August Geofencing Not Working? A Guide to Fixing Auto-Unlock
The Auto-Unlock feature on your August Smart Lock is one of its most convenient functions, allowing for hands-free entry when you arrive home. This feature relies on "geofencing" – using your phone's location to determine when you are approaching your door. When it fails, you're left fumbling for your keys or phone, defeating the purpose of a smart lock.
This guide will walk you through the essential troubleshooting steps to get your August Auto-Unlock feature working reliably again.
## How Auto-Unlock is Supposed to Work
First, it's important to understand the two "states" the August app uses for geofencing:
- Home Mode: When you are within the immediate vicinity of your home.
- Away Mode: Once you travel approximately 200 metres (about 650 feet) away from your home, the app switches to Away Mode.
The Auto-Unlock feature will only be triggered when the app detects that you have returned to your Home area after having been in Away Mode. This prevents the lock from unlocking randomly while you are at home.
## Step 1: Check Your Phone's Core Settings
The most common reasons for Auto-Unlock failure are incorrect settings on your smartphone. The August app needs specific permissions and settings to be active at all times.
### For Both iOS (iPhone) and Android Users:
- Enable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth: Auto-Unlock uses Wi-Fi and GPS to determine your general location and Bluetooth to communicate with the lock itself. Both must be turned on. You don't need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network, but the service needs to be on for location scanning.
- Disable Battery Saving Modes: Aggressive battery optimisation is the enemy of geofencing. These modes often prevent apps like August from running in the background or checking your location. Disable any low power or battery-saving modes on your phone, or at least create an exception for the August app.
- Do Not Force-Close the App: If you manually swipe up and force-close the August app, you are telling your phone's operating system to stop it from running. This will prevent Auto-Unlock from working until you open the app again. Let the app run in the background.
### Crucial Location Permissions
This is the single most important setting.
- On iOS (iPhone): Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services. Find the August app in the list and ensure its permission is set to "Always". Selecting "While Using the App" is not sufficient.
- On Android: Go to Settings > Apps > August > Permissions > Location. Select "Allow all the time".
## Step 2: Check Settings Within the August App
Once your phone settings are correct, let's verify everything in the August app itself.
- Enable Auto-Unlock: Open the August App, go to the settings for your specific lock, and make sure the "Auto-Unlock" feature is toggled on.
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Health: In the lock's settings, you might find a signal strength indicator for your August Connect Wi-Fi bridge (if you have one). A weak signal can cause delays or failures. Ensure the Connect is within about 4-5 metres of your lock.
## Step 3: Test the Feature Correctly
Now it's time to see if your changes have worked. Remember, you cannot test Auto-Unlock by simply walking out of your front door and back in.
- Leave the Area: With your phone on you, walk or drive at least 200-300 metres away from your home. This is to ensure the app properly registers that you are in "Away Mode".
- Wait a Minute: Give the app a moment to update your status.
- Return Home: As you walk back towards your door, have your August app open (for the first test) to see if it registers your arrival. It should switch to "Home Mode" and trigger the unlock.
- Observe: The lock should unlock automatically as you approach the door.
If geofencing continues to be unreliable after following all these steps, try restarting your phone and, as a last resort, consider uninstalling and reinstalling the August app to start with a fresh configuration.