Honeywell Geofencing Not Working? Here's How to Fix It
The geofencing feature in your Honeywell smart thermostat system is a powerful tool for effortless energy savings. It's designed to automatically adjust your heating or cooling based on your location, switching to an energy-saving 'Away' mode when you leave and returning to your comfortable 'Home' setting upon your arrival. When this fails, you might be wasting energy or coming back to an uncomfortable house. This guide, in clear British English, will walk you through the steps to troubleshoot and resolve issues with Honeywell geofencing.
Core Requirements: Phone and App Settings
The root of most geofencing problems can be traced back to the settings on your smartphone. The Honeywell Home (or the newer Resideo) app needs specific permissions to track your location accurately.
1. Enable Location Services
First and foremost, your phone's master location services must be active.
- Check Phone Settings: On an iPhone, go to 'Settings' > 'Privacy & Security' > 'Location Services' and make sure the main toggle is on. On Android, pull down the quick settings shade and ensure the 'Location' icon is enabled.
- Use High Accuracy: On Android phones, setting the location mode to 'High Accuracy' (which uses GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks) provides the most reliable data for geofencing.
2. Grant the Correct App Permissions
This is the single most common reason for failure. The app needs permission to check your location even when it's not open on your screen.
- Set Location to 'Always Allow':
- iOS: Go to 'Settings' > find and tap on the 'Honeywell Home' or 'Resideo' app > 'Location' > and select 'Always'.
- Android: Go to 'Settings' > 'Apps' > 'Honeywell Home' or 'Resideo' > 'Permissions' > 'Location' > and select 'Allow all the time'.
- Enable Background App Refresh: Ensure the app is allowed to refresh in the background. This is crucial for it to send location updates to the Honeywell servers.
Addressing Phone Optimisation Features
Modern smartphones are designed to save battery, but their methods can interfere with geofencing.
Disable Battery Optimisation for the App
- iOS Low Power Mode: If your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, it may limit background processes. This can delay the detection of you leaving or entering the geofence.
- Android Battery Saver: Android's battery optimisation is more aggressive. You should exempt the Honeywell/Resideo app from these restrictions.
- Go to 'Settings' > 'Apps' > 'Honeywell Home' or 'Resideo'.
- Tap on 'Battery'.
- Select 'Unrestricted' or 'Don't optimise'. The exact phrasing depends on your phone's manufacturer.
Configuring the Geofence in the App
Finally, let's check the settings within the Honeywell Home or Resideo app itself.
Check the Geofence Boundary
- Open the app and tap the menu icon.
- Go to 'Settings' and then 'Geofence'.
- Ensure the geofence is enabled. You should see a map with your home at the centre of a blue circle.
- Adjust the Radius: If the circle is too small, your phone's natural GPS drift might make the app think you've left home when you haven't. Try making the radius a little larger to create a more stable buffer zone.
Geofencing with Multiple Users
Remember how geofencing works with a family. The system is smart enough to wait for the last person to leave before switching to 'Away' mode. It will also switch back to 'Home' as soon as the first person arrives. For this to work, every single user must have geofencing enabled and correctly configured on their personal smartphone. If one person has it disabled or misconfigured, the entire system's logic will be affected.
By following these steps, you can ensure your phone and the app are communicating correctly, restoring the convenience and energy efficiency of your Honeywell smart thermostat's geofencing feature.