How Mobile User GPS Locations Work

User GPS Locations

The pro-Forms^® app is designed to return the location of the device running the app back to the pro-Forms^® servers. The GPS location returned from the app is actually the GPS location gathered by the device hardware used by the manufacturer e.g. Samsung and not captured by the app itself.

Within the pro-Forms^® Work Group ( Admin - Account Settings - Locations) one of 3 location options can be set :-

1. Form & Image Submissions, Job Status Updates
   This option will attach the location of where forms are submitted from, where images are captured and where job statuses are updated.
   
   
2. Continuous
   Using this option User locations will be sent at timed intervals. They are captured only during the set Working Hours at 30 second intervals and sent to the server every 5 minutes. PLEASE NOTE: using this option will increase the drain on a mobile battery. Also, any Android app version older than v 1.5.18 will not show continuous location points.
   
   
3. No Location Updates
   No locations will be captured or sent to the server.  

However, for the location to be returned (options 1 and 2 above) several conditions must have been met :-

• location services on the device must be set to on.
• the device must be capable of getting a current GPS fix from satellites. If this is not possible e.g. due to being in a densely constructed building or underground, the pro-Forms^® app will return the last recorded location captured by the device hardware.
• location permissions must have been granted within the pro-Forms^® app. This is done from the the 'Permissions' option on the login home screen.
• working hours must have been set for any user you wish to receive continuous locations for. This can be done from the 'Admin - Account Settings - Locations' menu option for all users. Outside of the working hours set the device will not send a continuous stream of user location points.

If the above conditions have been met then locations can are displayed :-

• in View submissions by opening the form and clicking on the Locations link.
• If subscribing to the Plus Plan (Job Management) in the the 'Maps' menu option.
• going to an individual user from the 'Users' menu option and editing their account and clicking on the 'Locations' option.

Article ID: 31
Created: September 29, 2022
Last Updated: September 29, 2022
Author: Administrator

Online URL: https://www.pro-forms.co.uk/kb/article.php?id=31