Location permission distinguishes between always/when-in-use/never

Requesting always-on background location when only foreground location is needed is one of the most common grounds for App Store rejection and a clear GDPR Art. 5(1)(c) data-minimisation violation. Apple's location always permission (NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription) triggers a two-step authorization flow that explicitly warns users their location is tracked in the background — users decline this at far higher rates than when-in-use. On Android 10+, background location requires an additional ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION permission that triggers a separate, more alarming system dialog. Apps requesting always-on location for features like map display or restaurant search — where when-in-use is sufficient — face Google Play policy strikes and user complaints.

Default to LOCATION_WHEN_IN_USE for all location features. Only escalate to LOCATION_ALWAYS when a documented background feature (fitness tracking, delivery tracking, geofencing) specifically requires it.

import { request, PERMISSIONS, RESULTS } from 'react-native-permissions'

// Default: request when-in-use
const foregroundResult = await request(PERMISSIONS.IOS.LOCATION_WHEN_IN_USE)

// Only if a background feature genuinely exists:
if (userEnablesBackgroundTracking) {
  const backgroundResult = await request(PERMISSIONS.IOS.LOCATION_ALWAYS)
}

In app.json, only add NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription if your app has an active background location feature. Remove the key entirely if the app only needs foreground location — its presence alone triggers additional scrutiny during App Store review.