GPS tracking and Real distance confidence

Accurate GPS tracking is essential for reliable real-distance estimation during a round. While Urbantz takes every necessary step to ensure reliable tracking, the performance can still be affected by device settings, user actions, and environmental factors.

This article explains how GPS tracking works, what might impact its accuracy, how the system calculates confidence levels, and which settings to enable for the best results.

How background GPS tracking works

• Automatic activation: When a driver starts a round or opens the map, GPS tracking starts via a foreground service that continues even if the app runs in the background.
• Notification check: You can confirm it's running by checking for a persistent notification on the device.
• GPS requirement: If GPS is disabled, the app prompts the driver to activate it before proceeding.
• Offline behavior: When offline, tracking data is stored and automatically sent to our servers once connectivity is restored.
• Auto-stop: Tracking ends when the driver completes the round or the system auto-closes it at 3am of the next day of the round.

What can interrupt tracking?

Despite optimizations, the following can impact GPS tracking:

🔸 User Actions

• Manually closing (or “killing”) the app in the recent apps view.
• Disabling GPS while the app runs in the background.

🔸 Device & OS Constraints

• Running heavy apps may cause some phones to suspend background services.
• Battery saver or adaptive battery settings may stop tracking.
• Apps may be restricted in the background unless specifically exempted by system settings.

🔸 Network & GPS Limitations

• Poor connectivity delays updates on the dashboard.
• Urban canyons (tall buildings) or indoor areas can reduce GPS accuracy.

Understanding the Confidence Level in distance estimation

In the Round General view, Urbantz shows a confidence level for the real-distance estimation:

• High – Adequate GPS data was received during the round.
• Low – GPS data was limited or missing, reducing reliability.

Note: Due to external conditions and device behavior, 100% accuracy cannot be guaranteed on all rounds.

How to improve tracking accuracy & confidence

To improve location tracking and reduce the chance of missed GPS points, follow the recommendations below:

1. Avoid using multiple devices for the same round

Below is a summary of the main risks and how to avoid them.

• Data Synchronization and Corruption Risks
• Conflicts in Round Status and Progress
• GPS Tracking and Location Data Problems (multiple GPS streams conflict with each other; tracking data becomes unreliable or inconsistent; server-side performance may degrade due to concurrent inputs; the system may stop tracking one round to start another, leading to gaps in data)
• Authentication and Session Management Issues
• Technical and Troubleshooting Challenges

Best practices to avoid these issues

To ensure smooth round execution and data integrity:

• Use only one device per round
• If device sharing is required:
  • Always log out properly
  • Wait 20 seconds before logging in with another account
  • Clear the app cache regularly
• Never make changes to the same round from multiple devices at the same time

Note: While Urbantz includes safeguards to prevent some of these issues, using multiple devices for one round is strongly discouraged. It can lead to complex problems that require manual resolution and may disrupt delivery operations.

2. Keep devices and apps up to date

• Update the Urbantz app to the latest version.
• Ensure the device’s operating system (OS) is up to date—OS versions significantly impact GPS tracking.
• Consider using devices with reliable GPS performance; high-end models generally outperform budget devices.

3. Avoid force closing the app

• Do not manually close the app while it's running a round.
• Avoid using heavy apps (e.g., Waze) simultaneously if possible.

4. Device settings checklist

Disable Battery Optimization

• Settings > Apps > Urbantz > Battery > Battery Optimization
• Set to “Don’t optimize” or “Unrestricted”
• Enable “Allow background activity”

Enable Notifications

• Settings > Apps > Urbantz > Notifications
• Ensure notifications are ON — required for foreground tracking.

Grant Location Access

• Settings > Apps > Urbantz > Permissions > Location
• Choose “Allow all the time”

If unavailable, first select “While using the app,” then switch manually in device settings.

5. Manufacturer-specific recommendations

Some brands have aggressive battery and background management. Follow these for best results:

Xiaomi

• Battery & performance > App battery saver > Urbantz > No restrictions
• Security > Auto-start > Enable for Urbantz

Huawei

• Settings > Battery > App launch > Manage manually
• Enable: Auto-launch, Secondary launch, and Run in background

Samsung

• Device care > Battery > App power management
• Turn OFF Put unused apps to sleep

Oppo / Realme / Vivo

• Use Phone Manager or Settings > App Management
• Allow Auto-start and Background running

6. Lock the app in recent tasks

Some systems kill background apps unless locked.

Steps:

• Open Urbantz
• Go to Recent Apps
• Long press the app → Tap the lock icon (🔒)

7. Disable adaptive battery (optional)

• Settings > Battery > Adaptive Battery
• Consider disabling if tracking issues persist

Monitor tracking performance

• Use the GPS Coverage % in the Round Audit for visibility on tracking performance.
• Regularly review rounds with low confidence to identify patterns or device-specific issues.

By following these best practices and configuring the recommended settings, you can significantly improve tracking reliability and ensure accurate real-distance estimations in your delivery operations.