If you have a WiFi-only iPad you will need to buy a Cellular (4G/5G) iPad or purchase an external GPS receiver (see below), or an ADS-B Receiver with an internal GPS. See our External GPS Receiver Recommendations article
If you aren’t getting a GPS signal on your cellular iPad (or Wi-Fi only iPad with an external Bluetooth GPS), then most likely you have location services turned off. Go into your iPad Settings and find “Location Services” (usually under 'Privacy'). Make sure OzRunways is set to ON ('While Using the App' or 'Always') and Precise Location is ON.
If you still haven’t got a GPS lock, make sure you have a good signal. Unlike the Google Maps app which accepts any fix (good or bad), OzRunways only accepts a good fix (around 10-30m accuracy). Try going outside. Heated windows on aircraft sometimes block the GPS signal too. Having a cellular (4G/5G) mobile connection will help you get a faster fix, but it’s not required. Telstra has the best mobile coverage in Australia.
Also try killing OzRunways from the background, then loading it up again: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201330
OzRunways asks the iPad for a location of 'GPS' level accuracy. The iPad then starts sending positions to OzRunways with an estimated error (normally around 10m). We have zero control over how the iPad gets the position, whether internal GPS, GLONASS, external GPS, etc. The iPad does all the heavy lifting and decides on what source to use and simply sends OzRunways a lat+lon+error. That's it! We have zero control over this, so any GPS issues are between the iPad and the Bluetooth GPS, so the next step is to hassle the GPS maker about why it doesn't connect! Tell them OzRunways is asking for kCLLocationAccuracyBest.
If you are worried the GPS is killing battery life in the background you can:
(a) Turn off GPS logging in OzRunways → Settings → Logs
(b) Kill OzRunways from the background when not in use: https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201330
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