Live Tracking - FAQ

Live Tracking in Clappia helps you track the real-time movement of users while they are on the field. It is commonly used in scenarios like field operations, delivery tracking, site visits, and employee movement monitoring. With this feature you will get a map view as well as the exact route of the user traced on it.

This guide answers common questions you may have about how the live tracking feature works, including accuracy, device support, permissions, data storage, and limitations. If you are instead looking for step-by-step instructions on how to set up Live Tracking in your app, you can refer to the Live Tracking setup guide here.

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1. Live Location Accuracy

Live Tracking in Clappia shows the real-time location of a user based on how the device captures and shares its location using the Android location services. Under normal conditions, live tracking works smoothly, but like any real-time location system, its accuracy can be affected by external factors such as network quality, device condition, and permissions.

Clappia uses the Android Location Manager, and in some cases the Fused Location Provider provided by Android, to obtain location updates from the device. The accuracy and consistency of live tracking therefore depend on how the device’s location services are functioning at that time.

What is the expected accuracy level of live location in Clappia?

Live location accuracy in Clappia primarily depends on the device’s GPS hardware and how the device’s operating system allows location data to be captured at that moment. Under normal conditions, when the device has good network connectivity, sufficient battery, and proper permissions, the location shown is generally accurate and reliable.

Clappia does not calculate location on its own and does not rely on Google Maps data. Location accuracy can vary based on how the device OS manages location access in different scenarios, such as low battery levels, limited system resources (low RAM), or environments with poor signal conditions (for example, underground locations or areas with weak network coverage). These variations are usually small and do not affect normal field tracking use cases.

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What factors impact accuracy of Live Tracking?

Several external factors can affect how accurately and consistently live location is captured:

• Network connectivity: If the device has no network, location can still be captured in offline mode, but accuracy may reduce and the route may not be drawn perfectly. When this happens, parts of the path traced on the map can appear as a grey line instead of the usual red line. Once the network is restored, tracking continues normally.
  
• Device model and GPS hardware: Different devices have different GPS capabilities, which can slightly impact accuracy.
  
• Battery level and power-saving mode: When the battery is low (for example, below around 30%) or power-saving modes are enabled, the device may try to limit background activity. In some cases this can cause gaps or minor inaccuracies in the captured route, but it does not stop tracking completely.
  
• Location permissions: If location permissions are not enabled, the user will not be able to start Live Tracking.
  
• Device shutdown or app force-close: If the device is switched off or the app is force-closed, live tracking will stop until the app is active again.
  
• GPS turned off during tracking: If the user manually turns off GPS/location services on the device while tracking is in progress, the location will stop getting captured until GPS is turned back on. This does not “Stop tracking”, it just does not capture the location unless turned back on.

When these external conditions are stable, Live Tracking functions smoothly without noticeable accuracy issues.

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How frequently does Clappia refresh or capture the live location?

Live Tracking in Clappia works by capturing location updates on the mobile device at regular intervals. The mobile app captures any new location change approximately every 5 seconds, as long as live tracking is active and the required permissions are available. As the user moves, these location points together form the route of movement shown in Clappia.

The captured location data is synced with the Clappia server approximately every 30 seconds, provided the device is connected to the internet and the tracking service is running. This sync interval helps balance real-time tracking with battery and performance considerations.

Under normal conditions, this results in the user’s movement being reflected smoothly on the tracking map as a continuous red line along the route. In scenarios where tracking data cannot be captured or synced accurately (for example, due to network issues, low battery, or system restrictions), parts of the route may appear as a grey line instead.

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2. Tracking Technology

Live Tracking in Clappia works by capturing the user’s location directly from the device using Android location services and displaying the captured route on the tracking map. The behaviour of live tracking depends on the device hardware and how the operating system allows location updates to be captured and processed at that time.

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Does Clappia use GPS, network-based location, or a combination of both?

Clappia primarily relies on the device’s GPS to capture location data. In certain scenarios, such as when GPS signals are weak or unavailable (for example, indoors or in low-signal environments), the device may provide location data using network-based sources through the Android Fused Location Provider.

This allows Clappia to receive location updates using the best available source provided by the device, depending on current conditions.

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Is the tracking real-time continuous or interval-based?

Live Tracking in Clappia works in an interval-based manner. The mobile app captures new location updates at a minimum interval of approximately 5 seconds while live tracking is active.

There is no manual action required by the user to refresh the location, movement is reflected automatically as long as the app is active, the device has connectivity, and required permissions are enabled.

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Can we customise the tracking intervals (for example, every 1, 5, or 10 minutes)?

At present, tracking intervals cannot be custom-defined (such as setting updates every 1, 5, or 10 minutes).

Live Tracking follows the continuous update behavior provided by Google Maps and the device itself, rather than a user-configurable time-based interval setting inside Clappia.

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3. Device Compatibility (Android vs iOS)

Live Tracking in Clappia is supported only on Android devices. The behaviour and reliability of live tracking can vary depending on the device’s hardware configuration and how the Android operating system manages background location access, battery usage, and system resources.

Is live tracking fully supported on both Android and iOS?

Live Tracking in Clappia is currently supported only on Android devices. It is not supported on iOS at this time.

This limitation exists because iOS applies strict background location restrictions that prevent consistent continuous live tracking in the way Clappia requires for field operations.

4. Required Permissions & Performance

For Live Tracking to work correctly and consistently, certain permissions and device settings must be enabled. Since live tracking depends on continuous location access in the background, device-level restrictions can directly affect performance.

What permissions must employees enable to ensure accurate tracking?

To ensure accurate and uninterrupted live tracking, users must enable the following on their Android devices:

• Location permission: The app must be allowed to access the device’s Precise location. Approximate location access is not sufficient for live tracking.
  
• Background location access: Location access must be set to Allow all the time, so the app can capture location even when it is running in the background.
  
• Disable battery optimisation for Clappia: Battery optimization must be disabled for the Clappia app, otherwise Live Tracking will not work. Power-saving modes on the device can also limit or interrupt tracking.
  
• Allow background data usage: Battery usage must be set to Unrestricted for the Clappia app. If battery optimisation or power-saving modes are enabled, the operating system may limit background location updates and interrupt live tracking.
  
• Physical activity permission: The app should be allowed access to physical activity data. This helps determine whether the device is stationary or in motion, reducing noise in tracking data when the device is not moving and improving overall tracking quality.
  

If any of these permissions are restricted, live tracking may become delayed, intermittent, or stop entirely. These settings can be accessed from your device’s App Settings for Clappia on the user’s phone.

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Are there any recommended device settings or configurations for better performance?

Yes. For best performance in real-world field usage, the following are recommended:

• Keep battery optimization turned off for Clappia
  
• Avoid using extreme power saver or ultra battery saving modes
  
• Ensure mobile data or Wi-Fi remains active
  
• Avoid force-closing the app while tracking is active
  
• Keep location services turned on at all times during tracking

These settings help ensure that live location updates continue smoothly without being stopped by the operating system.

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5. Web Dashboard / Admin View

Live Tracking data captured from the mobile app can be viewed by admins and managers from the web interface through submissions. This allows teams to review routes, movement, and tracking details for each tracked activity.

Can we view all employees’ live locations on one single map view?

At present, Live Tracking is viewed at the submission level. This means:

• You can open a specific submission and view the live tracking route for that submission on the map. This means you are effectively tracking the specific user who has made that submission, and viewing only that user’s movement for that particular submission.
• A single combined real-time map showing all employees together at once is not currently available as a standard feature in the web dashboard.

Each tracking session is tied to its individual submission.

Is route history or a movement timeline available for specific dates?

Route history is available within each individual submission that has Live Tracking enabled. When you open a tracked submission, you can:

• View the full movement path for that tracking session
• See the start point, end point, and route taken

However, there is no separate global date-based timeline view that allows you to select a date and see movement history across multiple users in one place.

Can we download or export the routes taken by employees for a chosen date?

Yes. Live Tracking data can be exported from the Submissions page by filtering submissions for a chosen date range and clicking the Download icon. The downloaded Excel file includes the submissions but does not contain detailed route or point-by-point tracking data.

For detailed live tracking data (including the full route), you need to open an individual submission that has Live Tracking enabled and use the Download option available above the map. This downloads the tracking data specific to that submission only.

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6. Data Storage, Retention & Export

Live Tracking data generated in Clappia is stored along with the submission in which tracking is used. This allows the live tracking route and related details to be viewed later as part of the submission record.

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How is location data stored in the backend?

Live Tracking data is stored as part of the submission where the Live Tracking block is used. This includes:

• The route captured during the tracking session
• Start and end locations
• Start and end time
• Distance covered (where applicable through system-generated calculation blocks)

This means the tracking data is tied directly to the submission record, not stored as a separate independent tracking log.

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How long does Clappia retain historical tracking data?

Live Tracking data is retained as long as the corresponding submission exists in the app and if the block itself is not deleted from the app. If the submission is available, the associated live tracking route and details can be viewed.

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Is there an option to export tracking logs for audits or internal analysis?

At present:

For a single submission, you can open the submission and click on the Download icon above the map to download that submission’s live tracking data.

For multiple submissions, you can filter submissions by date or other parameters in the Submissions page and download the filtered submissions as an Excel file. However, this export does not include detailed live tracking data or route information.

To obtain live tracking data for audit or analysis purposes, tracking data must be downloaded individually from each submission where Live Tracking is enabled.

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7. Customisation Options

Live Tracking in Clappia is designed to capture and display the route of a user as part of a submission, and it also provides limited but useful customisation options. You can configure an automatic stop duration to control when live tracking should stop if the user remains inactive. In addition, data can be added or updated during an active tracking session using workflows, allowing tracking information to be enriched with related submission or system data while tracking is in progress.

Can tracking be automatically linked with form submissions such as for attendance management systems?

Live Tracking on its own does not automatically mark attendance or login/logout activity. It only captures the live route while tracking is active.

If you want to use Live Tracking data for attendance or working-hour calculations, this would need to be handled using additional fields and workflows inside the app, based on how your process is designed.

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Is geofencing available (alerts for entering or exiting predefined areas)?

At present, geofencing is not available as a built-in feature in Live Tracking. This means:

• You cannot define zones or areas directly in the Live Tracking block
• You cannot automatically trigger alerts for entering or exiting a predefined location using Live Tracking alone

Can we set up alerts or notifications for inactive employees, employees going out of route, or missing location updates?

Currently, Live Tracking does not provide built-in alert system for:

• Inactive users
• Users going off-route
• Missing or delayed location updates

Any such alert-based logic would need to be handled separately using workflows, conditions, and other supporting blocks, based on the data captured through submissions. If unsure on how to set up workflows or other logic, you could ask the AI Assistant to help you in editing your app accordingly or reach out to Clappia Support by raising a support request.

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Live Tracking in Clappia provides a practical way to capture and review real-time movement as part of form submissions, especially for field operations. Its accuracy and performance depend on device behaviour, network conditions, permissions, and operating system restrictions.

While Live Tracking offers strong core functionality for route capture and review, certain advanced capabilities such as geofencing, bulk exports, and automated activity alerts are not currently built into the feature. For any specific operational requirements or edge cases, you can reach out to the Clappia Support team for guidance.