Settings app constant location requests

PixtTraveler

Hi,

I notice every now and then the green location indicator coming constantly when I'm not doing anything. Upon going into the Privacy Dashboard, I see it is the system "Settings app" asking for the location.

When I say "constantly" I mean, every few minutes (e.g. 14x per hour). Note that I am NOT inside the Settings app when these location requests are taking place. If I reboot the phone, then the constant location requests stop (for at least a period, until the next time it starts happening again).

For the record, when I see the recent location requests, none of the installed or system apps show the location access at the times of the Settings app requesting it. And while I do have Sandboxed Google Play installed, I have denied that location access.

My question is -- could some other app, that does have location permission (be it system or installed app) causing the request to get routed via the Settings app? My main concern is whether some third-party app is somehow circumventing the location access restriction.

For reference, I have a Pixel 6 running the latest stable release v2023080800.

treequell

Open Settings > Apps > Sandboxed Google Play. Do you have reroute location requests to the OS enabled or disabled? By default it is enabled, if not, try enabling it and see if it makes any difference. That uses GNSS for location requests.

If you have that toggle disabled, but have denied Google Play Services access to your location, you'll break location requests functionality, since the OS is expecting to use Google Play Services.

PixtTraveler

treequell

I can confirm that I am not using Google for location requests -- "Reroute location requests to the OS" is ON.

treequell

Do you happen to have Syncthing installed on your device?

PixtTraveler

treequell No

treequell

Are you using WiFi Direct?

PixtTraveler

treequell

I do not actively use Wi-Fi Direct. I see that Wi-Fi Direct exists in my phone (under "Network preferences"), but I have never actually tried to use it. I don't think there is a way to turn if off? Also, with regard to Wi-Fi Direct, in Sandboxed Google Play settings, I have "Device visibility" set to off.

Hb1hf

Same thing happened to me following a system update about a month ago. No Google Play or Play Services (except on a profile that hadn't been logged into), no wifi direct, no syncthing.

Stopped by itself after a few hours.

PixtTraveler

Hb1hf this is helpful! Has this behavior ever reappeared for you?

For me, it seems to just kick off randomly, about once a day or every two days, I'll see the green light flashing constantly, will invariably see the Settings App as the requester. Once I end the profile session, and go back in after, it won't start asking for location again (until the next day, or whatever it is that is triggering it).

Hb1hf

PixtTraveler no, I went to sleep and don't really know what happened during the night, but the next day it was gone for good.