CLLocationManager permission prompt never appears in Swift Playgrounds App project on iPadOS 26

Using Swift
, ,
1

I am building a personal use plant location logging app as a Swift Playgrounds App project on iPad running iPadOS 26.0.1. I need Core Location access to record GPS coordinates. I have enabled the Core Location When in Use capability through the Swift Playgrounds app settings interface, but the permission prompt never appears when the app runs.
What I have set up:
I created a LocationManager class that conforms to CLLocationManagerDelegate. The manager is configured in init() with the delegate set to self and accuracy set to best:

class LocationManager: NSObject, ObservableObject, CLLocationManagerDelegate {
private let manager = CLLocationManager()

override init() {
    super.init()
    manager.delegate = self
    manager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest
}

func requestPermission() {
    manager.requestWhenInUseAuthorization()
}

func locationManagerDidChangeAuthorization(_ manager: CLLocationManager) {
    if manager.authorizationStatus == .authorizedWhenInUse {
        manager.startUpdatingLocation()
    }
}

}

The LocationManager is instantiated as a @StateObject in a SwiftUI view. The requestPermission() method is called when the view appears:

.onAppear {
locationManager.requestPermission()
}

The problem:
When the app runs, no permission prompt appears. The app does not show up in Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services at all. There are no compiler errors or runtime crashes. The permission request appears to be silently ignored.
What I have already tried and ruled out:
The Core Location When in Use capability is confirmed enabled in the Swift Playgrounds app settings. This is an App project, not a classic Playground. The app runs correctly otherwise — the SwiftUI views display and all non-location functionality works.
My question:
What is the correct way to request location permission in a Swift Playgrounds App project on iPadOS 26? Is there something specific to Swift Playgrounds or iPadOS 26 that requires a different approach than standard CLLocationManager authorization?

2

The following code works for me, when the app is given the ‘location when in use’ capability in the app settings.

I assume that your Swift Playgrounds app itself is allowed to use location services? (Edit: It seems that the Swift Playgrounds app doesn’t even have an option to turn it off).

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import SwiftUI
import CoreLocation

struct ContentView: View {
    @StateObject var locationManager = LocationManager()
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Image(systemName: "globe")
                .imageScale(.large)
                .foregroundColor(.accentColor)
            Text("Hello, world!")
        }
        .onAppear() {
            print("contentview appeared")
            locationManager.requestPermission()
        }
    }
}

class LocationManager: NSObject, ObservableObject, CLLocationManagerDelegate {
    private let manager = CLLocationManager()
    
    override init() {
        super.init()
        manager.delegate = self
        manager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest
        print("overriden init")
    }
    
    func requestPermission() {
        print("request permission")
        manager.requestWhenInUseAuthorization()
    }
    
    func locationManagerDidChangeAuthorization(_ manager: CLLocationManager) {
        if manager.authorizationStatus == .authorizedWhenInUse {
            manager.startUpdatingLocation()
        }
    }
    
    func locationManager(_ manager: CLLocationManager, didUpdateLocations locations: [CLLocation]) {
        print("new locations: \(locations)")
    }
}
1 Like
3

Solved! Thanks for this!

The issue: The location permission prompt never appeared when requestWhenInUseAuthorization() was called from within a SwiftUI sheet (modal view). iOS silently ignores permission requests made from inside sheets.

The fix: Move the permission request to the parent view’s .onAppear modifier — before any sheet is presented. The LocationManager is created as a @StateObject in the main ContentView, requestPermission() is called in ContentView.onAppear, and the LocationManager instance is passed into the sheet view as an @ObservedObject.

Key points:

• The Core Location When in Use capability must be enabled in Swift Playgrounds app settings

• Use @StateObject in the parent view, @ObservedObject in the sheet

• Call requestWhenInUseAuthorization() from the main view, not from inside a sheet

• startUpdatingLocation() can still be called from within the sheet’s .onAppear

Hope this helps someone else!