Key takeaways
- Enable automation only after clear user consent.
- Choose a workplace radius that reflects real conditions.
- Never open a duplicate shift when a manual one is active.
- Explain entry and exit actions through notifications and history.
1. Defining a workplace area
The user chooses a workplace centre on a map or from the current location and sets an appropriate detection radius. A very small area can cause false exits when GPS drifts; a very large one may start a shift too early.
Dense buildings, indoor reception, parking areas and the usual approach to the workplace all matter. Reviewing the first few days of events helps refine the radius.
2. What happens after leaving and returning?
The first valid entry can start a shift. A valid exit closes the active shift. If the user returns later, the system can open a new shift after confirming that the previous one ended.
A cooldown period, minimum event confidence and duplicate-event filtering prevent momentary location changes from producing repeated shifts. A notification should make every automated action visible.
3. Avoiding conflicts with manual shifts
If a live or manually started shift is already active, a location entry should not create another one. It should preserve the active shift and handle the location event as contextual information.
If the user started manually at the workplace and later exits, the automation can either request confirmation or finish the shift according to the selected setting. The behaviour should be explained before activation.
4. Permissions, background access and battery use
Android versions may require separate location and background-access steps. The app should take the user to the relevant system screen and explain a missing permission with a clear status rather than silently failing.
Operating-system geofence events are generally more battery-friendly than constant high-accuracy location requests. Manufacturer-specific battery restrictions can still delay background delivery.
5. A privacy-respecting design
Automation should be optional and use workplace location only for the stated purpose. A continuous travel history is unnecessary for detecting entry and exit.
HourTally Pro location automation is explicitly enabled by the user. It processes workplace-region events for shift actions and does not maintain a continuous route history. The feature can be turned off at any time.
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Questions you may still have
Will returning to work start another shift?+
If the previous shift closed on exit and cooldown and conflict checks pass, a later entry can begin a new shift.
Is my location tracked continuously?+
HourTally does not keep a continuous route history; it uses entry and exit events for the workplace region you enable.
What if a manual shift is active?+
The system should preserve the active shift and must not create a duplicate.