Location Sharing
When you turn on location sharing in a group, your live GPS position appears as a labeled dot on every group member's map. This lets your whole team see where everyone is at a glance.
Turn location sharing on or offβ
Location sharing is controlled per group. You can share your location in one group without sharing it in others.
Open the group's map.
Tap Menu (β°) in the command bar, then tap Settings.
Scroll to the Privacy section.
Toggle Appear on Map.
Your dot appears on teammates' maps within a few seconds. Toggle it off to stop sharing and your dot disappears immediately.
Location permissionβ
When you enable Appear on Map for the first time, Flaresat requests foreground location permission from your device. Allow it to proceed.
If permission has been denied, a prompt appears directing you to your device's Settings to re-enable it. The toggle will not activate until permission is granted.
On iOS, foreground permission ("While Using") is sufficient to appear on the map while the app is open. To keep broadcasting with the screen off, you also need Always permission. See Background mode and Live Share below.
What teammates seeβ
When your location sharing is on, other members see:
- A colored dot at your current position
- Your display name as a label next to the dot
- Your dot moves as you move, at a rate determined by your location update frequency (see below)
Privacyβ
- Location sharing is off by default for every group
- Only members of your group can see your location
- You are in full control, turn it on and off anytime
- If you turn it off, your dot disappears from teammates' maps immediately
Location update frequencyβ
How often your position is sent to the group is controlled by a Location Update Frequency setting in your Profile. Choose from four tiers:
| Tier | Update rate | Battery use | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real-time | Every 5 s / 5 m | Highest | Fast-moving ops, tight coordination |
| Balanced (default) | Every 10 s / 15 m | Moderate | General field use |
| Power Saver | Every 30 s / 50 m | Low | Long shifts, multi-hour deployments |
| Ultra Saver | Every 3 min / 150 m | Lowest | Multi-day trips, minimal drain |
This setting syncs across your devices. See Profile β to change it.
Location accuracyβ
Flaresat uses your device's GPS for location data.
| Situation | Expected accuracy |
|---|---|
| Outdoors, clear sky | 3β10 meters |
| Indoors or dense urban | 10β50 meters |
| Web browser (no GPS chip) | 10β100+ meters (uses Wi-Fi triangulation) |
On mobile, make sure Flaresat has Location permission set to While Using or Always in your device settings for best results.
Background mode and Live Shareβ
By default, location updates pause when you leave the app. Live Share keeps your position broadcasting continuously, even with Flaresat in the background or the screen locked.
Enable Live Shareβ
Open the group's map.
Tap the LIVE button in the Command Grid.
Choose a duration: 15 minutes, 1 hour, or 8 hours.
Confirm.
A countdown timer appears on the LIVE button while it's active. Tap it again at any time to stop broadcasting early.
Live Share persists across app restarts, if you close and reopen Flaresat before the timer runs out, it resumes automatically.
Permissions required for background modeβ
- iOS, Location permission must be set to Always (Settings β Flaresat β Location β Always)
- Android, Location permission must be set to Allow all the time
A system indicator appears in your notification bar while background location is active so you're always in control.
Location in Radio groupsβ
In Radio groups, location updates travel over the radio mesh instead of the internet. Updates are throttled to roughly every 8 seconds to conserve LoRa bandwidth. Enable Appear on Map in Group Settings β Privacy just like an online group, then stay connected to your radio device.