significant location change start app on boot

Question

I have an app that successfully uses significant location changes, but has problems starting on boot under a very specific scenario.

• The app starts IF the iPhone is unlocked within 3 minutes of boot.
• However, if I wait more than 3 minutes to unlock the iPhone, the app is not started. (even if i travel a significant distance).

Of note is that apps life360 and Facebook do restart their significant location changes if the phone is unlocked after the 3 minute mark. The following locationd tag flies by after unlocking the phone:

Nov 24 16:43:41 my-iPhone locationd[64] <Notice>: client 'com.life360.safetymap' starting significant location changes

Is there some change I can make to my implementation of the Significant Location Changes code so that the app will reliably start on boot (or at least on phone unlock)?

1) the myapp-info.plist file contains entries for

• "App registers for location updates" for Required Background Modes
• "location-services" for Required Device Capabilities
• explanation text for NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription

2) The following code is an excerpt of my AppDelegate.m.

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication*)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary*)launchOptions
{
    [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:@"APPLICATION DID FINISH LAUNCHING WITH OPTIONS"];
    [LocationManagement startSignificantChangeUpdates];
    CGRect screenBounds = [[UIScreen mainScreen] bounds];

    #if __has_feature(objc_arc)
            self.window = [[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:screenBounds];
    #else
            self.window = [[[UIWindow alloc] initWithFrame:screenBounds] autorelease];
    #endif
        self.window.autoresizesSubviews = YES;

    #if __has_feature(objc_arc)
            self.viewController = [[MainViewController alloc] init];
    #else
            self.viewController = [[[MainViewController alloc] init] autorelease];
    #endif

        // Set your app's start page by setting the <content src='foo.html' /> tag in config.xml.
        // If necessary, uncomment the line below to override it.
        // self.viewController.startPage = @"index.html";
        self.window.rootViewController = self.viewController;
        [self.window makeKeyAndVisible];

        // NOTE: To customize the view's frame size (which defaults to full screen), override
        // [self.viewController viewWillAppear:] in your view controller.
        [self.viewController setLaunchOptions:launchOptions];
//    }
    return YES;
}

and here are the location management files:
LocationManagement.h

#import <CoreLocation/CoreLocation.h>
#import "LogPhoneEvent.h"

@interface LocationManagement : NSObject <CLLocationManagerDelegate>

+ (void)startSignificantChangeUpdates;
+ (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didUpdateLocations:(NSArray *)locations;
+ (void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didFailWithError:(NSError *)error;

@end

and LocationManagement.m

//
//  LocationManagement.m
//

#import "LocationManagement.h"


@implementation LocationManagement

CLLocationManager* locationManager;
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_EQUAL_TO(v)                  ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] == NSOrderedSame)
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN(v)              ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] == NSOrderedDescending)
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(v)  ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] != NSOrderedAscending)
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN(v)                 ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] == NSOrderedAscending)
#define SYSTEM_VERSION_LESS_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(v)     ([[[UIDevice currentDevice] systemVersion] compare:v options:NSNumericSearch] != NSOrderedDescending)

+ (void)startSignificantChangeUpdates
{
    // Create the location manager if this object does not
    // already have one.
    NSLog(@"LocationManagement attempting startSignificantChangeUpdates");

    if (nil == locationManager){
        locationManager = [[CLLocationManager alloc] init];
        [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"startSignificantChangeUpdates creating new CLLocationManager"]];
    }
    [locationManager setDelegate:(id)self];

    if ([CLLocationManager significantLocationChangeMonitoringAvailable]){
        NSLog(@"LocationManagement significantLocationChangeMonitoring IS AVAILABLE");
        if (SYSTEM_VERSION_GREATER_THAN_OR_EQUAL_TO(@"8.0.0")){
            if ([locationManager respondsToSelector:@selector(requestAlwaysAuthorization)])
            {
                [locationManager requestAlwaysAuthorization];
            }
        }
        [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"startSignificantChangeUpdates START MONITORING SIGNIFICANT LOCATION CHANGES"]];
        [locationManager startMonitoringSignificantLocationChanges];
        //[locationManager startUpdatingLocation];
        NSLog(@"my-uBox LocationManagement starting significant change updates");
    }
    else{
        [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"startSignificantChangeUpdates significantLocationChangeMonitoring NOT AVAILABLE"]];
        NSLog(@"my-uBox LocationManagement significantLocationChangeMonitoring NOT AVAILABLE");
    }
}

+(void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didUpdateLocations:(NSArray *)locations {
    CLLocation *newLocation = [locations lastObject];
    [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"locationmanager DID UPDATE LOCATION to %@", newLocation]];
    NSLog(@"LocationManagement didUpdateLocations to %@", newLocation);
}

+(void)locationManager:(CLLocationManager *)manager didFailWithError:(NSError *)error {
    NSLog(@"LocationManagement didFailWithError %@", error);
    [LogPhoneEvent logPhoneEvent:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"locationmanager DID FAIL WITH ERROR %@", error]];
}

@end

I'm using iOS 8.1.1 on an Iphone 5 and have been stuck on this for quite a few days. Any input would be greatly appreciated.