Connecteam offers three location capabilities inside the Time Clock: Geolocation, Geo-fences, and Breadcrumbs (Live Tracking). Breadcrumbs helps you understand where users are during paid work time—especially when they move between locations (for example: delivery teams, field services, construction crews, and security patrols).
What are Breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs (Live Tracking) is Connecteam’s live geo-tracking capability. It uses smartphone GPS signals to identify movement and record location stamps while users are clocked in and moving.
Breadcrumbs is designed to be energy-efficient. Internal testing shows it can save up to 85% more battery and data compared to traditional live tracking.
For users, the experience stays simple: they clock in and out as usual. For admins, Breadcrumbs displays the user’s route on the Time Clock map (the same map view you already use).
Why use Breadcrumbs?
Breadcrumbs can support day-to-day operations in multiple ways:
Safety: Quickly identify a user’s whereabouts if something happens while they’re working.
Peace of mind: Confirm you’re paying for time spent on the job.
Efficiency: Make faster decisions using real-time field visibility.
Documentation: Verify where and when work was done during disputes or complaints—without contacting the user.
Profitability: Reduce unnecessary costs by limiting time theft and buddy punching.
Breadcrumbs vs. Geo-fences
Geo-fences and Breadcrumbs solve different problems:
Geo-fences: Create a radius around a specific address so users can only clock into jobs from the correct location.
Breadcrumbs: Track users while they are moving between locations, with no clock-in restriction.
How Geo-fences work in the Time Clock
Geo-fences are assigned to Jobs.
If a job has a Geo-fence, the job appears for users only when they are within that fence (and qualified for the job).
A job with no Geo-fence can be clocked into from anywhere.
Important note
Breadcrumbs does not limit clock-ins. If Breadcrumbs is enabled but no Geo-fence site is active, users can still clock into any job they’re qualified for, from anywhere—as long as they allow location services on their device.
What you need to start using Breadcrumbs
To use Breadcrumbs, make sure the following requirements are met:
Users update the Connecteam mobile app to version 8.0.5 (or later).
Users set the Connecteam app Location Access to Always.
Why “Always”? Breadcrumbs needs access even when the app is in the background (or closed) so it can continue recording location stamps while the user is clocked in.
Please note: After you activate Breadcrumbs, users will be prompted during clock-in to set Location Access to Always (on both Android and iOS).
Privacy note: Connecteam does not save or share user location while they are not clocked in. When a user is not clocked into the Connecteam app, location information is stored locally on their device and is not shared with Connecteam.
How to Activate Breadcrumbs
Follow these steps to activate Breadcrumbs:
To turn on Breadcrumbs in the Time Clock, follow these steps:
Open Time Clock.
Click Settings (top-right).
Click the Geolocation tab.
Select Breadcrumbs (live tracking).
Click Save changes.
How to View a User's Location
After Breadcrumbs is enabled and users clock in, you can view live tracking in the Time Clock map.
Open Time Clock.
Click the Today tab.
View users on the map.
Click All to toggle all users’ trails on/off.
Click a specific user to view their trail and see additional details, including clock-in and clock-out locations.
Tracking intervals
Breadcrumbs typically updates every 5–10 minutes while the user is on the clock. This can vary based on the user’s phone service.
The map generally updates after the user moves about 80 feet (25 meters).
FAQ
Do Breadcrumbs track users only when clocked in?
Yes. Even though users must set Location Access to Always, Connecteam only provides admins with location information while the user is clocked in.
No location is saved or shown to admins before clock-in.
No location is saved or shown to admins after clock-out.
If the user is not clocked into the Connecteam app, location information remains stored locally on their device and is not shared with Connecteam.
What happens if a user turns off location services while clocked in?
If a user turns off location services, the app can’t track their location—but they remain clocked in.
On the map, missing stamps may appear as a straight line between two known points. This indicates direction of travel based on the last and next registered locations.
What if a user has no cell service or their phone is shut off while clocked in?
If a user shuts off their phone or loses cell service, they remain clocked in. However, the app can’t send location updates, so Breadcrumbs won’t track movement during that time.
💡 Pro tip: Breadcrumbs is designed to be energy-efficient, and testing shows it can save up to 85% more battery and data than traditional live tracking.
Why do users need Location Access set to “Always” instead of “While Using the App”?
Always allows Breadcrumbs to keep collecting location stamps while the user is clocked in—even if they close the app, turn off the screen, or move the app to the background.
Please note: When location is set to Always, the device may still track location in the background, but Connecteam only shares that information with admins while the user is clocked in. When the user is not clocked in, the data is stored locally on the device and is not shared with Connecteam.
What happens if users set Location Access to “While using the app”?
If the app is set to While using the app, Connecteam can only access location when the app is open and actively used.
This means location stamps may stop when the user:
switches to a different app
closes the screen
closes the app
receives a phone call while the app is open
This often results in a straight line on the map until the app is reopened.
💡 Tip: Users can set Location Access to Always in their phone settings.
Why does an iPhone say “Connecteam has been using my location in the background”?
This is a native iOS notification. Apple shows it when an app uses location services in the background.
If Breadcrumbs is enabled, users must set Location Access to Always, which can trigger this message. Connecteam shares location with admins only while the user is clocked in, even though the device may continue tracking location in the background.
My app uses a lot of data and battery
Breadcrumbs is built to reduce usage by saving location stamps only when users move a certain distance. Internal testing shows it saves up to 85% more battery and data than traditional live tracking.
Please note: Any live tracking feature will typically use more battery and data than standard Geolocation or Geo-fencing.
What if a user forgets to clock out?
Connecteam includes built-in tools to help, such as reminders to clock out and automatic clock-out options (for example, after a set number of hours or when a shift ends).
How can I navigate the Breadcrumbs map more effectively?
Use these map indicators to better understand routes and accuracy:
Route direction: Hover over a user’s route to see an animated arrow showing travel direction.
Pin details: Hover over a pin to see the timestamp and the user’s name.
Low-accuracy indicators: A dotted indicator with a question mark may appear. Hover to see the reason for reduced accuracy.
Clock-in/out accuracy: If a user clocks in or out with low accuracy, the map shows an indication and the reason.
Auto clock-out pins: If a user is auto clocked out, the exact clock-out location may not be captured. A nearby pin is placed to indicate auto clock-out, and you can also view the last timestamp before the auto clock-out.
Why do I see a straight line with no pins?
This can happen when Breadcrumbs can’t collect location stamps, such as:
The phone was turned off or lost service.
The user turned off location services after clocking in.
The phone is in power-saving mode that restricts location updates.
Location Access is not set to Always, or the user closes the app/turns off the screen.
Can users change their clock-in location with a third-party app?
No. Users can’t modify their location using third-party tools such as VPNs.
If a user attempts to clock in with a fake location tool, Connecteam detects it and displays a prompt that a third-party location app was identified. The user won’t be able to clock in while manipulating their location.
Does Breadcrumbs track users when they’re off the clock?
No. Admins can only view location information while users are clocked in. Location data is not saved or shared with admins outside of work time.
Why do users need to allow Location Access “Always”?
This setting allows Breadcrumbs to record location stamps while the user is clocked in, even if the app is in the background or closed.
Why is the route sometimes a straight line?
A straight line typically indicates missing location stamps (for example, due to no service, location services turned off, power-saving mode, or Location Access not set to Always).
**Breadcrumbs is available from the Operations Expert plan and above**
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