Foscam Geofencing Not Working? A Quick and Easy Guide

Foscam Geofencing Not Working? A Quick and Easy Guide

Foscam's geofencing feature is a fantastic tool for automating your home security. It uses your phone's location to automatically switch your cameras between 'Home' mode (often disabling alerts) and 'Away' mode (enabling alerts). When this fails, you might get flooded with notifications while you're at home or, worse, have no alerts when you're away.

This guide will help you troubleshoot and solve the most common issues with Foscam geofencing. The root of the problem is almost always found in your smartphone's settings, not with the Foscam camera itself.

1. The Key to Geofencing: Background Location Access

For geofencing to work, the Foscam app needs to be able to check your phone's location at all times, even when it is just running in the background. Modern smartphones have many built-in features to preserve battery and protect privacy, which can inadvertently block the Foscam app from doing its job. Our goal is to grant the app the specific permissions it needs.

2. How to Fix Geofencing: Adjusting Phone Settings

Follow these steps carefully on the smartphone you use for geofencing. If multiple family members use the feature, these steps must be performed on each person's phone.

## Step 1: Grant 'Always Allow' Location Permissions

This is the single most important step.

• For iPhone (iOS):

  1. Go to your phone's Settings.
  2. Scroll down and tap on the Foscam app.
  3. Tap on 'Location'.
  4. You must select the 'Always' option. If it's on 'While Using' or 'Never', geofencing will fail.
  5. It's also crucial to ensure the 'Precise Location' toggle is switched ON.

• For Android Phones:

  1. Go to your phone's Settings.
  2. Tap on 'Apps', then find and select the Foscam app.
  3. Tap on 'Permissions'.
  4. Tap on 'Location' and select 'Allow all the time'.
  5. Make sure that 'Use precise location' is also enabled.

## Step 2: Exclude Foscam from Battery Optimisation

Your phone tries to save battery by stopping background apps. We need to tell it to leave Foscam alone.

• For iPhone (iOS):

  1. Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
  2. Scroll through the list and make sure the switch next to the Foscam app is ON.

• For Android Phones:

  1. The path can vary, but typically you go to Settings > Apps > Foscam app > Battery.
  2. You need to select the 'Unrestricted' or 'Not optimised' option. This tells the system not to interfere with the app's background processes.

3. Fine-Tuning in the Foscam App

After correcting your phone's settings, a few tweaks in the Foscam app can improve reliability.

• Check Your Address: In the geofencing setup within the Foscam app, ensure the pin for your 'Home' location is placed accurately on the map.
• Increase the Radius: A very small geofence boundary can be unreliable due to normal GPS drift. Try editing the geofence to increase its radius. A larger area (e.g., 150-200 metres) provides a better buffer and ensures the trigger works consistently.

4. Final Steps

• Check Your Internet: The Foscam app needs a reliable internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data) on your phone to report your location back to the system.
• Restart Your Phone: After you've made all these changes to permissions and battery settings, it's always a good idea to reboot your phone. This ensures that all the new settings are properly applied.

By following these steps, you can resolve almost any issue with Foscam's geofencing feature. The key is to remember that your phone's settings are what control the app's ability to see where you are.