Skip to main content
Enabling Your Location Services

Show your employees how to enable their GPS and help them understand why this is important

Connecteam Experts avatar
Written by Connecteam Experts
Updated over 3 months ago

As someone who frequently uses our mobile app and/or user dashboard, you are likely no stranger to being asked to enable your location services to proceed with certain actions. Don't worry—this is completely normal and happens when your manager enables the GPS requirement for specific actions. This article will explain everything and address any other questions with our carefully crafted list of FAQs. Let’s get started!

ℹ️ Frequently Asked Questions

Is it mandatory to enable my GPS/location services?

It depends on how your admin set up the account. If your admin requires GPS to perform certain actions, then yes, you’ll need to activate it. However, if your admin set it as optional or disabled it entirely, enabling GPS won’t be mandatory.

Why do I need to enable my GPS to use Connecteam?

There are typically only two situations where you'll need to activate your GPS.

The first is when clocking in or out so your admin can verify your location during these actions and track your movements while you're on the job.

The second is when filling out a form. Some forms may require you to upload a picture, and your admin may want to know when and where the image was taken.

How can I enable my location services on my iPhone/Android?

iPhone

  1. Go to your mobile phone's Settings

  2. Navigate to the Privacy & Security » Location Services, and ensure it is activated

  3. Then, find the Connecteam app, click on it, and set its location access. We highly suggest choosing the option Allow all the time or Allow only while using the app and turning on the Use precise location setting.

  4. That's it!

Android

  1. Go to your mobile phone's Settings

  2. Navigate to the Location tab and ensure it is activated

  3. Then, find the Connecteam app, click on it, and set its location access. We highly suggest choosing the option Allow all the time or Allow only while using the app and turning on the Use precise location setting.

  4. That's it!

How can I enable the location services on the computer?

  1. Click on the three dots in the top right corner of your Google Chrome and access the Settings

  2. Go to the Privacy and Security tab » Site Settings

  3. Access the Location

  4. Activate the option Sites can ask for your location

  5. Finally, access the Connecteam site option at the bottom and turn on the Location.

Why do I need to set my Connecteam location services to ‘always’ instead of ‘while using the app’?

By setting location services to “Always,” you won’t need to keep the app open for location tracking to work. This provides peace of mind and improves battery life and device efficiency.

Just so you know, your admin may only need location tracking for clock-in and clock-out location stamps, and not while you're on the clock. In that case, the app won’t request that location services be set to "Always"

When does Connecteam share my location with my employer?

Your employer will only have access to your location when you’re on the clock. Your location data is stored on your phone and is sent to Connecteam only when you clock in. While you’re clocked out, Connecteam may use your location to detect when you enter a job site with a geofence, but this data remains stored on your device.

Depending on how your admin configured Connecteam, your employer may either see a location stamp when you clock in and out or view a trail of your journey as pinpoints on a map. However, they will not have access to your live location anytime.

Can I turn off location tracking?

Yes. With today’s privacy settings in mobile devices, you have full control over what information is being shared with the apps you use. With that said, if an admin in your account decided that location tracking is required in order to clock in and out, you won’t be able to utilize the time clock in real-time unless you set your location services to 'always' or to 'while using the app' (depends on the admin configured Connecteam).

If you have any reservations about the need for location tracking, we encourage you to talk to your managers.

Why does my iPhone say “Connecteam has been using your location in the background”?

This is a native iOS capability that Apple has built into its operating system to let users know that their location is being tracked and is required by Apple when being used.

This message will only appear twice, after 3 days and then after 7 days from the initial set of the location services for the app to 'Always'. From your end, there’s no need to change anything or take any actions in relation to this notification.

Please remember that the app only shares your location data with your employer and Connecteam’s database when you’re clocked in. During your time off or when off the clock, your location is not being shared with your employer nor documented anywhere on our database.

How accurate is GPS tracking?

GPS tracking on mobile devices is only accurate to a certain degree, as several factors can affect it. These include your location (e.g., whether you're inside a building, walking in a city, or driving on an open highway), your phone’s operating system, version, or model (newer devices typically offer more accurate locations), the position of GPS satellites relative to your location, internet coverage, and more. Generally, the location is accurate within a 15-50 feet (5-15 meters) radius.

How much does the Connecteam app drain my battery?

It depends. There’s no standard unit of measure for cellphone batteries. When using live tracking, the app will conserve more energy if you remain in the same location compared to if you're on the move. With that being said, we've developed our live tracking capability in a way that optimizes battery conservation to allow you to remain online without any disruptions to your day-to-day.

How much data does the Connecteam app use?

It depends if you are on the move or not. If you remain in the same location, your device will save more energy than if you're on the move. You can learn more about how much data Connecteam uses in general by clicking here.

I have more questions/concerns about my privacy, who can I talk to?

If you have any concerns about your privacy or have any questions, please contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected]. You can also read our Privacy Policy, Data Protection Agreement, and Terms of Use.

Have Questions or Ideas? We’re Listening! Your experience matters to us. If you couldn’t find what you were looking for or have a suggestion to improve this guide, we’d love to hear from you! We’ll review your input and might add it to our FAQs. Thanks for helping us make Connecteam even better!

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact your account admin or manager directly.

Did this answer your question?