Needs the Maidenhead Locator System
LEO experience
I was involved in a foot pursuit in an unfamiliar beat and needed to glance at my watch to broadcast the movements of the suspect and myself. I found that the location had not updated since I had activated it at the station.
It is incredibly difficult to run and navigate the app on my apple watch at the same time. I expect my location to update every five minutes at the bare MINIMUM I would much prefer every minute. The description says that should be the case but it isn’t.
I did everything to try and resolve this issue. I ensured my location for the application was set to always, made sure I had the “team” function active for the duration of my shift, and I even left the app running in the background. The app will notify me that my location is being tracked via the blue arrow on the top left of my screen but it will turn itself off after 5-10 minutes.
Additionally, the phone application doesn’t sync with my apple watch and makes it so I have to tap on both the Loc8 apps; one on my phone and one on my watch. It is unfortunate because this app wouldn’t have just been game/changing; but it could be life-saving if you introduce the features I mentioned above.
TLDR, App UI and features are solid. Actual tracking and location functionality is disappointing and holding this back from being great.
I have an Iphone 13 Work phone and an Apple Watch
Response from developer
Thank you for purchasing LOC8 and explaining what happened. As a fellow officer, I understand why an old location during a foot pursuit was frustrating. I’m sorry it let you down. If you were viewing LOC8 on your watch face, that is the complication, which is separate from the Watch app. It displays a snapshot and grays out when that information is stale. It is not a continuously running GPS display. Apple explains that a widget extension “is not continually active, even if the widget is onscreen.” Apple allows background refreshes, but watchOS controls their timing. I cannot guarantee a new location every minute or every five minutes on the watch face. To get a current reading in LOC8, tap the complication to open the Watch app and let it acquire a fresh location. The iPhone and Watch apps share the same core LOC8 logic, but they operate on different hardware and under different system restrictions. Depending on the Watch model and your surroundings, acquiring a fresh GPS fix can take longer. I can improve how LOC8 handles location information, but I cannot change the GPS hardware or override Apple’s background restrictions. Your reports of tracking stopping and needing to open both apps still deserve investigation. I don’t want to attribute those issues to hardware without checking. Please open LOC8 on your iPhone and submit a report using the bug report icon in the top left. Include your email, Watch model, and software versions so I can review the diagnostic information and try to address what is happening. I’m continually improving the Watch experience within the capabilities Apple provides. Your feedback helps me identify where it needs to.
Does not work on my watch
Response from developer
Speed matters, especially for first responders, and this behavior deserves an explanation. When the Watch screen lowers or LOC8 moves into the background, watchOS can suspend the active location session. When you raise your wrist and return to the app, the Watch may need to acquire a new GPS fix, which can take longer indoors or with a limited view of the sky. LOC8 could display the first location provided by the Watch much faster. I deliberately do not do that because the location may be old or inaccurate. In an emergency, displaying the wrong location can be worse than waiting for a reliable fix. My goal every day is to make LOC8 as fast and reliable as possible without sacrificing accuracy. I am constantly improving the app, which is reflected in the update history with new releases approximately every three days. The Apple Watch experience remains a work in progress within the capabilities Apple provides to third party developers.
Too slow to update
Response from developer
The iPhone app normally provides a usable location within a few seconds. LOC8 could display a result almost instantly, but the first location provided by the phone can be old or inaccurate. The app deliberately waits for the GPS reading to reach a usable accuracy before converting it into an address. This is the fastest and most accurate result I can responsibly provide without risking showing someone an address that is multiple blocks away. Even after the GPS location is confirmed, the final address is matched against available mapping data, which can occasionally select a nearby property. I work on LOC8 every day and release updates approximately every three days. Making this process faster without giving users a bad location remains one of my main priorities.
Super Cool App
Response from developer
Thank you for the review. Having every important piece of location information on one screen is exactly why I built LOC8.
Needs faster response -Update 8/2026
Thanks
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Using trial period in Whitefish MT. Agree with an earlier reply that response time/ GPS fix is slow indoors, a bit better outside. Not knowing the “mechanics” unsure if GPS fix is the issue but apple maps has been fast until cell signal goes to satellite.
From my earlier read seems you are working on improved sensitivity and accuracy/response time which if optimized will make for a valuable app. I plan to drop after trial period and check back in a few months. Cheers.
Response from developer
Hi, this is William, the developer. You diagnosed it right. Indoors the phone falls back to approximate WiFi positioning, and where Apple Maps will happily show an approximate dot, LOC8 deliberately holds back until it can verify an exact address, because a confident wrong house number is worse than a short wait for the people this app serves. That said, you were also seeing real slowness on our side, and the response time work you read about has since shipped. A series of updates over the last two weeks specifically attacked slow first loads and indoor waits, and the difference is large. I would love for you to check back sooner than a few months. If it still feels sfo@loc8app.com and it comes straight to me. Thanks for the thoughtful review.
Very useful
Response from developer
Thank you for the review. Showing your precise location, exact address, and nearest cross street quickly is exactly why I built LOC8. I’m glad it is giving you the information you need, and I’ll keep working every day to make it even better.
Fed LEO
Thanks LOC8 Team! Great work!
Response from developer
Thank you so much for the kind words! We’re really glad LOC8 has been useful for your team while on duty. Features like live team locations, chat, and location pinning were built to help teams stay informed quickly without adding extra complexity during a shift. We really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review and support LOC8!
Just an idea
Response from developer
Thank you! We really appreciate the support and are glad you’re enjoying LOC8!
Great Tool
Response from developer
Thanks so much for the feedback! We’re glad LOC8 has been working well for you. Apple Watch does have some limitations on what third-party apps can offer compared with Apple’s own built-in apps, especially around complication sizes and quick-access options. That said, we’re continuing to look for ways to make LOC8 faster and easier to access on the Watch within those limitations. Really appreciate the suggestion!
Great idea, but doesn’t function.
Response from developer
Hi Nick, this is William, the developer. Both things you hit are real, and both got major work in the days right after your review. The long first load on the watch was the GPS radio going cold between opens. The app now keeps it warm, so the address lands in a few seconds on most opens instead of a minute. The "Near" placeholder was the app being too cautious with an uncertain first guess. It no longer shows that as a stopgap. It holds a proper locating state and commits the verified street and number, and "Near" only appears in areas where all. Give it another look on the latest version,and if it still disappoints, email info@loc8app.com and it comes straight to me. Your review pushed these fixes to the top of the list. Thank you.
Needs faster response
From my earlier read seems you are working on improved sensitivity and accuracy/response time which if optimized will make for a valuable app. I plan to drop after trial period and check back in a few months. Cheers.
Response from developer
Hi, this is William, the developer. You diagnosed it right. Indoors the phone falls back to approximate WiFi positioning, and where Apple Maps will happily show an approximate dot, LOC8 deliberately holds back until it can verify an exact address, because a confident wrong house number is worse than a short wait for the people this app serves. That said, you were also seeing real slowness on our side, and the response time work you read about has since shipped. A series of updates over the last two weeks specifically attacked slow first loads and indoor waits, and the difference is large. I would love for you to check back sooner than a few months. If it still feels sfo@loc8app.com and it comes straight to me. Thanks for the thoughtful review.
Not there yet
Response from developer
Hi, this is William, the developer. Seconds mattering is exactly the standard this app is built against, so a two star review with specifics is genuinely useful. Thank you. Both things you called out have been the focus of nearly every update since your review. The wake delay came from the watch letting GPS go cold between looks. It now keeps the radio warm, so raising your wrist typically shows the verified address in a second or two instead of re-acquiring from zero. Road tracking while driving updates every few seconds, and a series of fixes improved wrong road picks at ramps and junctions. The long stalls you saw should be gone. Give it another run on the latest version, and if anything still lags, email info@loc8app.com and it comes straight to me. I want this to be the tool you hoped it was.
Amazing
Response from developer
Thank you for the 5-star review! We’re glad the interface and accuracy have been working well for you. Apple limits what third-party apps can do with Watch face complications compared with its own built-in apps, but we’re continuing to explore ways to make LOC8 quicker to access directly from the Watch face within those limitations. Really appreciate the feedback!
Could be improved
App itself works “ok”. From cold start it takes about 7 seconds to give me an address which feels like forever depending on the situation.
Keep it up!
Response from developer
Thank you! We really appreciate the support. We’d love to expand LOC8’s Apple Watch complication options too. Apple does place some limitations on what third-party apps can do compared with its own built-in Watch apps, but we’re continuing to explore what’s possible and hope to improve quick access on the Watch over time.
Wildly inaccurate
Response from developer
Thank you for testing LOC8 on patrol and for the honest feedback. You are absolutely right that if the location is slow or inaccurate, the app is not doing what it was built to do. I am actively working on improving location accuracy, refresh timing, and Apple Watch responsiveness. LOC8 relies on the phone and watch GPS, so signal, movement, and environment can affect results, but reliability is the top priority. If you are willing, please submit a bug report through the app or email info@loc8app.com with details. That helps me review the GPS/address snapshot and fix these issues faster. I appreciate you trying it in the field.
Great for LE
Good App but subscriptions aren’t accurate after trail
Response from developer
Thank you for the feedback. Just a heads up, there is a bug report screen inside the apps dashboard (upper left corner). This is an area you can request a feature be added. The feature you had requested in this review was just added based on your feedback. I am actively updating the app daily as bug reports/feature requests come in.
Was not accurate, even during the initial sell point screens. +-27 feet? It had the city name wrong.
Response from developer
Thanks for the response! This has recently been updated and fixed.