Owntracks not updating location

Configuration
1

Hi
I have just installed owntracks on an Iphone and have the setup for my MQTT finished. It shows connected and when I manually push the position from the map it shows fine in HA.
I have choosen manual mode for owntracks and defined a Home region. As I understand from the OT documents it should report when leaving or entering this Home region. Anyhow nothing happens.
Is there another way to do this?

2

I’m using significant changes modes and an iBeacon for arriving to my house and it works fine

3

I guess that would help but I don´t understand why the other solution doesn´t Work.
I have used the iOS app as device tracker for another device and that updates well without ibeacon.
What ibeacon is best for this purpose?

4

Anyone knows why it does not update location? I guess the app can work in background on the iPhone.

5

Owntracks is not quite reliable on iOS. It works well on my 7+, but on my wife’s iPhone 6, it often updates in bursts (i.e., it will save all the updates and push them together). .

6

okay, but what else can be used then besides the iOS location from the app?

7

There are several other trackers that are available that you can use. I am currently using Owntracks, iOS app, and Asuswrt,

8

Which is best in combination with HA?
It should be able to update the location as well as the iOS app.

9

The best combination is the one that works for you. See how to combine multiple trackers

10

Okay Thanks :slight_smile:
I Will eventually also try to combine several trackers. Do you have experience combining owntracks with an ibeacon?

11

I have this in my automation.yaml file to refresh Owntracks every 5 mins, seems to keep me updated well.

# REFRESH OWNTRACKS #
- id: Refresh Owtracks
  alias: Refresh Owntracks
  trigger:
    - platform: time
      minutes: '/5'
  action:
    - service: mqtt.publish
      data:
        topic: "owntracks/admin/jasons_phone/cmd"
        payload_template: '{"_type": "cmd","action": "reportLocation", "batt": %BATT}'
1 Like
12

Owntracks won’t update in manual mode unless you… manually update your location.

You need to use “significant changes” mode if you want it to send updates in the background. I do this on a iphone 7s and it works flawlessly with GPS+iBeacon

13

thanks, I will try this out.

14

It just says in the documentation that it should update when a region is defined.
“Note that Region events triggered by entering or leaving Geo Fence or Beacon regions are still published automatically whilst in Manual mode.”
I have tried to put it in “significant…” mode but still it is not updated in HA.

15

Is it necassary to define waypoints and a whitelist i HA to make this Work or is this done automatically?

16

Hi
I have now added an iBeacon with OT, anyhow I get quite a lot of leaving/entering notifications even when I am inside my house. What setup do you have in OT?

17

I have an iPhone 6 running ios 10.3.3
I set up my mqtt server to send all Owntracks messages to a file
took the dogs out for 2 walks
no mqtt messages.
It simply doesn’t work on my iPhone!

18

Do you still use this automation? I tried it and get a parse error

image
image757Ă—187 6.25 KB

19

@jimpower no, I’ve switched to using Zanzito, I’ve found it far more reliable than Owntracks.

20

Thanks I’ll check that out