# Geofence & Location

By default, Netmera SDK does not collect location information from the device. To use features like geofence messaging and location-based user targeting, you must enable location tracking.

### Checking and Requesting Location Permission

Users may select **"Only Once"**, **"While Using the App"**, or **"Always"** when prompted for location permission. However, they can later change this permission via system settings.

To ensure **accurate** location tracking, always check the **current** system-level location permission before accessing any location-based features. If the required permission is missing or no longer valid, re-trigger the location permission request using Netmera.

**What to do:**

* Check the current location permission status.
* If the permission is **missing or limited**:
  * **Request location permission again via Netmera.**

> Always ensure the necessary permission is granted before initializing any location-based operations.

### Step 1: Enable Location History

To use location-based targeting, enable **Location History** in the Netmera web panel:\
**Developers > App Info > App Config > Location History Enabled**

### Step 2: Configure Location Permissions

Add the necessary authorization keys to your **Info.plist** file:

1. **For Geofence Messaging (iOS 10 and earlier)**

* Set `NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription` with a description explaining why the app uses region monitoring.
* This allows the SDK to monitor region entry/exit actions for geofence regions configured in the Netmera Dashboard.

2. **For Geofence Messaging (iOS 11 and later)**

* Set `NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription` with a description explaining why the app uses region monitoring.
* This allows the SDK to monitor region entry/exit actions for geofence regions configured in the Netmera Dashboard.

3. **For Occasional Location Updates**

* Set `NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription` with a description.
* This sends the most recent location once per session.

### Step 3: Request Location Authorization

{% hint style="danger" %}
Calling these methods immediately prompts the **location permission dialog**. Make sure to inform users beforehand about how your application will use their location.
{% endhint %}

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Swift" %}

```swift
// Request location authorization
Netmera.requestLocationAuthorization()
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Objective-C" %}

```objectivec
// Request location authorization
[Netmera requestLocationAuthorization];
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

### Step 4: Configure Geofence Region Limits

To set the maximum number of active geofence regions, use:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Swift" %}

```swift
Netmera.setNetmeraMaxActiveRegions(20) // Default is 20
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="Objective-C" %}

```objectivec
[Netmera setNetmeraMaxActiveRegions:20]; // Default is 20
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

If the value is set **greater than 20** or **less than 0**, it will be automatically reset to **20**.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://user.netmera.com/netmera-developer-guide/platforms/ios/former-ios-objective-c/geofence-and-location.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.