diff --git a/src/utils/beacon/geolocation.ts b/src/utils/beacon/geolocation.ts
index 3c0d13251e..b21fddad63 100644
--- a/src/utils/beacon/geolocation.ts
+++ b/src/utils/beacon/geolocation.ts
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ export enum GeolocationError {
 
 const GeolocationOptions = {
     timeout: 5000,
-    maximumAge: 1000,
+    maximumAge: 2000,
 };
 
 const isGeolocationPositionError = (error: unknown): error is GeolocationPositionError =>
@@ -112,13 +112,31 @@ export const mapGeolocationPositionToTimedGeo = (position: GeolocationPosition):
     return { timestamp: position.timestamp, geoUri: getGeoUri(genericPositionFromGeolocation(position)) };
 };
 
+/**
+ * Gets current position, returns a promise
+ * @returns Promise<GeolocationPosition>
+ */
+export const getCurrentPosition = async (): Promise<GeolocationPosition> => {
+    try {
+        const position = await new Promise((resolve: PositionCallback, reject) => {
+            getGeolocation().getCurrentPosition(resolve, reject, GeolocationOptions);
+        });
+        return position;
+    } catch (error) {
+        throw new Error(mapGeolocationError(error));
+    }
+};
+
+export type ClearWatchCallback = () => void;
 export const watchPosition = (
     onWatchPosition: PositionCallback,
-    onWatchPositionError: (error: GeolocationError) => void): () => void => {
+    onWatchPositionError: (error: GeolocationError) => void): ClearWatchCallback => {
     try {
         const onError = (error) => onWatchPositionError(mapGeolocationError(error));
         const watchId = getGeolocation().watchPosition(onWatchPosition, onError, GeolocationOptions);
-        const clearWatch = () => getGeolocation().clearWatch(watchId);
+        const clearWatch = () => {
+            getGeolocation().clearWatch(watchId);
+        };
         return clearWatch;
     } catch (error) {
         throw new Error(mapGeolocationError(error));
diff --git a/test/test-utils/beacon.ts b/test/test-utils/beacon.ts
index fa6bcebe11..09326a1434 100644
--- a/test/test-utils/beacon.ts
+++ b/test/test-utils/beacon.ts
@@ -141,3 +141,27 @@ export const mockGeolocation = (): MockedObject<Geolocation> => {
 
     return mockGeolocation;
 };
+
+/**
+ * Creates a mock watchPosition implementation
+ * that calls success callback at the provided delays
+ * ```
+ * geolocation.watchPosition.mockImplementation([0, 1000, 5000, 50])
+ * ```
+ * will call the provided handler with a mock position at
+ * next tick, 1000ms, 6000ms, 6050ms
+ */
+export const watchPositionMockImplementation = (delays: number[]) => {
+    return (callback: PositionCallback) => {
+        const position = makeGeolocationPosition({});
+
+        let totalDelay = 0;
+        delays.map(delayMs => {
+            totalDelay += delayMs;
+            const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+                callback({ ...position, timestamp: position.timestamp + totalDelay });
+            }, totalDelay);
+            return timeout;
+        });
+    };
+};
diff --git a/test/test-utils/utilities.ts b/test/test-utils/utilities.ts
index f826fe1679..a4370fbc9e 100644
--- a/test/test-utils/utilities.ts
+++ b/test/test-utils/utilities.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,16 @@ export const findByTagAndTestId = findByTagAndAttr('data-test-id');
 
 export const flushPromises = async () => await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve));
 
+// with jest's modern fake timers process.nextTick is also mocked,
+// flushing promises in the normal way then waits for some advancement
+// of the fake timers
+// https://gist.github.com/apieceofbart/e6dea8d884d29cf88cdb54ef14ddbcc4?permalink_comment_id=4018174#gistcomment-4018174
+export const flushPromisesWithFakeTimers = async (): Promise<void> => {
+    const promise = new Promise(resolve => process.nextTick(resolve));
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(1);
+    await promise;
+};
+
 /**
  * Call fn before calling componentDidUpdate on a react component instance, inst.
  * @param {React.Component} inst an instance of a React component.
@@ -57,3 +67,13 @@ export function waitForUpdate(inst: React.Component, updates = 1): Promise<void>
         };
     });
 }
+
+/**
+ * Advance jests fake timers and Date.now mock by ms
+ * Useful for testing code using timeouts or intervals
+ * that also checks timestamps
+ */
+export const advanceDateAndTime = (ms: number) => {
+    jest.spyOn(global.Date, 'now').mockReturnValue(Date.now() + ms);
+    jest.advanceTimersByTime(ms);
+};
diff --git a/test/utils/beacon/geolocation-test.ts b/test/utils/beacon/geolocation-test.ts
index 51aabd3600..0b2ad4930f 100644
--- a/test/utils/beacon/geolocation-test.ts
+++ b/test/utils/beacon/geolocation-test.ts
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import {
     mapGeolocationPositionToTimedGeo,
     watchPosition,
 } from "../../../src/utils/beacon";
+import { getCurrentPosition } from "../../../src/utils/beacon/geolocation";
 import { makeGeolocationPosition, mockGeolocation } from "../../test-utils/beacon";
 
 describe('geolocation utilities', () => {
@@ -166,7 +167,7 @@ describe('geolocation utilities', () => {
 
             const [, , options] = geolocation.watchPosition.mock.calls[0];
             expect(options).toEqual({
-                maximumAge: 1000,
+                maximumAge: 2000,
                 timeout: 5000,
             });
         });
@@ -204,4 +205,36 @@ describe('geolocation utilities', () => {
             expect(errorHandler).toHaveBeenCalledWith(GeolocationError.PermissionDenied);
         });
     });
+
+    describe('getCurrentPosition()', () => {
+        it('throws with unavailable error when geolocation is not available', async () => {
+            // suppress expected errors from test log
+            jest.spyOn(logger, 'error').mockImplementation(() => { });
+
+            // remove the mock we added
+            // @ts-ignore illegal assignment to readonly property
+            navigator.geolocation = undefined;
+
+            await expect(() => getCurrentPosition()).rejects.toThrow(GeolocationError.Unavailable);
+        });
+
+        it('throws with geolocation error when geolocation.getCurrentPosition fails', async () => {
+            // suppress expected errors from test log
+            jest.spyOn(logger, 'error').mockImplementation(() => { });
+
+            const timeoutError = getMockGeolocationPositionError(3, 'message');
+            geolocation.getCurrentPosition.mockImplementation((callback, error) => error(timeoutError));
+
+            await expect(() => getCurrentPosition()).rejects.toThrow(GeolocationError.Timeout);
+        });
+
+        it('resolves with current location', async () => {
+            jest.spyOn(logger, 'error').mockImplementation(() => { });
+
+            geolocation.getCurrentPosition.mockImplementation((callback, error) => callback(defaultPosition));
+
+            const result = await getCurrentPosition();
+            expect(result).toEqual(defaultPosition);
+        });
+    });
 });