AutoLocation/Tasker Location Failures

[Rich B]

I have written about this before, but I've been doing some testing with separate profiles so I'd like to try to get some add'l assistance.

• I'm using a rooted OnePlus 6 with Android 8.0.1 using Tasker 5.4.7b.
• Tasker and AutoLocation are white listed and not battery optimized and I'm using all the other settings in Tasker such as reliable alarms.
• What I want to happen is that Tasker uses SharpTools to open my garage door through my Samsung Hub. My task for this works if I run it manually. It works if my profile triggers it. The problem is that my profile, which uses AutoLocation is not reliable.
• My setup is a bit more complicated than this, but in essence:
• When I connect to BT in my car, a Tasker profile triggers and runs a task to turn on GPS. After some conditions are met, it turns on my profile for the garage door task (there is a delay to avoid it working too soon if I'm already home and having the door open while I'm still in the neighborhood).
• What's supposed to happen is that if I enter my "Garage" Geofence, my garage door task should run. My Garage Geofence is an area at the front of my neighborhood (it does not include my house). However, AutoLocation never seems to recognize that I'm within my Garage Geofence and the task isn't triggered.
• To test this AutoLocation, I created two profiles, one to test my other Geofence, Home (which has my house as a center point and overlaps Garage on the way out of the neighborhood), and one to test Garage (the profiles/tasks are set forth below).
• If I am already home when I turn on my car, AutoLocation immediately recognizes that I'm Home (and triggers the flash/notification below). If I drive away from my house and enter Garage, AutoLocation again recognizes that I'm in Garage (and triggers the flash/notification below).
• HOWEVER, if I start my car when I am not home, and then drive to my neighborhood, AutoLocation rarely if ever recognizes that I've entered Garage (which is at the front of the neighborhood and occurs before the Home Geofence).
• Last night I pulled into the neighborhood and pulled over to the side of the road. I opened AutoLocation. Even though the GPS dot (or whatever it's called) showed me within the Garage Geofence, AutoLocation did NOT recognize it until I clicked "Accept Geofence."
• I have also tested Tasker's Location option. This also doesn't work. It never seems to recognize when I enter the "Garage" Geofence I set up for Location. I even reset the GPS check in Tasker Preferences to a low number of seconds, but even that didn't work.
• There's something about AutoLocation checking right then for location when I turn on my car so that it knows I'm in the Home Geofence. For some reason, it doesn't seem to check quickly when I'm driving to the neighborhood from another location.
• This used to work. It used to work on my OnePlus 6. It quit working a few weeks ago. However, I don't think anything's changed (although there have been some Tasker beta updates since then and other apps have updated, but I don't think AutoLocation has been updated recently).

Anybody have any suggestions on how to get AutoLocation to work better on my ride home? Maybe turn the monitor on and off several times during the drive? I can't think of anything else.

Thanks!

-Rich B

Profile: Home Geofence Set (102)
State: AutoLocation Geofences [ Configuration:Geofence Name: Home
Status: Inside ]
Enter: Home Geofence Set On (103)
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%HomeGeofence To:Yes Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Variable Set [ Name:%colontime To:%TIME Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A3: Variable Search Replace [ Variable:%colontime Search:\. Ignore Case:Off Multi-Line:Off One Match Only:Off Store Matches In: Replace Matches:On Replace With:: ]
A4: Notify [ Title:Home Geofence Text:Home Geofence On @ %colontime Icon:null Number:0 Permanent:Off Priority:3 ]
A5: Flash [ Text:Home Geofence On @ %colontime Long:Off ]

Exit: Home Geofence Set Off (210)
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%HomeGeofence To:No Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Variable Set [ Name:%colontime To:%TIME Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A3: Variable Search Replace [ Variable:%colontime Search:\. Ignore Case:Off Multi-Line:Off One Match Only:Off Store Matches In: Replace Matches:On Replace With:: ]
A4: Notify [ Title:Home Geofence Text:Home Geofence Off @ %colontime Icon:null Number:0 Permanent:Off Priority:3 ]
A5: Flash [ Text:Home Geofence Off @ %colontime Long:Off ]

Profile: Garage Geofence Set (96)
State: AutoLocation Geofences [ Configuration:Geofence Name: Garage
Status: Inside ]
Enter: Garage Geofence Set On (175)
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%GarageGeofence To:Yes Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Variable Set [ Name:%colontime To:%TIME Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A3: Variable Search Replace [ Variable:%colontime Search:\. Ignore Case:Off Multi-Line:Off One Match Only:Off Store Matches In: Replace Matches:On Replace With:: ]
A4: Notify [ Title:Garage Geofence Text:Garage Geofence On @ %colontime Icon:null Number:0 Permanent:Off Priority:3 ]
A5: Flash [ Text:Garage Geofence On @ %colontime Long:Off ]

Exit: Garage Geofence Set Off (209)
A1: Variable Set [ Name:%GarageGeofence To:No Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A2: Variable Set [ Name:%colontime To:%TIME Recurse Variables:Off Do Maths:Off Append:Off ]
A3: Variable Search Replace [ Variable:%colontime Search:\. Ignore Case:Off Multi-Line:Off One Match Only:Off Store Matches In: Replace Matches:On Replace With:: ]
A4: Notify [ Title:Garage Geofence Text:Garage Geofence Off @ %colontime Icon:null Number:0 Permanent:Off Priority:3 ]
A5: Flash [ Text:Garage Geofence Off @ %colontime Long:Off ]

[Rich B]

As a follow up, it took almost 30 minutes for AutoLocation to trigger that it is in my Garage Geofence. Obviously, this isn't helpful when driving. Not sure how to speed it up, though. Thx

[Robert Ryan]

Is this a net geofence, a gps geofence or both? 

If it is a net geofence, perhaps your particular device/rom has fallen prey to this Android bug. 

On September 26, 2018 4:36:41 PM Rich B <rcb...@gmail.com> wrote:

As a follow up, it took almost 30 minutes for AutoLocation to trigger that it is in my Garage Geofence. Obviously, this isn't helpful when driving. Not sure how to speed it up, though. Thx

-- 

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Tasker" group.

To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tasker+un...@googlegroups.com.

Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/tasker.

For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.

[Rich B]

It's both. I've tried just GPS but that didn't help when I tried it before. However, if you think using just GPS will work, I'll try it.

[Rich B]

Ok, wait. Are you talking about the Tasker Location? I don't think AutoLocation asks if it's GPS or net. I am trying to use GPS.

[Rich D]

I live in a fairly remote area and found that geo fence never worked well for me. For some thing like this I would would use a Cell Near context to know I was in the general area then use a wifi near context (utilizing a neighbors/business wifi) to confirm where I was, then you can do a get location to pin point if you are truly there. 

[João Dias]

Geofences in Android P seem to have major delay issues. I just tried it myself :/ 

What I would suggest is use the Cell Near condition and in the task start the AutoLocation location monitor on high accuracy and with a 3 second interval. Then when you get to the garage turn it off again.

Make sure that the AutoLocation -> Advanced -> Force Location Monitor to Help Geofence Monitor option is enabled.

Thank you for your contact.

   Join: connect multiple devices (send pushes, remote SMS, notifications) on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

   Tasker: customize/automate anything on your phone!

   AutoApps: add advanced functionality to Tasker via plugins

     

João Dias

On Thu, Sep 27, 2018 at 9:56 AM Rich D <ricp...@gmail.com> wrote:

I live in a fairly remote area and found that geo fence never worked well for me. For some thing like this I would would use a Cell Near context to know I was in the general area then use a wifi near context (utilizing a neighbors/business wifi) to confirm where I was, then you can do a get location to pin point if you are truly there. 

--

[Robert Ryan]

On September 27, 2018 3:49:03 AM João Dias <joao...@gmail.com> wrote:

Geofences in Android P seem to have major delay issues. I just tried it myself :/ 

Probably due to this change in Android P. 

[Rich B]

I don't have Android P. This is Oreo. ;-) Anyway, Force Location Monitor to Help has always been checked (not sure if I ever turned it on ages ago or if it's checked by default). OK, and duh, but I didn't realize I could make changes to the monitor settings. I guess I've always seen Configure Monitor, but didn't realize it was something I could click. How many years have I been looking at the options? Sigh. Anyway, I'll configure the monitor using high accuracy and 3 second interval. If I understand you correctly, on turning it on and off, my profile/task only turns it on when I'm in my car and connected to BT (which also means I'm connected to power so battery isn't an issue).

OK, wait. After typing all that I realized that Configure Monitor is for Location Monitor and there is no configuration option for Geofence monitor. In my task, I only turn on the Geofence monitor. Maybe I should be turning on location monitor as well? Could that be the problem? After all this time I needed to turn on two monitors?

Thanks!

On Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 5:49:13 AM UTC-4, joaomgcd wrote:

[João Dias]

Yes, that's unfortunately how it has to be done in these situations where the geofence monitor simply doesn't work by itself...

Also, set the Expiration time to a value you feel makes sense to you. For example, if you feel it'll take you about 5 minutes to reach your garage, set this to 6 minutes for example

Thank you for your contact.

   Join: connect multiple devices (send pushes, remote SMS, notifications) on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

   Tasker: customize/automate anything on your phone!

   AutoApps: add advanced functionality to Tasker via plugins

     

João Dias

[Rich B]

I think I finally have success! Turning on Geofence monitor and location monitor triggered my test profile and garage door profile on two different trips today. Yay!

[João Dias]

Awesome :)

Also, I did some more testing and find out that the Geofence monitor is way more accurate if you have power on your phone. So, if you can, charge your phone in your car and it'll probably work better by itself :)

Thank you for your contact.

   Join: connect multiple devices (send pushes, remote SMS, notifications) on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux

   Tasker: customize/automate anything on your phone!

   AutoApps: add advanced functionality to Tasker via plugins

     

João Dias

On Thu, Sep 27, 2018 at 11:20 PM Rich B <rcb...@gmail.com> wrote:

I think I finally have success! Turning on Geofence monitor and location monitor triggered my test profile and garage door profile on two different trips today. Yay!

[Rich B]

I believe I noted before that I pretty much always leave my phone plugged in while driving. However, this worked yesterday even when I wasn't plugged in, so battery wasn't too big of an issue. Thanks.