Geofencing
A geofence turns any area on the map into a live boundary. The moment a team member crosses it, entering or leaving, everyone in the group gets notified. It works automatically in the background, and it works without internet too.
How to set up an alert zone​
Alert zones are attached to area items. You enable them when creating or editing an area.
When creating a new area​
- Open the Command Grid and tap Draw Area
- Outline the zone on the map, then tap Finish
- In the Create Area sheet, scroll to the Alert Zone section
- Toggle Enable alert zone on
- Choose when to trigger the alert:
- Alert on enter, fires when someone crosses into the zone
- Alert on exit, fires when someone leaves the zone
- Enable both for full coverage
- Give the area a clear name, it appears in notification text (e.g., "Sarah entered Base Camp")
- Tap Create
On an existing area​
- Tap the area on the map to open its detail panel
- Tap Edit
- Scroll to Alert Zone and toggle it on
- Configure enter/exit alerts
- Tap Save
What happens when someone crosses the boundary​
Online groups​
- Every group member, including the person crossing, receives a push notification: "Alex entered Base Camp"
- A system message appears in the group chat as a visual record
- The server evaluates the crossing, so recipients are notified even if their app is closed
Radio groups​
- A notification fires on your device
- A system message appears in the radio group chat
- Everything runs locally — no internet required
Alert reliability by app state​
How reliably alerts fire depends on the group type and the app state of the people involved. "Backgrounded" here means the app is running in the background with Live Share active — see Background mode and Live Share.
Online groups​
| Your app state | Notification | Chat message |
|---|---|---|
| Open | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backgrounded | ✓ | ✓ |
| Closed | ✓ (server push) | Visible when you reopen |
The person whose location is being tracked must have the app open or backgrounded. If their app is fully closed, their location is not sent to the server and no alert fires for anyone.
Radio groups​
| Your app state | Notification | Chat message |
|---|---|---|
| Open | ✓ | ✓ |
| Backgrounded | ✓ | Visible when you reopen |
| Closed | — | — |
Radio geofencing runs entirely on-device. When the app is closed there is no background process to evaluate crossings, so no alert can fire.
Permissions required​
For alerts to fire while the app is in the background, Flaresat needs Always location permission:
- iOS, go to Settings → Flaresat → Location → select Always
- Android, go to Settings → Apps → Flaresat → Permissions → Location → select Allow all the time
Notifications must also be enabled. See your device's notification settings for Flaresat.
Tips​
- Use descriptive area names, they appear verbatim in alerts
- Enable both enter and exit alerts for rendezvous points or timed operations
- You can have multiple alert zones active in the same group simultaneously
- Disabling the alert zone toggle on an area stops alerts without deleting the area shape