Permissions

When permissions are needed

The base map component requests no permissions at all. Location permissions are only required once you install one of:

• controls with showLocate
• location (useLocationTracking/useCurrentPosition)
• location-puck (MapLocationPuck)

Each of these registry components declares the same permissions, and mapcn-rn init/add write them into app.json automatically when it's readable. An existing iOS usage description is never overwritten, so your own wording survives a re-install. With a dynamic Expo config, or no app.json, the CLI prints the strings to add instead.

Required permission strings

{
  "expo": {
    "ios": {
      "infoPlist": {
        "NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription": "Show your location on the map."
      }
    },
    "android": {
      "permissions": ["ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION", "ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION"]
    }
  }
}

mapcn only requests foreground location -- there is no background tracking or geofencing in 2.0 (see Location tracking), so NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription is not required.

How permission requests happen

• MapControls's locate button and MapLocationPuck (with requestPermission={true}, the default) call expo-location's permission API directly when needed.
• useLocationTracking({ requestPermission: true }) (the default) requests permission the first time start() runs, whether that's via autoStart or an explicit call.
• Denial doesn't throw: useLocationTracking's status becomes "denied", and MapLocationPuck/MapControls simply don't render a location or fail gracefully with onPermissionDenied.

Verifying permissions

npx mapcn-rn doctor

doctor checks app.json's ios.infoPlist.NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription and android.permissions only when a location-dependent component is actually installed -- a project with just map/marker/popup is not flagged for missing location permissions it doesn't need.

Related components

Location tracking · Location puck · Controls · Installation