The Location service enables Applets to use information from cellular, Wi-Fi, and GPS networks to determine your approximate location. This means you can:
- Have the lights turn on when you get home
- Automatically record how much time you spend at work
- Automatically arm your security system when you leave
- Unmute your Android device when you get home
...plus hundreds of other use cases! To get started, you'll need to install the IFTTT app. Download it for iOS or Android.
Troubleshooting
Location service Applets will run when your device has notified IFTTT that it has entered or exited the defined area. Usually, this is pretty quick, but it does require the IFTTT app to be active and "listening" for the trigger.
If you are having trouble with an Applet using the Location service, the issue likely stems from your device settings. Here are a few things to check for:
General Troubleshooting Steps:
- Make sure the IFTTT app is installed on your device and that you’re signed in with the account that has the location Applet enabled.
- Verify that you’re using the latest version of the IFTTT app by checking for updates in your device’s app store.
iOS:
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On your iPhone, open Settings > Apps, scroll down and tap IFTTT. Make sure Location is set to Always and Precise Location is enabled.
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From the same IFTTT settings screen as the above bullet, ensure Background App Refresh is turned on.
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Open the IFTTT app, tap your Profile, then tap Mobile settings and enable Location Assist Syncing.
Android:
- On your Android Device, open Settings > Apps > IFTTT > Permissions > Location then set Allow all the time
- Go to Settings > Apps > IFTTT > Advanced > Battery, and select Don't optimize.
- Go to Settings > Location, and turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning, then head to Settings > Location > Advanced and turn on Google Location Accuracy.
- Open the IFTTT app, tap your Profile, then tap Mobile settings. From there, tap See advanced location options
- In the advanced location options you can configure how accurate your location settings are by setting High, Balanced, Low, or Passive accuracy.
- You can also adjust the frequency of how often the IFTTT app checks for location updates.
Advanced location options on Android
Additional Android location information
You may have noticed that the IFTTT Android app requests location permissions even if you’re not using a location-based Applet. For more details on why this happens, please see our article Why does the IFTTT Android app require always-on location permissions?
Sometimes you might also see a small persistent notification on your Android device showing that the IFTTT app is running in the background. This happens because the app uses a foreground service to help certain Applets run more reliably, especially those that rely on location. This notification is part of how Android ensures these features work correctly. While you can’t turn off the notification, you can look up how to hide it using your device’s system settings, since the steps vary depending on your phone model.