Hubitat Geofence

[ts1234]

I really hate to ask this question because this is one function that it's not acceptable for it to fail.

I am currently using Geofency. It has worked seamlessly until the last few months. I'm having an odd trigger happen when less than "some distance" outside my existing fences...but only at distances within about 5 times my zone size.

Anyway, like everybody I need to work 100% since it involves locking things up when I leave. I know 100% isn't reasonable...but it should be in 2025 IMHO

I really need a honest answer about how stable Hubitat's built in Geofence works now. PS - On an iPhone...

If somebody has enough experience with Geofency AND Hubitat's geofencing and can directly compare the two...that would be perfect. This involves securty...so I'm not looking for the "politically correct" answer on this site. Thanks

[Sebastien]

My answer to this concern has been to use 3 geofence applications:

1. Geofency
2. Hubitat
3. Apple HomeKit

I have not tried any of them on its own, so can’t comment on their success rate. However, using all 3 with a combiner app has worked 100% for me on detecting absence. The detection of presence has occasionally been slower that I would have liked.

[nclark]

Same here I use 3 also with the combined presence app, I use the following with there reliability.

Locative (near 100%)
Apple Homekit (near 100% when homekit integration does not stop responding)
Hubitat (about 80%)

One think I like about Locative, is that I can also use it for more than one geofence location and you can also have concentric circles and use it like I do to detect if we are on our way home or away from home. This way an automation will turn up the heating during winter about 10 minutes before we get home and that makes it almost 1 degree higher and more comfy.

[aaiyar]

I used to use 3 (Geofency, Apple HomeKit, and Hubitat). I found the accuracy to be just as good with just Geofency and Apple HomeKit. This combination has been 100% accurate.

[ts1234]

Not exactly the seamless uncomplicated solution I was hoping for...but pretty much what I expected. Thanks! Almost makes me want to go back to fencing with long range Bluetooth.

[stephen_nutt]

@nclark

One think I like about Locative, is that I can also use it for more than one geofence location and you can also have concentric circles and use it like I do to detect if we are on our way home or away from home.

It won't help OP since he is using an iPhone but if there are Android users with same question, I rely solely on Tasker (~$4) for Geofences and it is rock solid. It too can do multiple locations and also concentric. For example, I have a small circle to lock doors and arm alarm but a larger one that adjusts the thermostats so the HVAC has time to get the house to target temperature before I walk in door.

[nclark]

@stephen_nutt

It won't help OP since he is using an iPhone

Locative is an iOS only app, that is why I mentioned it, I also use iOS (iPhone 13) so I know what I'm talking about

[aaiyar]

@nclark

One think I like about Locative, is that I can also use it for more than one geofence location and you can also have concentric circles and use it like I do to detect if we are on our way home or away from home

FWIW, OwnTracks (iOS & Android), and Geofency (iOS) also permit multiple geofences (and concentric circles).

[ts1234]

When I was using Homeseer I used Locative and liked it too.

[aaiyar]

@ts1234

using Homeseer I used Locative

As @nclark indicated, you can use it with Hubitat as well.

[nclark]

@ts1234

When I was using Homeseer I used Locative

Here is a great post on how to set it up on Hubitat...

Locative Presence app for iOS full setup

Locative is a great app for presence sensing but is only available for iPhones. I previously used Life360 free version for over a year without any issues. I noticed that it would typically consume about 1% of my iPhone battery per day. I was not concerned with the privacy issues of being tracked. About a year and a half ago I saw a post by @ogiewon mentioning Locative. The cool thing about Locative - your phone decides when it is inside or outside your defined locations and only when your pho…

[ts1234]

I may give Locative a shot again since it looks like no single solution is 100% stable.

Sadly, my automation goal is KISS.

It's easy enough to set set up complex interactions...it's just 2 years later when you need to adjust something ...it's often frustrating relearning process. IE - Just look at the "complexity" of the overall steps required to set up Locative.

Being the old guy screaming to get off my lawn...I'm still floored that critical security impacting solutions that are close to 4-9's...don't exist a quarter of a century after ZWAVE started...and half a century since X10 came along.

[nclark]

I understand completely, don't want to bash on Hubitat, but I never open Locative to make sure it's running in the background, the process just never dies and works near 100% (99.999%). I don't know what they did or the way they got it to be so reliable but it just works as good as using the native Homekit presence sensing, so competing with Apple the maker of the device and be as good is quite remarkable. Maybe Hubitat could buy a portion of there code to make work as good and then we would not have to have 3rd party apps running our batteries down faster because we have 3 different apps.

[tray_e]

@stephen_nutt

Android users with same question, I rely solely on Tasker (~$4) for Geofences and it is rock solid. It too can do multiple locations and also concentric.

I use Hubitat geofence with Tasker as a backup. When Tasker does have to kick in, I have it set to give a verbal notification (So I can check my compass calibration, which is the usual cause of myHubitat not working right). In any case, I rarely get the audio notification since I quit using cases with a magnet and started paying attention to not putting my phone near magnetic fields.

Between the two (hubitat and tasker), mine is 100%

[WarlockWeary]

[Geofence] Seems to be working better with : 2.4.1.151
Not sure why or if it matters what the hub ver is ..
But does seem to be ok for me now.

[ts1234]

Interesting.

One of the problems I am having is getting a false zone enter. Physical testing says this often triggers when I am inside an area about 5x my zone size.

I actually think something is just stuck somewhere. I have an added a Geofency iBeacon USB in my Jeep. When I enter my geofence IF that iBeacon senses presence the rule triggers opening up my house.

Often now when I am right down the street from my house a few blocks...when I get in my Jeep it trigger...while the rule says there is no reason it should.