The geofencing feature is a very handy reminder that is sent to your phone if you leave home and have forgotten to set your alarm. This is normally enabled by default when you set up your app by pinpointing the location of your home.
In order for a push reminder to be sent:
- You need to have a paid Boundary subscription plan
- The geolocation service must be enabled in the mobile app
- Location services must be enabled at all times for the app even if it is not being used
How does it work?
By using the location services on your phone, we can check your Boundary alarm to send you a reminder to arm the system once you're around 100m from your home. You can of course adjust this distance via the app but 100m is a good place to start. There are a couple of conditions for this to work correctly:
- The service must be switched on and permissions granted to your phone (see below)
- The notification will be sent to the first person to leave the house and the system is unarmed
- You might still have family members at home so worth checking if there is anyone left in the house!
You will then get a push notification sent to your home saying 'You left home, would you like to arm the alarm?' as a reminder. What's more, when you're on your way home, we'll also warn you if the system is armed.
Either way, we've got your back so you don't have to remember to arm your system or accidentally set the alarm off when you're on your way home.
Enabling geofencing
To enable the geofencing service in the app, follow these steps:
- Login to the Boundary app on your phone
- Go to Settings > General
- Click the Edit link at the top right of the app
- Click the slider button next to Enable Geofence Notifications
- Click the Save link at the top right of the app.
Granting Location Permissions
For the service to function correctly, you need to ensure that location services are enabled at all times for the Boundary mobile app. This is important as privacy controls in your phone have the option to only allow location services to be used when the app is running, at all times or never.
To make sure the right permissions are in place, follow these instructions:
Android
- Open your phone Settings
- Go to Apps > Boundary
- This opens the Boundary app info. Scroll down and select Permissions
- Select Location and make sure that Allow all the time is selected
These instructions may vary depending on which version of Android you are running or your phone so you may need to check your providers help and documentation for this setting.
Apple iOS
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services
- Make sure that location services are switched on
- Scroll down to find the Boundary app
- Tap the Boundary app and make sure that Always is selected
These instructions may vary dependent on the version of iOS you are running in which case you should refer to the Apple support site for more help.
Adjusting Geofencing Settings
It's also possible to adjust the "Boundary bubble" and change how far you have to be from your home before you get the notification. To change this zone:
- Login to the Boundary app on your phone
- Go to Settings > General
- Tap the Learn More link under the geofence notifications option
- Tap the Update Geofence Location button
- Make your changes to your geofence zone and tap Update
Your changes will be saved immediately.