7 Best Location-Based App Ideas for Your Project

The location-based services (LBS) technology market size reached $31.1 billion in 2024. It’s projected to hit $125.9 billion by 2032. Various location-based services are a trend of our time that no business owner or app developer should miss. If you want to profit from the products of your company, you need to at least understand what this trend is about, what ideas can be implemented using location-based technologies, and how it simplifies the lives of users of your mobile apps.

Boosted personalization and precise analytics that can be turned into valuable insights are only basic inherent use cases of location-based services. Users expect personalized offers or content as a reward for providing their location data. The geo-tracking functionality and associated location-based services can be put at the core of a unique solution that turns responsive location-based services into a major business advantage for modern businesses. For example, reliable mapping solutions, such as Google Maps, can be the foundation of a great user experience.

The big question is how exactly you implement it, and which facet of location-based opportunities you can and should choose? To make your life easier and help you kick off a market-defining app launch, we give you these well-tried and, most importantly, relevant ideas for a powerful location app. By implementing these strategies, you would be able to offer a user-friendly experience and capitalize on the growing demand for location apps.

Location-Based App: What is It and How Does It Work?

Any solution capable of collecting users’ current location data and providing data on the real-time location of items can be considered location-based. This allows providers and users to customize services better and personalize experiences based on specific user habits. User dependency on location-based services has increased as smartphone functionality has evolved over the years. The impetus for the evolution of this trend was modern satellites, which make life easier for users than ever before.

Now, any developer can implement location-based services in their app without issues. Users expect privacy protections when using location-based apps. Many users rely on these location services for their daily needs. Mobile devices allow users to adjust location settings for each app individually.

But to enable the location tracking of taxi passengers, medical patients, or simple e-Commerce customers (you name it) in 2025, several underlying digital communication technologies are employed:

Global Positioning System (GPS) 

A Global Positioning System, a network of satellites, enables a wide coverage of devices connected via built-in GPS modules. This is a part of every smartphone and every other mobile device used daily today. And the best thing about this particular connection format is that you don’t need any network or Internet connection to stay connected via location services. They can track devices beyond the cell tower coverage by measuring Earth-orbit distance in real time. GPS technology data is essential for most location-based solutions, including many mobile apps.

Cell ID 

Geo-positions of devices can also be tracked via a mobile network using cellular location data. This uses cellular data to transmit the measurements. The principle of triangulation enables the three cell towers that are nearest to you to exchange local measurements and pinpoint your location.

Wi-Fi 

When GPS technology and mobile providers fail to satisfy your location-tracking needs, the closest Wi-Fi point can help you easily pinpoint your mobile device’s geo-position. This is especially handy when traveling abroad — Wi-Fi will save you from expensive roaming when looking for a hotel or local sights, providing reliable information.

A good geo-tracking-enabled app uses all three of these technologies interchangeably to grant tracking capabilities in different industries and conditions for enhanced battery efficiency, ensuring better location-based services. This provides real-time location accuracy, which is vital for many location-based applications.

Top Industries that Use Geolocation

The number of industries that can implement geolocation technology is only growing. But let’s take a closer look at the hottest options for enterprises looking to profit from location app ideas in 2025. Examples of location-based success stories show this technology across various industries in the global market.

On-Demand Services

The on-demand industry is probably the quickest to come to mind for those catching on to this trend. People prefer using their smartphones for all types of services required here and now, including calling up a taxi, ordering food or goods delivery, and any other similar service. The benefit is immediately apparent — no need to make calls and waste extra time, especially when avoiding heavy traffic conditions, and you can see the service provider’s distance from the user’s location.

Examples of such solutions are:

• Uber and UberEats
• Lyft
• DoorDash
• NetPrincer

All these mobile apps quickly connect all sorts of service providers with their target audience of customers. So it works both ways. For instance, by getting a location app, taxi drivers also benefit enormously by not having to drive too far to pick up their passengers — you can always pick the most convenient destination. This is one of the benefits of two-way LBS technology. These location-aware apps examples rely on backend mapping systems like Google Maps.

Entertainment and Dating Industry

The entertainment and dating apps industry has also benefited greatly from the development of location capabilities. Now you can find a mate a few miles from home and interact with other users just by using one of the popular dating apps. Many of these mobile apps double as social networking apps. Moreover, you can find the nearest restaurant, café, park, and more using a simple app on your mobile device.

The most vivid examples are:

• Tinder
• OkCupid
• Bumble
• Hinge

Transportation Industry

GPS data can be used for various purposes in cargo transportation. For example, you can track the direction of travel and the location of the nearest vehicles to simplify the logistics process. It is possible to make freight transportation easier and, most importantly, more profitable for business owners. Many such location-based solutions are powerful navigation apps. This type of location-based solution can be applied to a navigation app.

Businesses are boosting their supply chain and logistics management with the help of these location-aware solutions:

• Fleet Complete
• ShipStation
• Onfleet

Travel Industry

Owners of travel agencies have also become familiar with this trend quickly and are using it to maximize profits. Now, you can easily find various apps that allow users to select the nearest train station or airport to the users’ geolocation, provide the location of the hotel and the nearest infrastructure, schedule bookings, and much more. This has achieved immense popularity with mobile users.

The most in-demand examples right now are:

• Airbnb
• Flightradar24
• TripAdvisor

Mobile Games and the AR Industry

Mobile games are another story of success. Combining location and augmented reality (AR) allows for truly market-defining gamified experiences. We all remember the huge success of Pokémon Go. Then, there’s Ingress, which is an AR-enabled RPG, and Zombies, Run!, which takes a classic zombie apocalypse twist and turns it into a location-aware fitness app. Examples of location-based mobile games demonstrate the potential of augmented reality.

On the other hand, solutions across different industries and niches are getting gamified and equipped with AR. For instance, IKEA has long introduced a virtual “fitting room” inside the dedicated app, which allows users of the mobile application to see how certain furniture fits their real-world locations in real-time.

Since many developers are using this trend and the competition is growing every day, we have selected the best niches to enter right now. They offer ideas for location-based services apps.

7 Best Ideas for Your Location-Based App

Since many developers are using this trend and the competition is growing every day, we have selected the best niches to enter right now. 

E-Commerce App

You can use the geolocation feature and other location features to check availability in nearby warehouses, optimize courier work, and achieve many other goals. You also get ways to really boost marketing and sales at the forefront of your business. This helps users with their everyday tasks.

If you own a brick-and-mortar store or outlet, you can install specialized beacon technology that would sense customers with registered accounts when they pass your store and send notifications and reminders. Once they enter the store, they may continue receiving directions and useful location information regarding the product range, prices, etc., based on the user’s location. This creates a seamless shopping experience for mobile users and benefits local businesses. Retailers use location-based AR to provide personalized offers when users are near their stores.

An e-commerce app can direct businesses to nearby shops. This is an app that provides advanced features. Several leading retailers are already implementing location-based services apps for local businesses. They use technology available through Google Play for an accessible customer experience.

Tourism and Booking App

No use passing on the success case of Airbnb and others. Travel apps can benefit the most from location-based apps ideas. You can implement just hundreds of different functions using the ability to track users’ geolocation. The best example is booking an apartment and checking its geolocation. You can also add the function of showing the nearest points of interest: attractions, parks, and other entertainment establishments near the user’s location. It allows users to find user places easily.

A weather app can benefit from Google Maps integration. A powerful weather app and travel app use it to help users visualize real-world locations based on accurate GPS coordinates.

On-Demand App

Although the competition in this field is quite high, where there is competition, there are also big profits. You can make an app better than other users, thereby attracting your customers. To do this, it is enough to add authenticity to the application with geolocation tracking, which is part of LBS technology. For example, the ability to choose from the nearest taxi drivers based on passenger reviews or other features. Also, traffic notifications for the driver about traffic conditions will be a great option to make the application more versatile.

Location-based AR is widely used in tourism to provide real-time information about landmarks and attractions. An example of a location-based similar check-in app is a potential Swarm app, which is different from a simple curbside app.

Healthcare App

This may as well fall under the category of on-demand location-based apps, but we should mention it separately. Digital healthcare and telemedicine are emerging market niches with huge prospects. And location features are essential here, as geo-enabled apps can help efficiently track patients with sensitive conditions and provide emergency location-based services. This relies on accurate real-time data and location data.

Another healthy idea would be to create a fitness app. Let it display the location of athletic fields, track the distance of jogging or walking, calculate burned calories based on the location information received, etc. It can help users in their everyday tasks. Users can get a precise weather forecast for their route, and the app can track the user’s position via GPS coordinates.

Dating App

Finding a soulmate when you spend most of your time at work is quite problematic. Sometimes, it so happens that you like a person from another city, but you just don’t have the opportunity to meet them. Therefore, modern popular dating apps have made it possible to pick a partner not only by appearance and hobbies but also by geolocation, making it easier for other users to find matches. These kinds of apps could be seen as social networking apps.

There is already quite a big competition in this field, but most applications are not completely optimized. So, using one of the location-based app ideas in this field, you can not only get profits but also make people happier, using location-based technologies for a better user experience.

Mobile Game

In addition to Pokémon Go, there are other location-based app ideas for entertaining mobile games with geolocation use. Now, this example is both the most prominent and most extreme. However, the possibilities for smaller improvements are endless. Consider, for example, finding the best server for ping optimization, which the built-in geolocation can do, often with the help of services like Google Maps for real-world locations’ context. This, and many other functions for players, will make the gaming process much smoother and more pleasing. Mobile apps offer an interactive experience, and can be developed using tools like Android Studio.

AR-Enabled App

There are tons of ways you can incorporate augmented reality for the ultimate convenience of users and resulting sales and profits. AR improves real estate experiences by allowing users to visualize properties in their real environment before making a decision. Create a solution for real estate providers with an AI editor at the core that allows users of the mobile application to visualize houses and real estate objects via a regular smartphone using augmented reality. Or draw inspiration from IKEA and equip your online store with AR views of goods or a virtual fitting room if you sell clothes.

Location-based AR facilitates improved navigation by displaying directions in real-time and overlaying them on the user’s view. Location-based AR also enhances learning by making educational content interactive and accessible based on geographic locations.

Location-based services enable anchoring virtual objects to real-world locations. It gives mobile users a complete view of a product at the user’s geographic location.

Consider Weelorum Your Trusted Partner in Developing Your Mobile App

All the mentioned and other promising location-based app ideas need qualified specialists with the proper tools to be implemented at the top level of quality. We can help with custom software development.

You can count on our professional approach for location-based app development and extensive experience in this industry. We provide both location-based services for estimating the price of an application at the idea stage and a full estimate after your final decision and development to get the final product. Moreover, our experts in various industries are ready to advise on creating an app with or without geolocation and the relevance of solutions today, all centered on improving the user experience. The principles of LBS technology apply to all our projects.

In our portfolio, you will find the best examples of company development. All our clients were satisfied, so it’s time to put your name on this list. Contact us right now and get detailed advice on any issue of interest.

Final Thoughts

In this article, we introduced you to new ideas for location-based applications. The choice, of course, is yours, but each industry can incorporate geolocation into its applications in different ways to maximize user satisfaction and profits. Mobile users expect seamless service in today’s digital world.

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