bluebubbles-app FindMy map icon locations won't update

The location information is accurate but the icons on maps for friends and items/devices won't update for at least a couple days in my experience. Issue brought up on discord, screenshot attached below

Screenshot_20240316-213545~2

Mar 17 '24 10:03 jwprescod

Coordinates probably aren't accurate but match where it's displayed on the map.

Mar 17 '24 13:03 SpaceSaver

That's not the case. For instance, in this picture, the one highlighted is in Toronto - which is shown in the information section. But on the map itself, the person is still at their house, 60km away. And in most instances the map (not the information, but the map) will stay stagnant for days for both friends and devices.

Mar 17 '24 14:03 jwprescod

But, are the latitude and longitude also incorrect?

Mar 17 '24 14:03 SpaceSaver

They are also incorrect

Mar 17 '24 14:03 jwprescod

They are also incorrect

I have the same issue

Mar 17 '24 14:03 SpaceSaver

So, sometimes Apple's update function will give us a new address, but not new coordinates. It also could just be a caching issue. One way to check would be the following:

Use your browser and go to https://{your server url}/api/v1/findmy/friends?password={your password}

You will get a JSON response. Find the friend that is showing incorrectly (by the handle). Put the coordinates it has for them into Google maps. Does it match the address? Does it match what shows in the BlueBubbles app? If it matches BB, then it could be a quirk of how apple sends updates that we need to fix in the private API helper/server. If it doesn't match BB, then it may be a caching issue on the client

Mar 18 '24 11:03 zlshames

@zlshames Restarting Messages from the server settings page on the client updates the coordinates.

Mar 19 '24 12:03 SpaceSaver

@zlshames Restarting Messages from the server settings page on the client updates the coordinates.

Is it reproducible? Like if this happens, does restarting Messages fix it always? Also, instead of restarting, what if you just reopened iMessage, aka brought it into focus? Does it also fix it?

Mar 20 '24 01:03 zlshames

@zlshames Restarting Messages from the server settings page on the client updates the coordinates.

Is it reproducible? Like if this happens, does restarting Messages fix it always? Also, instead of restarting, what if you just reopened iMessage, aka brought it into focus? Does it also fix it?

Didn't mean to close the thread lol, but I just tried restarting Messages from the server settings page, and the coordinates were updated for me too fwiw.

I have also been typing in that findmy/friends URL with my server name and password and I get "Not Found"

Mar 20 '24 03:03 jwprescod

@zlshames Restarting Messages from the server settings page on the client updates the coordinates.

Is it reproducible? Like if this happens, does restarting Messages fix it always? Also, instead of restarting, what if you just reopened iMessage, aka brought it into focus? Does it also fix it?

Didn't mean to close the thread lol, but I just tried restarting Messages from the server settings page, and the coordinates were updated for me fwiw.

I have also been typing in that findmy/friends URL with my server name and password and I get "Not Found"

The URL was supposed to be https://{your server url}/api/v1/icloud/findmy/friends?password={your password}

Mar 20 '24 12:03 SpaceSaver

So, sometimes Apple's update function will give us a new address, but not new coordinates. It also could just be a caching issue. One way to check would be the following:

Use your browser and go to https://{your server url}/api/v1/findmy/friends?password={your password}

You will get a JSON response. Find the friend that is showing incorrectly (by the handle). Put the coordinates it has for them into Google maps. Does it match the address? Does it match what shows in the BlueBubbles app? If it matches BB, then it could be a quirk of how apple sends updates that we need to fix in the private API helper/server. If it doesn't match BB, then it may be a caching issue on the client

For me when this issue comes up, it is the latter where the address does not match the coordinates.

Mar 22 '24 05:03 Abolfazl

So, sometimes Apple's update function will give us a new address, but not new coordinates. It also could just be a caching issue. One way to check would be the following: Use your browser and go to https://{your server url}/api/v1/findmy/friends?password={your password} You will get a JSON response. Find the friend that is showing incorrectly (by the handle). Put the coordinates it has for them into Google maps. Does it match the address? Does it match what shows in the BlueBubbles app? If it matches BB, then it could be a quirk of how apple sends updates that we need to fix in the private API helper/server. If it doesn't match BB, then it may be a caching issue on the client

For me when this issue comes up, it is the latter where the address does not match the coordinates.

Do you know what's more updated tho? Like what's more accurate at the current checking time?

Mar 22 '24 12:03 zlshames

So, sometimes Apple's update function will give us a new address, but not new coordinates. It also could just be a caching issue. One way to check would be the following: Use your browser and go to https://{your server url}/api/v1/findmy/friends?password={your password} You will get a JSON response. Find the friend that is showing incorrectly (by the handle). Put the coordinates it has for them into Google maps. Does it match the address? Does it match what shows in the BlueBubbles app? If it matches BB, then it could be a quirk of how apple sends updates that we need to fix in the private API helper/server. If it doesn't match BB, then it may be a caching issue on the client

For me when this issue comes up, it is the latter where the address does not match the coordinates.

Do you know what's more updated tho? Like what's more accurate at the current checking time?

The long address field is accurate but the coordinates do not update

Mar 22 '24 15:03 Abolfazl

So, sometimes Apple's update function will give us a new address, but not new coordinates. It also could just be a caching issue. One way to check would be the following: Use your browser and go to https://{your server url}/api/v1/findmy/friends?password={your password} You will get a JSON response. Find the friend that is showing incorrectly (by the handle). Put the coordinates it has for them into Google maps. Does it match the address? Does it match what shows in the BlueBubbles app? If it matches BB, then it could be a quirk of how apple sends updates that we need to fix in the private API helper/server. If it doesn't match BB, then it may be a caching issue on the client

For me when this issue comes up, it is the latter where the address does not match the coordinates.

Do you know what's more updated tho? Like what's more accurate at the current checking time?

The long address field is accurate but the coordinates do not update

That's the same problem that we're having, my bad I probably could have worded my initial comment better

Mar 22 '24 15:03 jwprescod

Can confirm that restarting the server does work. However, we should not have to keep restarting the BlueBubbles server just because we want to see where our friends are.

May 30 '24 18:05 User8395

Can confirm that restarting the server does work. However, we should not have to keep restarting the BlueBubbles server just because we want to see where our friends are.

While restarting server works, this is a little overkill. Whenever I have issue of the coordinates not matching the the address description, I just pick one of the contacts, click contact info, close window, go to same contact, click contact info again and it starts reporting correct coordinates.

May 30 '24 18:05 Abolfazl

Can confirm that restarting the server does work. However, we should not have to keep restarting the BlueBubbles server just because we want to see where our friends are.

While restarting server works, this is a little overkill. Whenever I have issue of the coordinates not matching the the address description, I just pick one of the contacts, click contact info, close window, go to same contact, click contact info again and it starts reporting correct coordinates.

Do you mean clicking the name at the top to open the Android Contacts app twice or going to details twice? Because neither worked for me.

Jun 09 '24 18:06 User8395

Can confirm that restarting the server does work. However, we should not have to keep restarting the BlueBubbles server just because we want to see where our friends are.

While restarting server works, this is a little overkill. Whenever I have issue of the coordinates not matching the the address description, I just pick one of the contacts, click contact info, close window, go to same contact, click contact info again and it starts reporting correct coordinates.

Do you mean clicking the name at the top to open the Android Contacts app twice or going to details twice? Because neither worked for me.

I go to their contact page from Mac Mini

Jun 09 '24 18:06 Abolfazl

Can confirm that restarting the server does work. However, we should not have to keep restarting the BlueBubbles server just because we want to see where our friends are.

While restarting server works, this is a little overkill. Whenever I have issue of the coordinates not matching the the address description, I just pick one of the contacts, click contact info, close window, go to same contact, click contact info again and it starts reporting correct coordinates.

Do you mean clicking the name at the top to open the Android Contacts app twice or going to details twice? Because neither worked for me.

I go to their contact page from Mac Mini

I see. That's still not good.

Jun 09 '24 18:06 User8395

Instead of restarting your server. Does using the Restart iMessage button do the trick from the Connection & Server page in BlueBubbles?

Jun 10 '24 12:06 zlshames

Instead of restarting your server. Does using the Restart iMessage button do the trick from the Connection & Server page in BlueBubbles?

Idk but the issue just fixed itself. I restarted the server app and the icons are updating properly.

Jun 10 '24 14:06 User8395

Instead of restarting your server. Does using the Restart iMessage button do the trick from the Connection & Server page in BlueBubbles?

Idk but the issue just fixed itself. I restarted the server app and the icons are updating properly.

Nevermind it's messed up again

Jun 21 '24 23:06 User8395

Is there a fix for this other than restarting the server? The addresses update for me but not the coordinates, the coordinates only update after I restart the server.

Mar 06 '25 18:03 kscrabill

@kscrabill the temporary fix I've found works is to go to iMessage from your Mac, pick a person (i pick one whose location i have), press the 'i' info button at top right, select contact card, close contact card, reopen contact card.

Mar 06 '25 18:03 Abolfazl

Thanks for the info! I was looking for something more automatic. I currently I have a script that restarts the server everyday which isn't ideal but oh well.

Mar 06 '25 18:03 kscrabill

Instead of restarting your server. Does using the Restart iMessage button do the trick from the Connection & Server page in BlueBubbles?

For what it's worth, I just tried this, and it immediately solved the problem for me. One contact had been showing the wrong map location for weeks but had the correct text location (i.e. the popup text gave the correct street address and had a recent update time, but the map was showing the icon in an old location). As soon as I went to Settings->Server Actions->Restart iMessage (in the windows app), it updated to the correct location.

Apr 11 '25 17:04 star-glider