Our goal is to balance accuracy and battery life, while being clear about how confident we are in the information shown.
How Location Works
The app uses your phone's built-in location services (GPS, Wi-Fi, and mobile networks) to determine where a person is. Location updates happen in a few smart ways:
When the phone is moving The phone checks location more often when it detects movement (walking, driving, cycling).
When the phone stays in one place Even if someone isn't moving, the app still sends a location update roughly every 15 minutes.
When someone leaves an area If a person moves more than a short distance (about 50 metres), the phone captures a new location.
This approach helps keep location information up to date without draining the battery.
How Often Location Updates
Location is not updated constantly in real time, instead:
Updates are sent regularly.
Extra updates happen when movement is detected.
Older updates are replaced with newer ones.
This means the app always shows the most recent confirmed location, not a live stream.
What You'll See in the App
The app shows a Space member's location in different ways depending on what information is available.
At a Place If a member is within a Place you've set up (like Home or School), the app shows the Place name — for example, "Ruby is at Home".
In a suburb If the member isn't at a defined Place, the app shows their suburb — for example, "Ruby is in Surry Hills".
On a Route If the member is travelling along a saved Route, the app shows the Route name — for example, "Ruby is on School Run".
The app checks in this order: Places first, then Routes, then suburb.
What "Updated" Means
Every location includes an "updated" time — for example, "updated 2 mins ago".
This tells you how recent the information is. If a location hasn't updated recently, the app will clearly tell you so you don't assume it's current.
All times are shown in your timezone, not the member's.
Why Location Might Look Different Sometimes
There are a few common reasons location may appear less precise or temporarily unavailable.
Reduced Accuracy
Sometimes the app knows roughly where someone is, but not exactly. This can happen when:
The device is indoors.
GPS signal is weak.
The phone is switching between networks.
In these cases, you may see a blue ring around the profile photo on the map, showing the possible area where the person could be. You can tap "Find out why" on their profile card for more details.
Waiting for Location
If the app hasn't received a location update for more than 30 minutes, you'll see "Waiting for location". This usually resolves on its own once:
The phone moves.
The app regains signal.
The phone wakes from low-power mode.
You can tap "Learn why" for more information about what might be causing the delay.
Offline
If the app hasn't received a location update for more than 30 days, the member will show as "offline".
For shorter gaps (more than an hour but less than 30 days), the app will show when the last update was received — for example, "updated 3h ago". This helps you understand how recent the information is without assuming it's current.
When Location Is Not Shared
Not sharing in this Space A member may have location sharing turned off for a specific Space. Even if they share location in other Spaces, it won't appear in this one. If this is your own account, you can change this in your Space sharing settings.
Location permissions not granted The device's location permissions may not be set to "Always" for the Spacetalk app. Without this, the app can't receive regular location updates.
If this applies to your own account, you'll see a prompt to update your settings.
How Movement Appears on the Map
When someone is moving, you may see a short trail on the map showing recent movement.
Important to know:
Movement shows only the last 30 minutes.
Lines appear only when points are close together.
Gaps or dots mean the app didn't receive continuous data.
This trail shows recent activity only, not a full journey or history.
Phone Settings That Affect Location
To get the best experience, the following phone settings are important.
Location Permission
Location should be set to "Always" for the app.
This allows location updates even when:
The app is closed.
The phone is locked.
If set to "While using the app," location updates may pause.
Precise Location (iPhone)
Make sure Precise Location is turned ON.
This allows the app to use GPS rather than an approximate area.
Background App Refresh
Background App Refresh should be enabled so the app can update location in the background.
Battery & Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode can reduce how often location updates are sent.
For best results:
Avoid long periods in Low Power Mode.
Ensure the phone has sufficient battery.
Privacy & Control
Location is shared only with people in your Space.
You can stop sharing location at any time.
Location is never shared publicly.