Native location request prompt resurfaces immediately after clicking on "Ask next time or when I share" for plugin version >=7.1.0

[Swadhesh]

On iOS, in case of version >=7.1.0, if the user clicks on Location enabling button(which calls Geolocation.requestLocationPermission() based on permission check) for the first attempt, the native prompt works fine(it appears only on button click which is what I want).

After that, if I go to settings... change the permission to Never → Foreground the app → Click on location enabling button(I have made a custom redirect prompt to settings, clicking on yes) → Click on Ask next time and foreground app, I was able to see the native prompt appearing immediately even before clicking on the location enabling button.

Also, >=7.1.0 seems to have some inconsistencies that sometimes doesn’t open the native prompt when I click on the location enabling button.

The location enabling button calls the requestLocationPermission() method in my case when the permission status is 'prompt' or 'prompt-with-rationale'.

But if I run the same code on v7.0.0 or below, it gets called only when I click on the location enabling button...which is exactly the behaviour intended to be achieved.

[mihailapuste]

@Swadhesh also experiencing this!

On iOS, calling Geolocation.requestPermissions() works as expected when the user selects While Using the App or Never. However, when the user selects Allow Once, the flow breaks after the temporary authorization expires (typically 10–20 seconds after the app goes into the background or the device is locked, but the app remains running).

When returning to the app:

• Calling await Geolocation.requestPermissions() should trigger the native permissions prompt again.
• Instead, the call hangs indefinitely and never resolves.
• Force closing and reopening the app temporarily resolves the issue, but the same behavior recurs once the "Allow Once" authorization expires again.

Expected Behavior

• After "Allow Once" expires, subsequent calls to Geolocation.requestPermissions() should reliably re-prompt the user with the native iOS location permissions alert, giving them the choice to grant or deny again.
• The promise should always resolve with a valid PermissionStatus, regardless of whether the user accepts, denies, or ignores the prompt.

Additional Notes

• After the "Allow Once" authorization expires, Geolocation.checkPermissions() correctly reports the state as "prompt". However, iOS does not seem capable of re-displaying the native alert during the same app session.

Apparent source of issue

Likely issue introduced in #16

https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-geolocation/blob/1f4ba7bad337a108871c672837114ae3aacea9cf/packages/capacitor-plugin/ios/Sources/GeolocationPlugin/GeolocationPlugin.swift#L130C9-L131C9

On iOS, calling Geolocation.requestPermissions() works the first time, but after a user selects “Allow Once” and the authorization automatically expires, the plugin gets stuck. iOS reports the state as .notDetermined, and the plugin logic treats that as if the app has never requested permissions before, so it tries to re-trigger requestLocationAuthorisation(). However, iOS does not re-present the system prompt in this case, so no new status is ever published, leaving the original promise unresolved and causing the call to hang indefinitely. This makes the “Allow Once” flow effectively unusable without restarting the app.

[Swadhesh]

@mihailapuste thanks for the detailed study, was really helpful. I got to experience the issue you've mentioned when I switch from While Using the App to Ask Next time.

As I could see,

• The prompt hangs up when we switch from While Using the App -> Ask Next time
• Works fine again when we switch from Never -> Ask Next time
• Works fine again when we switch from Always -> Ask Next time

By Works fine again I still mean, the prompt resurfaces immediately without even making any requestLocationPermission() call, (ie: the issue I've brought up).

Also tried out the same in the example capacitor app in this repo, got to see the prompt resurfacing immediately on foregrounding, barring the While Using the App -> Ask Next time case(after clicking on Allow Once), where the prompt just hangs up completely as you've mentioned.

@OS-pedrogustavobilro your thoughts on this one?

[mihailapuste]

@mihailapuste thanks for the detailed study, was really helpful. I got to experience the issue you've mentioned when I switch from While Using the App to Ask Next time.

@OS-pedrogustavobilro your thoughts on this one?

@Swadhesh no worries! Hope we can resolve this soon!

Please let me know if I can provide any additional details or help @Swadhesh @OS-martacarlos @OS-ruimoreiramendes @OS-pedrogustavobilro @OS-ricardomoreirasilva !

[Swadhesh]

Hi @mihailapuste, would like to know on how we're progressing with this one... :)