Canary uses the location services on your iOS or Android device to determine when you're Home or Away.
Smartphones use a combination of technology to determine your current location:
- GPS (Global Positioning System)
- Cellular reception
- Wi-Fi
GPS
GPS is a satellite navigation system, and is required for the Canary app to determine your precise location. GPS is enabled when you turn on location services on your phone.
Cellular Reception
Location services uses local cellular towers to determine your current location. Which tower your phone is connected to and the strength of your phone's cellular signal can help determine the accuracy of location services.
Wi-Fi
Even when you're not connected to a wireless network, Wi-Fi can help improve the accuracy of location services. In conjunction with GPS and cellular reception, Apple and Google can measure ambient Wi-Fi signals in your vicinity to help pinpoint your current location. This is especially effective in densely populated areas.
Geofence radius
A geofence is a virtual perimeter around a geographic area (e.g. your devices defined location within the Canary app). Canary has three different sizes for the Geofence radius, small (50m), medium (100m), and large (150m).
Important: The Canary cameras physical location does not determine the geofence radius. The radius is determined by your phones location in proximity to the location within Canary app settings.
Once outside the distance between you and your location the app will switch modes from Home to Away. The Canary app does not constantly track your exact location. If your phone’s location hasn’t yet triggered the switch by the time you enter the radius and get to your location, there may only be a short delay.
When opening the Canary app it will always check your location and automatically update to your correct mode.
Note: If you encounter any issues with auto-mode switching, visit Why won't Canary detect when I am Home or Away?