption, Android 8.0 (API level 26) limits how frequently an app can retrieve the user’s current location while the app is running in the background . Under these conditions, apps can receive location updates only a few times each hour.