The purpose of this article is to help you understand:

  • General recommendations for GPS accuracy 

 

Optimizing GPS Tracking

If you subscribe to the Growing or Premium plan and utilize the GPS clock-in/clock-out feature, there are several phone settings that may impact the accuracy of your booking time logs.  Please use the sections below for suggestions on how to improve location and tracking accuracy for the BookingKoala for Providers app.  

 

Location Settings (iPhone)

To ensure that the GPS is always being accessed by the BookingKoala for Providers app, the phone's location services should be set to "Always".

  1. To check, open your phone and go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
  2. Make sure the toggle next to "Location Services" is set to "On"/green.
  3. Next, scroll down the list of apps in this section and click on "BookingKoala for Providers".  
  4. Beneath "Allow Location Access", make sure the option "Always" has a green checkmark next to it.  If it does not, click "Always" to update the app's settings.

 

Background App Refresh (iPhone)

In order for iPhones to consistently track your location, we recommend having "background app refresh" turned on and enabled for the BookingKoala for Providers app.

  1. Begin by opening your phone and going to Settings > General.  
  2. Tap "Background App Refresh" and make sure it is set to "On" at the top of the section.  
  3. Next, scroll down until you locate the "BookingKoala for Providers" app and check that the toggle button is "On"/green.
  4. If the toggle is grey, tap it once to switch it to "On"/green.  

 

Data Saver Mode (iPhone)

If your phone has "Low Data Mode" enabled, you may face issues with apps that require background data usage to keep GPS tracking active. Therefore, disabling "Low Data Mode" can help improve your tracking accuracy.

  1. Open your phone and go to Settings > Cellular Data > Cellular Data Options.
  2. Locate the "Low Data Mode" section and make sure it is toggled to "Off"/grey.
  3. If the toggle bottle is "On"/green, tap it once to turn it to the off position.  

 

Location Settings (Android)

If you use an Android device, location services must be set to "Always" for the BookingKoala for Providers app.  

  1. To check, open your phone and go to Settings > Location.
  2. Make sure that "Location" is toggled to "On" at the top of the screen. 
  3. Next, click on "App Permissions".
  4. Click on the "BookingKoala for Providers" app in the list below.
  5. Beneath "Location access for this app", make sure "Allow all the time" has been selected.  If not, click "Allow all the time" to update the app's settings.

 

Improve Location Accuracy (Android)

There are also additional location options that can affect the accuracy of your phone's GPS.   To ensure maximum accuracy,

  1. Start by going to Settings > Location.
  2. Click on "Improve Accuracy". 
  3. Make sure both "Wi-Fi scanning" and "Bluetooth scanning" are both set to "On"/blue.
  4. If not, click the grey toggle button to turn it to "On"/blue for each option.

 

Allow Background Data (Android)

In order for your GPS to continuously track and log information in the BookingKoala for Providers app, background data usage must be enabled.

  1. Start by going to Settings > Network and Internet > Data Usage > App Data Usage.  
  2. Scroll down to view a list of your apps and tap on the "BookingKoala for Providers" app.  
  3. Check the bottom of this section and make sure "Background data" is toggled to "On"/blue.  
  4. If not, click the grey toggle button to turn it to "On"/blue.  

Some Androids will have a slightly different location to manage your app's background data usage.

  1. Open your phone and go to Settings > Network and Internet > Mobile Network > Data Usage > App Data Usage.
  2. Scroll down to view a list of your apps and tap on the "BookingKoala for Providers" app.  
  3. Check the bottom of this section and make sure "Background data" is toggled to "On"/blue.  
  4. If not, click the grey toggle button to turn it to "On"/blue.  

Older Android phones have the same setting located under the "Data Usage" section.

  1. Open your phone and go to Settings > Connections > Data Usage.
  2. Tap on "Mobile data usage".
  3. Scroll down until you locate the "BookingKoala for Provider's App" and  tap on it.
  4. Make sure the toggle button is set to "On"/blue for "Allow background data usage" and "Allow app while data saver is on".  
  5. If one or both of the buttons are grey, tap the button one to switch it to "On"/blue.  

 

Battery Usage (Android) 

Some Android devices allow you to control background data for each individual app. If this applies to your phone, you'll want to make sure that "Allow background activity".

  1. Open your phone and go to Settings > Apps > BookingKoala for Providers.
  2. Tap on "Battery".  
  3. Below "Manage Battery Use" make sure "Allow background activity" is toggled to "On"/blue.  
  4. If the toggle button is grey, tap it once to switch it to "On"/blue. 
  5. Next, tap on "Optimize battery usage".
  6. Locate the "BookingKoala for Providers" app and make sure that the toggle button is set to "Off"/white.
  7. If the toggle is "On"/blue, tap it once to turn "Off" battery optimization.  

 

Sleeping App Settings (Android)

To ensure that the BookingKoala for Providers app is consistently using your phone GPS, the app should be listed under the "Never Sleeping Apps" section.

  1. To begin, open your phone and go to Settings > Battery & Device Care > Battery > Background Usage Limits.
  2. Click on the "Never Sleeping Apps" section.  If BookingKoala for Providers has already been added to this list, you are all set! 
  3. If not, click the + sign at the top of the screen, select the BookingKoala for Providers app, and then click "Add".  

Some Android devices have a slightly different option.

  1. Begin by going to Settings > Device Care > Battery > App Power Management.
  2. Click on the "Apps that won't be put to sleep" section.  If BookingKoala for Providers has already been added to this list, you are all set! 
  3. If not, click the + sign at the top of the screen, select the BookingKoala for Providers app, and then click "Add".