Netatmo Geofencing Not Working? A How-to-Fix Guide

Netatmo Geofencing Not Working? A Troubleshooting Guide

The geofencing feature in the Netatmo Security app is designed to intelligently mark you as 'Home' or 'Away', which can control notifications and camera behaviour. When it stops working, you might get flooded with unnecessary notifications when you're home or, worse, have a false sense of security when you're away. This guide will help you fix the common problems that cause Netatmo geofencing to fail.

## How Does Netatmo Geofencing Work?

Geofencing relies on your smartphone's location services (GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile network data) to determine your position. The Netatmo Security app creates a virtual boundary around your home. When it detects that your phone has crossed this boundary, it updates your status. For this to happen reliably, the app needs constant, uninterrupted access to your phone's location. The vast majority of issues stem from phone settings designed to save battery life.

## Critical Steps to Fix Geofencing on Your Smartphone

Follow these instructions carefully on every phone that is part of your Netatmo home. If even one user's phone is not configured correctly, it can affect the status of the entire home.

### 1. Grant 'Always On' Location Permissions

This is the most crucial setting. The app must be able to see your location even when it is closed and running in the background.

• For iOS (iPhone):

  1. Go to your iPhone's Settings.
  2. Tap on Privacy, then Location Services.
  3. Find and tap on the Security app in the list.
  4. Ensure that location access is set to 'Always'. The 'While Using' option is not sufficient.

• For Android:

  1. Go to your phone's Settings.
  2. Tap on Apps (or 'Applications').
  3. Find and tap on the Security app.
  4. Tap on Permissions, then Location.
  5. Select 'Allow all the time'. The 'Allow only while using the app' setting will not work for geofencing.

### 2. Disable Battery Optimisation

Aggressive battery-saving features can 'kill' the Netatmo app in the background, preventing it from tracking your location.

• For iOS: Ensure your phone is not in Low Power Mode, as this can limit background activities. Also, check that Background App Refresh is enabled for the Netatmo Security app (Settings > General > Background App Refresh).
• For Android: The steps can differ depending on the phone brand (Samsung, Google, etc.).
  1. Go to Settings > Apps > Security.
  2. Tap on Battery.
  3. Choose the 'Unrestricted' or 'Not optimised' option. This tells the operating system not to put the app to sleep to save power.

### 3. Check In-App Geofencing Status

The Netatmo Security app gives you a clear view of what it thinks is happening.

1. Open the Netatmo Security app.
2. Go to the Settings menu (usually a gear icon).
3. Select Geofencing.
4. Here you will see a list of the users in your home. The app will display whether it considers each person to be at home or away.

If the app shows your status incorrectly (e.g., it says you are 'Away' when you are at home), it confirms that the problem lies with the location settings on your specific device.

### 4. Ensure Stable Location Services

For the best results, your phone needs a clear view of its location.

• Keep Wi-Fi enabled on your phone, even when you're not connected to a network. Your phone uses the location of known Wi-Fi networks to help determine its position.
• Ensure Mobile Data is enabled so the app can communicate your location back to the Netatmo servers when you are not at home.

By systematically working through these phone-specific settings, you can resolve the issues preventing Netatmo's geofencing from functioning correctly and restore its convenient, automated operation.