GPS Location Tracking Is Not Working on Device

Overview

You are not able to see current the location of a worker on the map or the location update is past due while the worker should be on shift and using the application on their device.

Diagnosis

This issue may happen due to the following reasons:

• The mobile application is not running - the worker may have forgotten to start the application; ask the worker to check if the app is running on their device.
• The worker is using an old version of the mobile application, which causes issues acquiring GPS location. To check if this is the issue, the worker should navigate to Settings > Device Summary from the mobile app and check the Version # - then compare if it matches the version number on:
  • Google Play for Android devices
  • App Store for iOS devices
    
    
    
    
• The worker may be located in a building where the GPS signal cannot be acquired.
  To check if this is the issue, ask the worker to go outdoors - the GPS icon should turn green.
  
  
  
  
• Location Services is turned off on the device or Airplane mode is turned on - check device status logs to see if there are Airplane Mode On or GPS Turned Off messages.
  Note: If the user closed the application before turning on Airplane mode or turning off GPS, these messages will not be visible in the logs.
  
  
• The worker's device is not communicating with the StreetSmart server. To confirm if this is the case, check the status of the worker.
  If the status of the worker is Logged Off or Update is past due - the device cannot connect to the server.

Solution

Please refer to the solution according to the identified root cause:

• The mobile application is not running - you can configure the app to start automatically or ask the worker to make sure that the application is running during working hours.
  
  
• The worker is using an old version of the mobile application - the user needs to remove the application from their device and install it from scratch, and then activate it.
  
  
• If the GPS signal is lost due to working in a building or underground, ask the worker to step outside once in a while and tap on the Sync icon once the GPS icon turns green - the retrieved location should be transferred to the server.
  
  Best Practices:

  • Maintain "Line of Sight" with the sky when possible - make sure the device is in an area where it can acquire a GPS satellite. Buildings and parking ramps can restrict access to a good GPS satellite signal. If you are in a vehicle, keep the mobile device in an open area. Do not place the device in the glove box, center column box, or a toolbox as that can potentially block GPS signals.
  • Keep your device battery charged - if the battery gets below 30%, the device may turn off the GPS function to save battery power.
  • If working indoors or underground, the mobile application may not be able to immediately transmit the data back to the web application. If the recording of these events is time sensitive, you may need to step outside to ensure they are transmitted back to the web application. If your device is not able to pick up a carrier signal, the mobile app will store all information or events (such as Mobile Forms or Job Actions) and will transmit once you are back in an area that has cell coverage.
  • Avoid suddenly closing the application on the device - instead of swiping the app to close it, use the Exit button found on the home screen of the application. Shutting the app down suddenly might interrupt the software and doesn't allow the device to send the last captured GPS coordinates or any other data to the server.
  
  
  
  
• If the worker turned on Airplane mode or turned off Location services, ask the worker to avoid enabling Airplane mode or turning off Location services during working hours.
  If you want to prevent workers from changing Airplane mode or Location Services settings, you need to find and set up a suitable MDM solution.
  
  Additionally, you can create an alert to notify the supervisor when a worker turns off GPS tracking: event type - Monitor Device, rule setup - Location Service Is Off.
  
  
• If the worker's device is not communicating with the server - ask the worker to follow the steps described in the article Device Is Not Syncing with the Server to resolve the connectivity issue.
  
  
  Note: If the mobile device is still not tracking after performing all the steps described above, check if your phone or tablet is supported. If it is not one of the supported devices, you may need to replace your device with a supported one.

Testing

Check the status of the worker - their location should be current, and you should be able to review the most recent location and routes of the worker.

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