Swift LocationManager didChangeAuthorizationStatus Always Called

- locationManager:didChangeAuthorizationStatus: is called shortly after the CLLocationManager is initialised.

You can request authorization inside the delegate method if you want:

func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager!, didChangeAuthorizationStatus status: CLAuthorizationStatus) {
    switch status {
    case .notDetermined:
        locationManager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
        break
    case .authorizedWhenInUse:
        locationManager.startUpdatingLocation()
        break
    case .authorizedAlways:
        locationManager.startUpdatingLocation()
        break
    case .restricted:
        // restricted by e.g. parental controls. User can't enable Location Services
        break
    case .denied:
        // user denied your app access to Location Services, but can grant access from Settings.app
        break
    default:
        break
    }
}

Be aware that you need to assign the delegate in a 'timely' matter if you want this to work.

If you would somehow delay the delegate assignment, e.g. by setting it asynchronously, you might miss the initial call to - locationManager:didChangeAuthorizationStatus:.

The other answers could introduce new undesirable behaviors.

You can just add a boolean and a guard to prevent the first call, with some comments explaining the bug :

var firstTimeCalled = true

// ...    

func locationManager(_ manager: CLLocationManager, didChangeAuthorization status: CLAuthorizationStatus) {

    guard !firstTimeCalled else {
        firstTimeCalled = false
        return
    }

    // ... send status to listeners
}

Swift 3

func locationManager(_ manager: CLLocationManager, didChangeAuthorization status: CLAuthorizationStatus) {
        switch status {
        case .notDetermined:
            manager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
            break
        case .authorizedWhenInUse:
            manager.startUpdatingLocation()
            break
        case .authorizedAlways:
            manager.startUpdatingLocation()
            break
        case .restricted:
            // restricted by e.g. parental controls. User can't enable Location Services
            break
        case .denied:
            // user denied your app access to Location Services, but can grant access from Settings.app
            break
        }
    }