If VineForecast suddenly stops while you are recording a work route, the cause is most likely in your phone's settings. For example, if you see straight lines in your recording, this is a sign that the GPS signal was interrupted during the recording. Also, if the navigation of a route stops completely or stops when your screen is switched off, this is probably due to your phone's settings.
GPS is a system that uses signals from orbiting satellites to determine your approximate location in the world. This system includes both a chip in your smartphone and satellites above the earth.
Examples of problems with location determination
If you have problems with the following, your activity may be displayed with a different distance than the one you actually completed. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to "add" this missing data or change existing data. Fortunately, there are other things you can do to prevent bad location data instead of fixing it. Check out the troubleshooting steps at the bottom of this article to avoid similar issues in the future.
- Deviations of the locationThe route recorded with GPS does not correspond to the actual route. You may notice that the route basically corresponds to the shape of the path, but is much less accurate.
- No GPS reception: If you do not receive a GPS signal and then have reception again at a later time, the signals from before and after the loss of signal are treated in exactly the same way as any other two points (even if time has elapsed in the meantime) and are connected with a straight line.
- Leaps and bounds in location determination: "Jumps" in the location determination can lead to a longer distance being recorded than the distance actually travelled, as all deviations are connected with a zigzag line.
Receive signals for a good location determination
To get off to a quick start and determine your exact location, you should ensure the following:
- Clear view to a large part of the sky. Any obstacles between the phone and the sky can affect the signal strength. A bag or rucksack, for example, can cause problems if the signal strength is low.
- Time to receive the signals from the satellite. To improve signal acquisition time, keep your device in one place and make sure that the device's data transmissions are activated. This will allow the phone's positioning system to get an indication of your approximate location. Even when the sky is clear, in certain situations it may take a few minutes for an exact location to be determined.
This error can affect both the Android and iOS systems. Depending on your phone and the manufacturer, we have collected various tips for you below. Below we have compiled the solutions that have worked for other users:
Troubleshooting
Android
The Android system has various options for restricting the function of apps. These can run in the background and are usually used to optimise battery performance or free up storage space. These settings are different for each device and the names are not standardised, so please check the settings of your own device to see if you can find them.
Try to ensure that the VineForecast app has the following access:
- It may run in the background.
- It can access your GPS position while it is running in the background ("Always" if possible or alternatively "When using the app").
- It is excluded from energy-saving mode.
- It is excluded from all other settings that automatically save memory space.
There are various tips from some Android providers, but please note that you will find these settings in a different place on each device.
Samsung
The two most important articles on the settings that affect VineForecast on a Samsung device are
- Use of device maintenance (unfortunately only for Samsung Galaxy S8)
- How do I switch on my location and change my location settings?
Please make sure that your GPS location is active and check the device maintenance settings. On newer Samsung devices, you can usually see the permissions that VineForecast has access to by going to Settings -> Apps -> VineForecast go.
Battery optimisation is the most common reason for tracking problems. Therefore, please check the battery usage settings of the VineForecast app. To do this, go to Settings -> Apps -> VineForecast -> Battery. Here the option "Not restricted" must be set. As soon as you have made the setting, try to start tracking.
You can also change the general optimisation settings under Settings -> Device maintenance view. Under the battery settings, there may be an option to "Putting unused applications into sleep mode". Please either switch this function off in general or make sure that VineForecast is excluded. You should also switch off any automatic optimisation that your phone performs or only activate it if you are not using VineForecast.
The articles above contain some screenshots that show how this might look on your Samsung device. If you have an older device or if these settings are not found on your phone, please search for device-specific information.
The iPhone has a function that automatically moves apps that require a lot of memory to the background. Due to the complexity of our functions, VineForecast requires a large amount of memory on the iPhone. We are continuously working on improving the app to reduce the memory load. If the recording on your iOS device no longer works properly, please check the following.
iOS
Update app in the background
Please check whether you have activated the background app update in your general phone settings. You can find this under Settings -> General -> Background refresh -> VineForecast
Without this setting, all location services are deactivated when the screen lock is activated and recording is stopped.
Use of other apps
If you are using multiple apps at the same time, this may cause the VineForecast app to close. If you switch apps for any reason, e.g. to take a photo, please make sure that you open the VineForcast app again afterwards and check whether the recording is still running. If it has been stopped, please start it again.
Energy saving mode
Please do not use your phone in power saving mode while navigating / recording with VineForecast. Please check the Help from Apple to find the correct setting in your iPhone.
Carrying the phone in a pocket or bag
Carrying the phone in a hidden pocket or bag can interfere with the reception of the GPS signal. If the app does not receive a GPS signal for some time, it is very likely that the iOS system will automatically pause the recording. If you notice that the recording stops even though you are not using the phone, it is likely that the GPS signal has been interrupted.
In this case, make sure that your phone is in a place where it can still receive a GPS signal, e.g. in an outer pocket at the top of your rucksack.
Inconsistent performance
The GPS system includes the chip in your device and satellites above the earth. Even if your device is in the same place and with the same settings as before, it may behave differently from one day to the next. Normally, the device must receive signals from five satellites in order to determine your exact location. The varying position of the satellites, the changing weather and changes in the Earth's outer atmosphere are all factors beyond our control that affect the GPS system. It is therefore difficult to determine the exact reasons for unreliable performance. We recommend that you try all of the above suggestions before making a judgement on the best way to work with your device's location.