Background Tracking

Poreia can continue recording your GPS position even when the app is in the background or your screen is off.

Requirements

Background tracking requires the "Always" location permission:

1. Go to iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services → Poreia
2. Select "Always"

Without this permission, tracking stops when you switch apps or lock your screen.

Visual Indicators

When background tracking is active:

• A blue pill appears in the iOS status bar
• Live Activities show progress on the Lock Screen
• Widgets update with current stats

How It Works

When you grant "Always" permission, iOS allows Poreia to receive GPS updates in the background. Updates continue based on your Travel Speed setting.

Battery Impact

Background GPS tracking uses battery, but Poreia is designed to be efficient:

• No map tiles: No downloading maps or syncing data in the background
• Adaptive updates: Auto mode reduces updates when moving slowly
• Low Power Mode: Automatically reduces GPS frequency when enabled

Typical battery usage is similar to other GPS tracking apps.

Notifications

If you have auto-pause enabled with notifications on, you'll receive alerts when:

• Tracking automatically pauses (stationary for 5 minutes)
• Tracking automatically resumes (movement detected)

This is useful when your phone is in your pocket—you'll know if tracking status changed.

Without "Always" Permission

If you only grant "While Using" permission:

• Tracking works while the app is open
• Tracking pauses when you switch apps or lock your screen
• The track continues when you return to the app

This is fine if you prefer to keep the app visible during your activity.

iOS Background Limits

iOS may terminate background apps in low-memory situations. Poreia protects against data loss with:

• Auto-save: Track data is saved every 10 points
• Crash recovery: Restore your session on next launch