Abode Geofencing Not Working? CUE Automation Fixes

Is Your Abode System Not Arming or Disarming Automatically?

One of the most powerful features of the Abode smart security system is geofencing. By using your phone's location, you can create CUE automations that automatically arm the system when the last person leaves and disarm it when the first person arrives home. When this feature fails to work, you can be left with a vulnerable, unarmed home or the frustration of false alarms.

If your Abode geofencing automations are not working reliably, this guide will walk you through the most common causes and their solutions.

Step 1: Check Your CUE Automation Setup

First, let's ensure the automation itself is configured correctly within the Abode app.

1. Open the Abode App and tap on the CUE tab at the bottom.
2. Find your location-based automations. You should have at least two:
   • An "Arm Away" automation: The trigger should be When ALL of the selected mobile devices EXIT the geofence. The action should be Set System Mode to Away.
   • A "Disarm" automation: The trigger should be When ANY of the selected mobile devices ENTER the geofence. The action should be Set System Mode to Standby.
3. Verify the Devices: Make sure that all the correct phones for your household members are selected in the trigger for each automation.

Step 2: Grant Correct Phone Location Permissions

This is the most common cause of geofencing failure. The Abode app needs constant, precise access to your phone's location to know when you've crossed the geofence boundary.

• For iPhone (iOS):

  1. Go to your phone's Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services.
  2. Find Abode in the list.
  3. Set 'Allow Location Access' to 'Always'. This is critical. If it's set to 'While Using the App', geofencing will not work when the app is in the background.
  4. Ensure the 'Precise Location' toggle is turned ON.

• For Android Phones:

  1. Go to your phone's Settings > Location > App permissions.
  2. Find Abode.
  3. Set 'Location access for this app' to 'Allow all the time'.
  4. Ensure the 'Use precise location' toggle is turned ON.

Step 3: Disable Battery Optimisation for the Abode App

Modern smartphones are very aggressive with battery-saving features, which often involves stopping apps from running in the background. This can prevent the Abode app from reporting your location.

• For Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Abode > Battery. Select 'Unrestricted' or 'Don't optimise'. The exact wording can vary between manufacturers (Samsung, Google, etc.), but the goal is to prevent the phone from putting the Abode app to sleep.
• For iPhone: Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh. Make sure the toggle is enabled for the Abode app.

Step 4: Adjust Your Geofence and Check Home Location

An incorrectly placed or sized geofence can lead to unreliable triggers.

1. In the Abode app, go to the main menu ☰ > System Settings > Geofence.
2. Check the Address: Make sure your home's location is pinned correctly on the map. If it's slightly off, your phone might not register that you've arrived or left.
3. Adjust the Radius: You can adjust the size of the geofence circle. If you live in an area with poor GPS, a slightly larger radius might help. Conversely, if the circle is too large and covers your local shopping centre, it may not trigger correctly. Experiment with a radius that is just slightly larger than your immediate property.

By ensuring your automations are set up logically and, most importantly, giving the Abode app the unfettered location and background access it needs, you can restore the convenience and reliability of your system's geofencing capabilities.