geolocator_watchos 0.1.1

watchOS implementation of the geolocator plugin, providing position and permission handling from CoreLocation (CLLocationManager) via dart:ffi.

geolocator_watchos

The watchOS implementation of geolocator.

Location comes from CoreLocation (CLLocationManager) over dart:ffi: the delegate caches the latest fix and pushes a signal into Dart. The position stream, getCurrentPosition and requestPermission all wait on it — nothing polls.

Scaffolded by flutter-watchos plugin port from geolocator_apple, then implemented and verified by hand.

Usage

This is a federated plugin implementation. Apps that already depend on geolocator and target watchOS only need to add this package alongside it:

dependencies:
  geolocator: ^14.1.1
  geolocator_watchos: ^0.1.1

The plugin registers automatically via Flutter's federated registry — no explicit imports required from app code.

Add a location usage description to the watch app's Info.plist:

<key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
<string>Explain why your app needs location.</string>

Behaviour on watchOS

Method	watchOS
checkPermission / requestPermission	supported (when-in-use)
isLocationServiceEnabled	supported
getCurrentPosition / getPositionStream	supported
getLastKnownPosition	supported (last cached fix)

The watch has no Always background-location entitlement flow that iOS has; authorization is when-in-use.

Status

Platform	Implemented
Apple Watch (watchos)	yes
Watch simulator (watchsimulator)	query methods verified; live fixes need a simulated location

The example is geolocator's own upstream Baseflow demo, ported verbatim. That demo ships no integration_test/, so this package is verified by building and running the example on the watch simulator; the interactive permission prompt and live position updates are verified on a physical Apple Watch.

Not supported on watchOS

These members of geolocator_platform_interface 4.4.0 throw or fail on watchOS. PORTING_REPORT.md lists every member under "Interface coverage".

Member	On watchOS	Why
getServiceStatusStream	throws UnimplementedError when called	not implemented yet
getLocationAccuracy	fails with UnimplementedError	not implemented yet
requestTemporaryFullAccuracy	fails with UnimplementedError	not implemented
openAppSettings / openLocationSettings	fail with UnimplementedError	watchOS has no settings page an app can open

License

The FlutterWatch Authors under a BSD-3-Clause license. See LICENSE for the full text.