Location permissions: Always vs While Using
Smart Tracking works by being told about your movement while the app is closed — which is exactly what iOS’s Always location level exists for. Here is what each level means for Bounded.
The levels
- Always — iOS wakes Bounded briefly when you move a significant distance or settle in a new place, even with the app closed. This is the level Smart Tracking needs; everything is processed on-device.
- While Using the App — location only reaches Bounded when it is open on screen, so border crossings that happen while it is closed are missed. Bounded shows the orange “Never manually log a trip again” card on Home until Always is granted.
- Never / Ask Next Time — no automatic detection at all. The app still works fully on photos and manual trips.
Granting or changing it
iOS Settings → Apps → Bounded → Location, choose Always. The in-app toggle under Settings → Tracking takes you there when needed. Changing levels never touches your recorded data — it only changes what gets detected from now on.
A note on iOS's provisional Always
iOS sometimes grants Always provisionally and asks you again a few days later (“Bounded has used your location in the background”). Choosing Change to Only While Using in that prompt silently downgrades tracking — if trips stop appearing, this prompt is the usual culprit. See tracking troubleshooting.
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