What are most using on iOS for presence detection? I am using the Hubitat mobile app and have a rule machine rule configured to set the presence device as arrived/departed but it’s hit or miss on when it works and not works.
Install the Hubitat app and once you bring up your hub in the app it will setup your phone as a device. I primarily use that. I also have Life360 setup as a secondary.
Life360, Locative, and Geofency are probably the three most popular. There's a native integration for Life360, as well as a community integration. There are community integrations for Locative and Geofency.
I use something called "OwnTracks", which also works well under iOS, and there is a community integration for this as well.
Finally, I read elsewhere that you are using HomeBridge. You could always use the Home app on your iPhone to flip a virtual switch when you enter/leave your home geofence and use the status of that virtual switch for Home/Away ....
Many people use a combination of geofencing apps and a presence combiner. I personally use three methods, none of which install anything on the phone since the family objects to "being tracked." Hub Ping, iPhone Presence, and Unifi Presence.
Mobile presence is tough to get 100%, and anything less than that can be noticeably problematic.
For iOS, I like Geofency and Locative. They’re both similar to OwnTracks. They work without any concerns re: location tracking and data-mining (unlike Life360).
Combining with WiFi presence makes it very effective for me.
@jsabia85 I find it generally easier to get "presence" than "absence." In other words if my presence methods say a person is there they really are there. If they say not there, excellent chance they're not there, unless they turned off wifi.
Been using this for a couple years now and it is nearly flawless. Only a couple times that I can remember someone’s (wife or one of our four kids) presence not updating correctly.
Also, it’s never fired inappropriately. I have it combined with WiFi presence.
It also doesn’t drain the battery.
I almost forgot: it also doesn’t pop up “xyz has used your location x times. Do you want to continue to allow this”. That is the kiss of death for presence working with the wife and kids.
+1 Agree
I setup the homebridge / homekit just to test this feature and then also LOVE the dashboard. Ended up buying a homepod mini on sale just to enhance it with remote access. It is so snappy and just melds with the device so well (because its made by apple I suppose). I dont even bother using the Hubitat dashboard anymore.
Local control just like with the HE dashboard. Also, the HomePod doesn’t become a paperweight when the internet goes out since it processes simple voice commands locally and has a lot more processing power than other assistants.
Finally, I read elsewhere that you are using HomeBridge. You could always use the Home app on your iPhone to flip a virtual switch when you enter/leave your home geofence and use the status of that virtual switch for Home/Away
I do this using this "Virtual Switchable Presence" driver. Instructions are in my first post on that thread. Works quite reliably, so long as HomeKit is in the mood to run its automations.
I decided to go the HomeKit route to detect presence.
I’m leveraging homebridge / HomeKit and having HomeKit flip a virtual presence switch. I am combining that with iPhone wifi presence and Hubitat geofence.
I’m also leveraging Presence Combiner to check all 3 but require 2 in order to flip the presence. Seems to work very well…
I use presence to do a lot. I have a “family presence” virtual switch and I’m using combined presence to check all family members presence sensor from Presence Combiner. If we are all gone, house gets armed, all lights shut off, locks are locked etc… the rule is checking each device if it’s not in the appropriate state I.e if doors are locked it will skip if not it will lock and so on.