Canary Geofencing Not Working? Let's Fix It
Canary's geofencing feature offers the convenience of automatically switching your system's mode based on your location. It's designed to arm your system when you leave and disarm it upon your return. When this feature fails, it can leave your home unprotected or result in a flood of unnecessary notifications. This guide, written in clear British English, provides professional troubleshooting steps to get your Canary's auto-mode switching working reliably again.
Understanding the Core Requirements
For geofencing to function, a few key things need to be perfectly aligned between your phone and the Canary app. Problems usually stem from one of these areas.
1. Phone Location Services
Geofencing is entirely dependent on your phone's ability to accurately determine its location.
- Enable Location Services: Ensure that your phone's main location service is turned on. On iOS, this is in 'Settings' > 'Privacy & Security' > 'Location Services'. On Android, it's usually in the pull-down quick settings menu or under 'Settings' > 'Location'.
- Improve Accuracy: For best results, enable high-accuracy mode if available on your Android device. This uses a combination of GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks to pinpoint your location.
2. Critical App Permissions
The Canary app needs constant, unrestricted access to your location to know when you've crossed the geofence boundary.
- Set to 'Always Allow': This is the most common point of failure. You must grant the Canary app permission to access your location 'Always'. If it's set to 'While Using the App', it simply will not work correctly.
- iOS: Go to 'Settings' > 'Canary' > 'Location' and select 'Always'.
- Android: Go to 'Settings' > 'Apps' > 'Canary' > 'Permissions' > 'Location' and select 'Allow all the time'.
- Background App Refresh: Ensure 'Background App Refresh' (iOS) or 'Background data usage' (Android) is enabled for the Canary app.
Optimising Your Phone's Settings
Modern smartphones have aggressive battery-saving features that can interfere with apps like Canary that need to run in the background.
Disable Battery Optimisation
- iOS (Low Power Mode): If your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, it may reduce background activities, including location tracking. While geofencing should still work, its performance might be degraded.
- Android (Battery Optimisation): This is a major cause of issues on Android. You should add the Canary app to the 'unoptimised' or 'allowed to run in background' list.
- Go to 'Settings' > 'Apps' > 'Canary'.
- Tap on 'Battery' or 'Power management'.
- Set the app to 'Unrestricted' or 'Not optimised'. The exact wording varies by Android version.
Fine-Tuning Geofence Settings in the Canary App
Sometimes, the issue can be resolved by adjusting the settings within the Canary app itself.
Adjusting the Geofence Radius
An incorrectly sized geofence can lead to poor performance.
- Open the Canary app and tap the gear icon to go to 'Settings'.
- Select 'Modes' and then 'Geofence Settings'.
- You will see a map with a circle representing your geofence. Try increasing the size of the radius. A slightly larger circle can prevent false 'Away' triggers caused by GPS drift when you are at home.
Ensure All Members Have Geofencing Enabled
If you have multiple users in your household, remember that Canary's mode is determined by the location of all members. The system will only switch to 'Away' mode when the last registered person leaves the geofence. Conversely, it will switch to 'Home' mode as soon as the first person arrives. Ensure every member has their geofencing configured correctly on their own device.
By systematically checking these settings, you can resolve the vast majority of Canary geofencing problems. A correctly configured system provides seamless, automatic security, giving you one less thing to worry about.