GeoLocator 1.0.8: One Fix, a Tracking Session, and a Reverse Geocode

A field form needs the yard the technician is standing in. A trip screen needs the next fix every few seconds. A label under the pin needs a street, not a pair of numbers.

Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator is those three calls. Version 1.0.8 is on nuget.org. Android and iOS share IGeoLocator. Mac Catalyst and Windows are not primary targets.

This post is the walkthrough: a single fix, a tracking session, reverse geocoding, and the permissions the host still declares.

What GeoLocator is

GeoLocator is a location plugin for .NET MAUI. MIT licensed. It targets net10.0, net10.0-android (API 21+), and net10.0-ios (15+). On net10.0 the location APIs throw GeoLocatorException with FeatureNotSupported, so shared projects can reference the package.

It does one job: return a position, stream positions until you stop, and turn a coordinate into an address.

Package	Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator 1.0.8
Registration	UseGeoLocator
Client	IGeoLocator, or GeoLocator.Current
Source	github.com/nuvyntralabs/Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator
Docs	nuvyntralabs.github.io/packages/plugin-maui-geolocator/

Enter, exit, and dwell for a circular region stay on Plugin.Maui.Geofence. GeoLocator does not draw a map.

Install and register

dotnet add package Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator --version 1.0.8

builder
    .UseMauiApp<App>()
    .UseGeoLocator(options =>
    {
        options.EnableLogging = true;
    });

Resolve IGeoLocator from dependency injection, or use GeoLocator.Current. When EnableLogging is true and the host registered a logger (builder.Logging.AddDebug()), the plugin writes through ILogger. You can also call EnableLogging(true), pass a DebugGeoLocatorLogger, or turn it off with EnableLogging(false).

The plugin requests when-in-use location at runtime. Declare the usage strings yourself.

Android, in Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION" />

iOS, in Platforms/iOS/Info.plist:

<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>This app needs your location to show where you are.</string>

One fix

var location = await GeoLocator.Current.GetCurrentLocationAsync(new LocationRequest
{
    Accuracy = LocationAccuracy.Best,
    Timeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(20)
});

The last cached fix, when the platform still has one:

var last = await GeoLocator.Current.GetLastKnownLocationAsync();

GetCurrentLocationAsync waits for a new reading. GetLastKnownLocationAsync returns what the device already stored. A form that must open offline can show the cached fix first and replace it when the new one arrives.

A tracking session

Tracking is a session you start and stop. It is built for the foreground.

var locator = GeoLocator.Current;

locator.LocationChanged += (_, e) =>
{
    var position = e.Location;
};

locator.LocationError += (_, e) =>
{
    Console.WriteLine(e.Message);
};

await locator.StartTrackingAsync(new TrackingOptions
{
    Accuracy = LocationAccuracy.High,
    MinimumTime = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(2),
    MinimumDistanceMeters = 5
});

await locator.StopTrackingAsync();

MinimumTime and MinimumDistanceMeters drop fixes that arrive too soon or too close. Subscribe to LocationChanged and LocationError before StartTrackingAsync.

Background tracking is a host concern. On Android it needs a foreground service in the app. On iOS it needs AllowBackgroundUpdates = true, always-authorization text, and the location background mode. The plugin does not add that service for you.

Reverse geocoding

var addresses = await GeoLocator.Current.ReverseGeocodeAsync(
    latitude: 47.6062,
    longitude: -122.3321);

foreach (var address in addresses)
    Console.WriteLine(address.FormattedAddress);

Pass the latitude and longitude you already have. The call does not start a tracking session.

When something looks wrong

What you see	What to do
GeoLocatorException / FeatureNotSupported	The call ran on net10.0 or a target that is not Android or iOS.
The prompt never appears	The manifest or Info.plist usage string is missing. The plugin requests when-in-use. It does not add the declaration.
GetCurrentLocationAsync times out	Accuracy is Best indoors, or location is off on the device. Try the last known fix, then a longer Timeout.
Fixes arrive after StopTrackingAsync	The handler is still attached. Unsubscribe when the page goes away.
The trace dies when the screen locks	Foreground tracking stopped with the process. Background needs the host service on Android, or AllowBackgroundUpdates plus the location background mode on iOS.
You wanted "entered the depot"	That is a region. Use Geofence. GeoLocator answers where the device is.

Where GeoLocator sits next to the other tools

Need	Tool
A current fix, a tracking session, reverse geocoding	GeoLocator — Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator
Enter, exit, and dwell for up to 20 circles	Plugin.Maui.Geofence
A measured offline trip against a vehicle meter	GPSSensorTrackingService
One fix and nothing else	.NET MAUI Geolocation already does that

MAUI Geolocation and the older Xamarin.Essentials API cover an on-demand fix. GeoLocator is the client when the same type also has to start and stop a session and reverse geocode. A hosted map (Google Maps, Mapbox) is still a separate SDK.

Try it

dotnet add package Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator --version 1.0.8

Register UseGeoLocator, declare when-in-use location, and call GetCurrentLocationAsync once before you start a session. samples/GeoLocator.Sample exercises the fix, the cache, tracking, and reverse geocoding.

• NuGet: Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator
• Repository: github.com/nuvyntralabs/Plugin.Maui.GeoLocator
• Sample: GeoLocator.Sample
• Package page: nuvyntralabs.github.io/packages/plugin-maui-geolocator/

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By Niladri