The Spacetalk App uses your phone's built-in location services — GPS, WiFi, and mobile networks — to determine where a Space member is. The goal is to balance accuracy and battery life.
How location updates work
Location is not a live stream — the app shows the most recent confirmed location. Updates happen in three ways:
When the phone is moving — location updates more frequently when the app detects movement such as walking, driving, or cycling.
When the phone is stationary — even without movement, the app still sends a location update roughly every 15 minutes.
When the phone moves a short distance — if someone moves more than about 50 metres, the phone captures a new location.
What location looks like in the app
The app displays location in different ways depending on what information is available, checked in this order:
Display | When it appears |
Place name (e.g. "Ruby is at Home") | The member is within a Place you have set up |
Suburb (e.g. "Ruby is in Surry Hills") | The member is not at a defined Place |
Route name (e.g. "Ruby is on School Run") | The member is travelling along a saved Route |
Every location includes an "updated" time — for example, "updated 2 mins ago" — so you know how recent the information is. All times are shown in your timezone, not the member's.
Why location may look different
Reduced accuracy
If the app knows roughly where someone is but not exactly, you will see a blue ring around their profile photo on the map. This can happen when:
The device is indoors
GPS signal is weak
The phone is switching between networks
Tap Find out why on their profile card for more details.
Waiting for location
If the app has not received an update for more than 30 minutes, it shows "Waiting for location". This usually resolves on its own once the phone moves, regains signal, or wakes from low-power mode. Tap Learn why for more information.
Offline
If no location update has been received for more than 30 days, the member shows as "Offline". For gaps between 1 hour and 30 days, the app shows when the last update was received — for example, "updated 3h ago".
Location not shared
Sharing is off for this Space — a member may have location sharing turned off for a specific Space. Check your Space sharing settings if this is your own account.
Location permissions not set to "Always" — if the Spacetalk App's location permission is not set to "Always", the app cannot receive regular updates. You will see a prompt to update your settings if this applies to you.
Movement trail on the map
When someone is moving, a short trail appears on the map showing the last 30 minutes of movement. Lines only appear when location points are close together — gaps or dots mean the app did not receive continuous data during that period.
Phone settings for best results
Setting | Recommended value |
Location permission | Always |
Precise Location (iPhone) | On |
Background App Refresh | On |
Low Power Mode | Avoid extended use — reduces location update frequency |
Note: Location is only shared with people in your Space. You can stop sharing at any time. Location is never shared publicly.
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If you have any questions about location, contact our Support team via live chat.