Location FAQ
Why is it needed?
The purpose of the app is to provide you with insights into your travel history via automatic location change tracking; with manual entry as a fallback if required, therefore for you to use the app to it's full extent, location permissions are required.
You can use the app manually if you desire and we plan to implement the ability to analyse location history by looking at your photo library metadata in the future but this is not currently a feature.
I've had a pop up saying the app has been using my location in the background?
As described above this is correct and by design, if you are using this app then you have been informed how how and why your data is used, and to keep automatic logging this needs to be enabled.
This notification appears because Apple has implemented this to inform users of data gathering without their consent to prevent malicious apps and accidental data sharing.
If you have clicked 'change to while using' when this was prompted your automatic tracking will stop so you will need to set this back to always in the settings.
If you have clicked 'change to while using' when this was prompted your automatic tracking will stop so you will need to set this back to always in the settings.
Why does it sometimes need to be manually set to 'always' in the settings?
It used to be possible to select always from the initial location settings pop up provided by apple, however to protect user privacy from app's that do not need constant location access, this has been removed and can only be changed in the settings.
You will likely be prompted about background location use and be given the option to change to 'Change to only while using' or 'Always allow' - if you change to 'only while using' automatic travel logging will stop working.
Can anyone access my location data?
Atlas logged is designed to keep your data on device and to also give you various further privacy settings to reduce the data stored to only Country and City if you desire, deleting your coordinates entirely.
Data can only be exported from the app by the user with the manual back up export in the settings screen.
Atlas logged is designed to keep your data on device and to also give you various further privacy settings to reduce the data stored to only Country and City if you desire, deleting your coordinates entirely.
Data can only be exported from the app by the user with the manual back up export in the settings screen.
How does this affect battery life?
Atlas logged is optimised to use Apples native 'on location change' concept, so the app is only informed of your location changing when you actually move reducing battery drain significantly.
Depending on your privacy setting, the less detail you capture and wider your location change setting is the less battery will be used, however, you can watch this for yourself in the battery monitor screen, even in heavy travel days this app will typically use <1% if it is only in the background.
Atlas logged is optimised to use Apples native 'on location change' concept, so the app is only informed of your location changing when you actually move reducing battery drain significantly.
Depending on your privacy setting, the less detail you capture and wider your location change setting is the less battery will be used, however, you can watch this for yourself in the battery monitor screen, even in heavy travel days this app will typically use <1% if it is only in the background.