Check-in and out Not Working on iPhone

Modified on Wed, 26 Oct, 2022 at 5:07 PM

GPS  Check-In Check-Out is a function on the mobile interface that enables  you to record the time and geographic location when you started and  ended a client visit or walk.

If  you or your sitters experience any issues with accessing this function,  or the accuracy of the co-ordinates obtained from using this function,  there are a number of steps that are essential to check before you report the issue to Support as a fault. In the  majority of cases, the issue will be resolved after following one or  more of these steps.


Understanding how your iOS* device determines and provides your location to Pet Sitter Plus

This is important to understand, as you need to  consider your (or your sitter's) actual location when you try to  check-in or out. It is based on a combination of the following:
  • GPS Satellite (GPS provider) - Very accurate, but works only outdoors and can take between several seconds to several minutes to establish a fix
  • Cell Tower (Mast) (Network provider) - Fast; works anywhere you have a cell signal; but accuracy is highly  variable depending on signal strength and interference, distance from  cell towers, obstacles, and the number of cell towers in range of your  iPhone
  • WiFi Location (Network provider) - Fast; requires a WiFi connection; often inaccurate

Depending upon whether your phone is connecting via the GPS (Satellite Trilateration), Cell Tower 'Mast' (Triangulation) method or via WiFi will affect the accuracy of the co-ordinates that are  delivered to your iPhone to pinpoint your location, and subsequently  sent to Pet Sitter Plus to record your geographic location at any given  moment in time.

In the majority of cases, GPS will provide a very accurate location, within a few feet, of where the iPhone is when you check-in/out. However, due to other factors as mentioned above, there  will no doubt be occasions where the data provided to Pet Sitter Plus is  not as accurate as we would like it to be.

There is current research on ways to provide an enhanced, more computationally accurate positioning system to the centimeter that will allow cell phones to provide consistently accurate data in the future. We do not know when this will be available, but we would expect it to be 'standard' in the newest phones on the market when it is made available.

If your location is occasionally inaccurate within a half mile (under ~1km) - especially while indoors and/or in hilly and/or urban areas - please consider the information above.


Step 1: Check that the Check-in Check-out function is switched on in Pet Sitter Plus


Navigate to Admin > Settings > Staff Dashboard & Monitor settings from the sub menu on the left
  • Check the option for "Use Check-in/check-out feature" is switched ON.
  • Click "Update".


Step 2: Ensure you have an adequate network signal to connect your iPhone to


Navigate to your iPhone's SETTINGS > MOBILE DATA
  • Check the number of bars on the icon at the top of the iPhone screen.
  • If you are not sure your iPhone is connected to a network, check your "Mobile Data" is switched ON.
  • In "Carrier" you can also check that you are able to  receive 3G and 4G signals. Anything before that will not work with Pet  Sitter Plus.
  • If you are able to connect to WiFi, you should check this option is switched on.

Step 3: Check that the iPhone's Location setting is switched to ON


Navigate to your iPhone's SETTINGS > PRIVACY > LOCATION SERVICES
When GPS tracking tries to find your IPhone and log  its geographic location it won't be able to find it if this setting is  not switched on. You will be able to see the "Check-in" button on Pet  Sitter Plus, but when you click it you will see the spinning timer as it  tries – and fails – to connect.
  • Check that the option for "Location Services" is switched to ON.

Step 4: Check that the Browser App's Location setting is switched to ON


Navigate to your iPhone's SETTINGS > CHROME App
After Step 3, there is another "Location" setting that must be checked to ensure your check-in will work.
  • Firstly, check which browser you are using to access  PSP. Our top recommended browser is Chrome, as we rarely have any issues  with accessing PSP using this browser, both on the mobile and desktop  interfaces.
  • Note: If you are experiencing browser issues, change to Chrome before carrying out any further testing.
  • In the Settings, scroll down to your apps near the bottom, and select the Chrome app.
  • In the Chrome settings, check that the option for "Location" is switched to "Whilst Using the App".

Step 5: Check your GPS Location in Google Maps


Checking your position on Google Maps is a good way of  assessing if your phone is able to give accurate co-ordinates of your  geographic location.
  • Tap the Google Maps app
  • Check that Maps has an accurate location for you

Step 6: Refresh Location Services


If you have tried the above options and you are still experiencing issues, try the following:
  • Open your iPhone's Settings
  • Scroll down to Privacy > Location Services
  • Tap the On/Off switch to turn location services Off
  • Restart your device (power off and on)
  • Open your device's Settings again
  • Tap the Location Services On/Off switch to turn location On again

Step 7: If none of the above fixes the issue for you... 


If you have tried the above options and you are still experiencing issues, try the following:
  • Re-boot your iPhone
  • Check your operating system is the latest available version
  • Check your Chrome App is the latest available version
  • Clear your browsing history from Chrome
  • Delete the Chrome App and re-download it from the app store

Step 8: If all else fails... 


In some cases it may be necessary to reset your iPhone to factory settings.
This is usually a last resort, and in almost all cases  reported to us, following and checking the above processes has usually  sorted out all our clients' issues.

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