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lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
Just got the 6S (on 9.0.1) and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get the "Time to Leave" calendar notifications to work on my phone. Im on El Cap Beta on my Mac, and they work perfectly. But nothing will pop up on my phone.

Ive been playing around for the last hour and am completely lost. The only way I can get them to functional at all is if I create an event (with an address, obviously) that is occurring soon (i.e. it will take 20 minutes to get there and the event starts in 30 minutes). If I do this, the "you need to leave at X time to arrive on time" notification pops up as soon as I hit create. The "You need to leave now" notification never shows up.

If I create an event that starts farther in the future, nothing happens.


Anyone else able to get it to work? Any ideas?
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
One perhaps obvious question: do you have your location settings on to allow the phone to know your location?
 

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
One perhaps obvious question: do you have your location settings on to allow the phone to know your location?


Yes, all the appropriate settings are enabled as far as Im aware. Notice it did give me a notification at one point, so I know it has the capability to work. Im trying to figure out if theres some obscure thing I need to do, or if its just buggy or something. Does it work for you?
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
Another perhaps obvious question, but are you indoors or somewhere where's your precise location may be difficult to ascertain via GPS? If so, do you have wifi enabled for better location sensing?
 

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
Another perhaps obvious question, but are you indoors or somewhere where's your precise location may be difficult to ascertain via GPS? If so, do you have wifi enabled for better location sensing?

Nah, have a good reading. I don't think its that for two reasons. First, it was able to give me an appropriate notification at one point so it clearly works. Also, I had this exact same problem on my iPhone 6. I tried for the longest time when the original beta of iOS 9 released, under a variety of conditions. I initially chalked it up to some weird issues with my phone/settings, which is the main reason I set up this phone as completely new. Same issues. So either I'm doing something wrong, or it just plain doesn't work (which Im beginning to think). Im hoping to find someone who can get it to work.
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
I've had it work and I just ran a test to go to my local Starbucks in 30 minutes. I got the "Leave Now" notification.
 

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
I've had it work and I just ran a test to go to my local Starbucks in 30 minutes. I got the "Leave Now" notification.


Did the notification pop up immediately after you created it, or when did it happen?

If you don't mind, could you tell me:

-When was the appointment
-How long does it take you to get there
-when the reminder go off, in relation to the appointment (30min before, etc)
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
Did the notification pop up immediately after you created it, or when did it happen?

If you don't mind, could you tell me:

-When was the appointment
-How long does it take you to get there
-when the reminder go off, in relation to the appointment (30min before, etc)
I live approx 30 minutes from this Starbucks. I set the appt for 7:40 pm and the notification fired almost immediately after I created the appt. Let me try one a little farther out time-wise to see what happens.
 

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
I live approx 30 minutes from this Starbucks. I set the appt for 7:40 pm and the notification fired almost immediately after I created the appt. Let me try one a little farther out time-wise to see what happens.


Thanks, thats what I was about to ask. My guess is your phone might be doing the same thing mine is doing :/ Appreciate the help!
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
Set it for 8 pm, and once again the notification fired right away. Told me traffic was light and to leave now to get there on time.
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
its 720 pm here. Yeah it's going off in more than enough time

Set it for 8 pm, and once again the notification fired right away. Told me traffic was light and to leave now to get there on time.
Set another one for 830. No immediate notice. We'll see what happens in 20-30 minutes.
 

gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
Well ****. What am I doing wrong?




Yep. Searched for Apple Store in the location bar and selected the nearest one that shows up (about 20 min away)
Are you using an iCloud based calendar or another service (Google, Exchange, etc...)? This only works on iCloud based calendars, I believe.
 
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gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
Well ****. What am I doing wrong?




Yep. Searched for Apple Store in the location bar and selected the nearest one that shows up (about 20 min away)

Now, you raise an issue I have: I can type things into the calendar location bar and no suggestions ever show up

EDIT: never mind. Works when an iCloud calendar is selected, not when an Exchange calendar is picked. Need to read my own advice!
 
Last edited:

lionheartednyhc

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jul 13, 2009
1,024
3
I've come to the conclusion that this thing is just buggy as hell in iOS. I had one other theory as to the cause: I have a 3rd party calendar app that I thought might somehow be interfering so I deleted it. Then set an alert to go to Best Buy in an hour, at 10:30, which takes 15 minutes to get to.

I never got an alert, but at 10:15, I checked my notifications menu and there was one (that never actually popped up..weird) telling me that traffic is light and I need to leave at 10am to get there on time.

To make things stranger, I looked at the Today pull down, where it told me that traffic is light and I need to leave at 10:15 to get there on time. So even the the system itself can't agree with when I need to leave, and I still can't get these goddamn notifications to work. Grrr.
 

uhaas

macrumors 6502
Aug 31, 2012
409
198
Boston, MA
I'm using an Exchange calendar and I'll get notifications for my appointments, but I won't get a popup, if that's the question.

iPhone 5s.
 

protobiont

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2010
650
141
Are you using an iCloud based calendar or another service (Google, Exchange, etc...)? This only works on iCloud based calendars, I believe.

That's kind of frustrating. It'd be nice to get this feature without having to ditch google calendar.
 

gsmornot

macrumors 68040
Sep 29, 2014
3,600
3,714
Generally, I could use a few more calendar options in this area. My invites include the address of the event, do show when its time to leave on the lock screen (sometimes) but do not give an audible notice that I need to pay attention to. Within the event, I have a reminder for one hour out and a second alert for time to leave. I would like something else instead like, 30 minutes before time to leave and then time to leave maybe. I would like something for kids sports where we have to be at games 30-45 prior to game time for warmup; it would give me the option of saying the game is at 2 but need to arrive by 1:30 so warn me about time to leave based on the 1:30 time but show me 2 on the calendar. I know this is asking a lot but why not ask.

I have seen the lock screen notices a few times but to be honest, touch ID clears the notice most of the time before I can react to it because I am in the habit of turning my phone on with the home button. So, if/when these pop up I kill the notice before I have a chance to make good use of it. Sometimes I wish the screen would come on for a few seconds if I tap it without having to hit a physical button similar to the way my watch works.
 
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gwhizkids

macrumors G4
Jun 21, 2013
11,771
18,564
That's kind of frustrating. It'd be nice to get this feature without having to ditch google calendar.
And it kind of makes you wonder about Apple's claim that it all happens on-device. If so,why does it matter what the source of the calendar data is?
 
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