A place alert is an area on the map that tells you when someone arrives or leaves, also known as a virtual fence or geofence. It’s the simplest way to know your kid got to school or someone got home.
Before you start
- Have at least one group with other people (see How to create a group and invite your family).
- How many places you can create: 2 on Free, 10 on Basic and unlimited on Complete. Arrival and departure alerts work on every plan.
1. Open your places
On the map, tap the Saved places button. Another path: Profile and Location Notifications.
The Stored Places screen lists the places you’ve created and how many more your plan allows.
2. Add the place
- Tap Add place.
- Set the center: drag the map to the spot you want, or search by name or address. The address fills in automatically.
- Adjust the radius: from 200 meters to 3 kilometers.
Which radius to choose
| Place | Starting radius |
|---|---|
| House or apartment | 200–300 m |
| School | 250–400 m |
| Office building | 250–400 m |
| Gated community or campus | 500 m–1 km |
Radiuses that are too small cause false alerts, because GPS drifts, especially indoors. The article What is a geofence explains why.
3. Name it
Under Place Name, type a name or tap one of the suggestions: Home, Work, School or Gym.
4. Choose the people
Check whose alerts you want at that place, or tap Select all. Each place has its own list: you can follow the kids at school and your dad at the gym without getting alerts about everyone everywhere.
5. Save
Tap Add Place. Done: when anyone on the list enters or leaves the area, you get a notification.
Edit or delete a place
In the Stored Places list, tap the place to change its name, radius and people, or delete it.
If something doesn’t work
- You’ve reached your plan’s limit: delete a place you no longer use or see the plans.
- No one available to notify about: add people to your groups first.
- The alert arrives late: the person’s phone may have aggressive battery saving on or no internet.
- Departure alerts when the person didn’t leave: increase the radius a little.
