Geofence Hubitat

Yup. Takes about 30 seconds to check that it was last updated approx. two weeks ago, according to its App Store listing.

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You have confused OwnTracks with Life360.

OwnTracks has been open source since its inception. And only ever called the MQTT or HTTP link it was configured to call.

I used OwnTracks from 2020-2022. And I know for a fact your claim is wrong.

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^ This, 100%. Life360 monetized the crap out of everyone's location data.

Nothing has changed in the OwnTracks mobile codebase to remotely substantiate a data mining claim, it has no abilities to capture any data, nor does the data it sends go to a 3rd party server for processing.

The code is open for editing and contribution; I've pushed PR's to help improve the Owntracks-Hubitiat app operation which they have scrutinize and then agreed to accept.

If anyone is interested, here is everything added to that project (Android, iOS is also up there):

Or the code:

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So you're gonna double down but still provide no proof. Okay then.

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Absolutely my bad. Really sorry. That was Life360 apps

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Can I ask why you want to move away from Geofency?

Guessing it is this issue indicated previously:

I guess 3 things...kind of already mentioned.

1), I have some "ghost" fence that still triggers. I used to have several rings 300FT...3000 Foot...and another for when I landed at DIA...or drove in from the mountains to do things like start warming the house back up.

The 3000Ft somehow still trips...when it's not even shown in the app etc.

2) If Hubitat has a Geofence in the app it should work. My best experience with it yet...is at best flaky.

3) I don't like depending on a jillion apps to make Home Automation work.

I get that believe me...but

"I can't get others in my household to install the Hubitat app to track"

Pretty sure you can just track entry and exit? Can you do more than that through the app. I mean I've always laughed at that since I can do the same thing sitting on my front porch...or even while watching TV (visually)

But my EX wouldn't help out either.

Says someone that’s probably never developed their own geofencing app.

Not trying to be rude, I’m not even a software developer at all.

But I’ve been looking for a bulletproof mobile presence solution since I started using smartthings around 2015.

I haven’t found a single solution that ā€œjust works,ā€ and there are many, many threads by others with similar experiences.

That’s why I combine a couple solutions, not because I enjoy adding unnecessary complexity, but because it’s what brings the reliability level up to an acceptable point (which for something like location-based automations has to be close to 100% or it’s pretty much useless).

Everyone’s physical location, phone, geofencing needs, etc. are all different. That’s part of the problem for developers that work on this. Nonetheless, some people no doubt find a single solution that works extremely well, so it’s a YMMV kind of thing.

Many users here don’t have an acceptable experience with just one geofence, and thus also combine geofencing solutions.

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And that applies to almost ALL apps that have geofencing:
Ecobee
Arlo
Smartthings
Kevo

All the same issues.

I use Tasker and HE. Between the two, I get 99% (maybe a little better or worse). The other odd one is Home Assistant that just seems to work (albeit with a little more lag). Other than that, every platform I have wanted geofencing from has failed to be a singularly reliable source.

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Other than my ghost fence issue...Geofency has been rock solid.

It not tech failure...it's app failure.

It's not my job to write apps and say they work. I have not coded since Turbo C was a thing.

It is the chain of interactions that I at least guess is the problem...phones...to apps...to web servers...to home automation web servers ...to your house.

That's why I was really hoping that Hubitat had gotten better...not as complex from a chain perspective as using 3rd party apps.

But EVERONE...I only need answers...not a philosophical debate.

Fair enough.

On my phone, I use a combination of Geofency and Apple Home for geofencing. My partner uses Locative and Apple Home. Using lock codes specific to each of us on entry doors is a backup indicator of presence.

I have not encountered the issue you have seen with Geofency. Have you considered deleting the mobile app and Hubitat integration entirely, and setting it up from scratch?

I’ve deleted Geofency and it didn’t change anything…will delete Hubitat app…and reinstall

Wasn’t my intention to have a philosophical debate with you.

But if you’ve followed the troubleshooting suggestions I posted above and ensured simple things like location permissions are allowed in iOS settings and the geofence is set accurately in the app, I’m just trying to temper your expectations about achieving 100% reliability with the Hubitat mobile app’s geofence (or any other app used as a sole solution).

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Thanks. I hope the world of automation gets there someday...but understand that there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle. ...just starting with you carrier.

It is really more that they just have no interest in home automation, generally. They don't want to install the Hubitat app at all. I've even made them personal dashboards that they can use with just a web-link on their phones, but they just have little interest and don't even use those. Sigh.

I'm sure there are households where you make some new automation, and everyone thanks you and says how great it is. :grinning:

I will say that they seem to at least understand how much I like home automation, even if they don't really feel the same love for it.

This would be my house....... Wife was eager to install the Hubitat App and let me send her the tasker profiles when I pointed out that when they were installed, she wouldn't have to:

-Push the button on the car to have the lights on and waiting as she drove up the driveway. I have an automation for that
-Worry if the doors were locked and certain items were turned off when she left. I have an automation for that
-Remember to turn on the cameras to make sure no one could breakin without having their images recorded. I have an automation for that.

She left home once and forgot to close the garage door. She got the notification that she had left hom and the garage door was still open. Pushed a button on her Android Auto head unit. The door closed and she got a confirmation notification. She came home and said thank you... that makes it so much easier to have peace of mind.

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My bride is not at all excited about the smart home but does like the fact that if we forget to close/lock the door it will auto lock, or if that fails, be notified we have an issue. She also likes that the lights are on when we come home, she doesn't have to get out her keys and that the house let's her know the traffic conditions each day so she knows how long it will take her to get to the kids house. I had no problem selling her on life 360 when we used it or owntracks when I switched. It gives us peace of mind knowing where each other is at. We have also been married 38 years so there isn't that much that's secret anymore. :grinning:

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