Distance widget not updating? Here's why.
The short answer: a distance widget that's blank almost always means one partner's location sharing is off — distance needs two positions to compute. A widget that shows a number but hasn't moved is usually correct, not broken: it only updates on real movement, not on a fixed schedule. Below are the four actual causes, in the order they're worth checking, and the fix for each.
1. One of you has location sharing off
This is the cause behind almost every blank distance widget. Distance is computed from two positions — yours and your partner's — so if only one of you shares, there's nothing to measure. Nestlight's Distance card names specifically whose side is missing rather than showing a generic error, but if your app doesn't say, the fix is the same either way: both partners open Settings and confirm location sharing is on.
2. The number looks stuck, but it isn't
A distance widget built correctly updates on significant movement, not a timer — that's what keeps it from draining your battery. If neither of you has actually gone anywhere since the last reading, the number staying exactly the same is the widget working as intended, not a bug. If you've genuinely traveled and it still hasn't budged:
- Open the app once — most apps force a fresh location sync on launch.
- Pull to refresh on the screen that shows distance, if that gesture is supported.
- Check iOS Settings → General → Background App Refresh, and confirm it's on for the app. Without it, the app can't report a fresh position while it's not open.
3. A stale position is being ignored on purpose
Some apps (Nestlight included) intentionally discard a position that's too old rather than showing a distance that might be wrong — a phone that hasn't reported in 30+ minutes reads as "no distance" instead of a misleading number. If your widget shows nothing after a phone has been off or in Airplane Mode for a while, this is why: give it a few minutes back on network for a fresh position to land.
4. iOS's own widget refresh budget
WidgetKit enforces a daily budget on how often any widget is allowed to refresh — shared across every widget on your phone, not per-app. It's generous under normal use, but once it's exhausted for the day, widgets quietly stop updating with no error anywhere, which is exactly the "just stops working" symptom people report. A full device restart resets the budget immediately; otherwise it resets on its own by the next day.
Quick checklist
- Both partners have location sharing on? (Cause #1 — the most common one.)
- Has either of you actually moved since it last updated? (If not, it's not stuck.)
- Background App Refresh on for the app?
- Phone been offline for a while? Give it a few minutes back on network.
- Still nothing after a full restart? That resets iOS's widget refresh budget.
FAQ
Why is my distance widget stuck on an old number?
It updates on significant movement, not a timer — if neither of you has moved meaningfully, the number staying the same is correct. If you have traveled and it still hasn't moved, open the app or pull to refresh, and check Background App Refresh is on.
Why does my distance widget show nothing at all?
Almost always one-sided location sharing — distance needs both people sharing. A good app tells you specifically whose side is missing.
Does closing the app stop the distance widget from updating?
No. A widget built on significant-location-change monitoring keeps reporting in the background whether the app is open or closed — force-quitting only stops it if you also revoke location permission.
Can iOS's widget refresh budget cause this?
Yes — WidgetKit's daily refresh budget is shared across every widget on your phone, and once exhausted, widgets quietly stop updating with no visible error. A full restart resets it.
Setting one up for the first time instead? Full setup guide → or see what a distance widget actually is.