Geo Fencing Troubleshooting
Geo Fencing, or Location Services with abode are a great way of automatically performing an action, based on the location of your mobiles device(s).
The first thing is to ensure all devices have the correct location permissions turned on.
iOS:
abode app - go to Menu > Location Assistant and ensure Location Services are turned on.
iOS - go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services > abode and ensure it is set to both Always, and Precise Location is turned on
iOS - got to Settings > Privacy > Motion & Fitness and ensure abode is listed there.
If these settings are not correct, make sure they are turned on, and if unsure, delete the app and reinstall, and ensure all permission settings are set to yes.
Android:
Each Android device can be different, but as a general rule, these 2 options need to be turned on:
Android > Phone Settings > Apps and notifications > Abode > Permissions > Location > Allow all the time
Android > Phone Settings > Apps and notifications > Abode > Permissions > Physical Activity > Allow
Once we are happy all devices are reporting in correctly, ensure the Automation is set up correctly.
The most common use case is either:
When this device, or the last of these devices, leaves the Geo Fence, then do this, or
When this device, or the first of these devices, enters the Geo Fence, then do this.
Providing this has set up correctly, there should not be an issue with this running, however there is the requirement that the devices involved do need to be reporting in
Automation cannot run because [device name] has not reported in
All devices involved in the Automation need to be on, and set up. If you have a device that has gone flat, or has not physically moved enough to report a location change in 24 hours, the app will not run the automation.
Why do we do this? We cannot allow the app to 'assume' the location of the device - this could potentially mean a system is disarmed without knowing the exact location of a device.
Therefore, if this error occurs, the first step is to review all the devices in the Automation, and ensure they are all set up correctly, switched on, operating, and moving to report a location.
One of the more common issues is a user changes mobile devices, but does not update the Automation. Automations are devices specific, rather than account specific.
The Location Assistant in the app settings menu allows users to see all their devices, identify the real ones via push notifications so they can remove the ones that are no longer used, and then they can update their automations.
Other things to try
- Ensure GPS and cellular data is enabled in your phone settings at all times. This will ensure the app actively reports the right location to the Abode servers
- Open the Abode app, go to the menu (3 lines on the top left) > select Location Assistant > enable this option on all phones tied to the automation
- Disable any battery saver applications or settings in the phone that reserves phone battery. Power saving apps/ settings will disable background services such as mobile data and GPS
- Disable the LPM from Phone Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode > Disable this feature (iOS only)