# Troubleshooting Alarm.com Places

**GoSafer Security Knowledge Base**

*This operational reference is organized for GoSafer Security customers and staff. Alarm.com product names are retained where required for technical accuracy.*

## Overview

By enabling Location Services on mobile devices, the device is allowed to check-in and relay its location relative to the radio tower or router the device connected to. For this feature, enable Alarm.com Places on your mobile devices and ensure that you have a data connection (e.g., 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi).

<table id="bkmrk-platformapp-%2B-web-co"> <tbody> <tr><th>Platform</th><td>App + Web</td></tr> <tr><th>Content type</th><td>Troubleshooting</td></tr> <tr><th>Source last updated</th><td>2025-06-04</td></tr> </tbody></table>

## Procedure

<div class="gosafer-inline-media">**Step-by-step guide:** Screenshots and videos are placed with the instruction they illustrate.

By enabling Location Services on mobile devices, the device is allowed to check-in and relay its location relative to the radio tower or router the device connected to. For this feature, enable Alarm.com Places on your mobile devices and ensure that you have a data connection (e.g., 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi).

<div><span></span>### ****Alarm.com Places tips****

- The lower the data connection and/or coverage in the area, the less accurate Alarm.com Places will be. The more data connection and/or coverage in the areas, the more accurate Alarm.com Places will be.
- Staying close to Geo-Fences, or only barely crossing it can mean that the Geo-Device will never triangulate outside of the Geo-Fence. This can cause notifications or actions to incorrectly trigger or not trigger occur at all.
- Increasing the Geo-Fence radius provides more accurate notifications based on location.
- Wi-Fi can be used as data connection for triangulation. The device does not need to be connected for triangulation to occur.
- The more accurate Geo-Fence radius sizes are around or larger than 2 to 2.5 miles radius. The minimum radius can be one mile but is not recommended.  
    <div>**Note**: If the customer account is in Canada, the minimum distance is 1.5 kilometers for a Geo-Fence.</div>

</div><div><span></span>### ****To manage Alarm.com Places using the GoSafer Security customer portal (powered by Alarm.com):****

1. Log in to the GoSafer Security customer portal (powered by Alarm.com).
2. Click ****Settings****.
3. Click **Places**.

**Important**: Only the login permissions of Master Control, Full Control, and Custom with **Notification settings** enabled can manage Alarm.com Places on a customer account.


</div><div><span></span>### ****Troubleshooting Alarm.com Places:****

<div><span></span>### **Verify Alarm.com Places is set up properly**

Verify you have the proper Alarm.com Places notifications and rules set up on your account. For more information, see <u>[Configure Alarm.com Places](https://answers.alarm.com/Partner/Installation_and_Troubleshooting/Website_and_Apps/General_Website_and_Apps_Information/Configure_Alarm.com_Places)</u>.

</div><div><span></span>### **Verify Location Services is turned on**

Verify Location Services is turned on for the device and also for the Alarm.com app. For more information on enabling Alarm.com Places in the app, see <u>[Add a new Geo-Device](https://answers.alarm.com/Partner/Installation_and_Troubleshooting/Website_and_Apps/General_Website_and_Apps_Information/Add_a_new_Geo-Device)</u>.

**Important**: iPhones and Android phones also require Location Services to be turned on specifically for the Alarm.com app through phone settings.

<div><span></span>### ******To enable Location Services on an Android phone:****** 

**Note**: These steps may vary depending on the model of the Android phone.

1. Tap to open the ****Settings**** application.
2. Tap ****Connections****.
3. Tap the ****Location**** toggle switch to enable Location Services.

</div><div><span></span>### ******To enable Location Services on an iPhone:******

**Important**: In order for this option to appear, Alarm.com Places needs to be enabled on the app.

1. Tap to open the iPhone's ****Settings**** application.
2. Tap ****Alarm.com****.
3. Tap ****Location****.
4. In **Allow Location Access**, tap ****Always****.

</div></div><div><span></span>### **Verify the correct device is enabled for Alarm.com Places**

The user can verify the correct device is enabled by turning Alarm.com Places off in the app, then log in to the website to verify a correlating device was paused. A device that is paused will be grayed out.  
  
In the following image, the Geo-Device named *iPhone* is enabled and the Geo-Device named *Samsung* is disabled.  
  
<figure class="gosafer-step-image" style="margin: 1em 0 1.25em; padding: 0.75em; text-align: center; background: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #d9e0e5; border-radius: 6px;">![Geo Device Samsung is disabled](https://answers.alarm.com/@api/deki/files/6482/Geo_Device_Samsung_is_disabled.PNG?revision=1)<figcaption style="margin-top: 0.55em; color: #555; font-size: 0.92em;">Geo Device Samsung is disabled</figcaption></figure>

**Important**: Remember to re-enable the Geo-Device in the Alarm.com app after this test.

</div><div><span></span>### **Increase the Geo-Fence size**

Increase the Geo-Fence size to a minimum of 2 to 2.5-mile radius. If it is already set to a 2.5-mile radius, increase the Geo-Fence radius to 5 miles.

</div><div><span></span>### **Enable Wi-Fi on the Geo-Device**

Enable Wi-Fi on the phone that is a Geo-Device on the account. This may help with triangulation if there are not many towers in that area. Turning on Bluetooth can also help.

**Note**: The Geo-Device is not required to be connected to a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth network to function.

</div><div><span></span>### **Verify settings that can affect Alarm.com Places on Android devices**

For Android phones, there are several settings that can affect consistent Alarm.com Places functionality. The Alarm.com app also displays possible settings that are affecting functionality.

<div><span></span>### ****To verify Alarm.com app settings on an Android device:****

1. Log in to the Alarm.com app.
2. Tap ********<span style="display: inline-block; padding: 0.05em 0.4em; margin: 0 0.1em; background: #eef4f7; border: 1px solid #c9d7df; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: 600;">Menu</span>********.
3. Tap ****Places****.
4. Tap ****Manage my location settings****.
5. In **Location Services**, tap ****Resolve detected issues****.  
       
     <figure class="gosafer-step-image" style="margin: 1em 0 1.25em; padding: 0.75em; text-align: center; background: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #d9e0e5; border-radius: 6px;">![Android Places1](https://answers.alarm.com/@api/deki/files/24379/Android_Places1.PNG?revision=1)<figcaption style="margin-top: 0.55em; color: #555; font-size: 0.92em;">Android Places1</figcaption></figure>
6. In **Resolve Issues**, tap ********<span style="display: inline-block; padding: 0.05em 0.4em; margin: 0 0.1em; background: #eef4f7; border: 1px solid #c9d7df; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: 600;">Details</span>******** next to an existing issue to resolve it.  
       
     <figure class="gosafer-step-image" style="margin: 1em 0 1.25em; padding: 0.75em; text-align: center; background: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #d9e0e5; border-radius: 6px;">![Android Places2](https://answers.alarm.com/@api/deki/files/24380/Android_Places2.PNG?revision=1)<figcaption style="margin-top: 0.55em; color: #555; font-size: 0.92em;">Android Places2</figcaption></figure>

</div><div><span></span>### Verify the Android device settings have the best corresponding values:

**Note**: The names of settings may vary on Android devices.

- *Location* or *Location services* should be toggled on.
- *Locating method* or *Location mode* should be set to high accuracy.
- *Wi-Fi scanning* and *Bluetooth scanning*, which may be in the *Improve accuracy* setting, should both be toggled on.
- *Power saving mode* and *Ultra power saving mode* should both be toggled off.
- *Battery optimization* or *Optimize battery usage*, which may be in the menu option of the *Battery* setting*,* should be toggled off for the Alarm.com app, Google Play Services, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.  
    - When selecting the option to *Turn Battery Optimization for this App* *Off* from the Alarm.com app, the phone displays the devices that do not have optimization on. Tap the arrow under *Battery optimization* to select **All Apps,** then tap **Alarm.com** to verify that *Don't Optimize* is selected.   
           
         The following image is an example of turning off battery optimization on an Android device:   
           
           
         <figure class="gosafer-step-image" style="margin: 1em 0 1.25em; padding: 0.75em; text-align: center; background: #fafafa; border: 1px solid #d9e0e5; border-radius: 6px;">![Battery Optimization on Android](https://answers.alarm.com/@api/deki/files/7949/Battery_Optimization_on_Android.png?revision=1)<figcaption style="margin-top: 0.55em; color: #555; font-size: 0.92em;">Battery Optimization on Android</figcaption></figure>

For information on how to clear Geo-Device malfunctions, see <u>[Geo-Service device is malfunctioning](https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website_and_App/Mobile_Features/Alarm.com_Places/Geo-Service_device_is_malfunctioning)</u>.

</div></div><div><span></span>### ****If the issue is still unresolved:****

**Important**: Perform the following steps in this order:

1. Disable Alarm.com Places in the Alarm.com app. 
    - To disable Alarm.com Places: 
        1. Log in to the Alarm.com app.
        2. Tap <span style="display: inline-block; padding: 0.05em 0.4em; margin: 0 0.1em; background: #eef4f7; border: 1px solid #c9d7df; border-radius: 3px; font-weight: 600;">Menu</span>.
        3. Tap **Places**.
        4. Tap **Manage my location settings**.
        5. Tap the *Location Services* toggle switch to disable it.
2. Delete the Geo-Device on the GoSafer Security customer portal (powered by Alarm.com).
3. Force close the Alarm.com app.
4. Re-enable Alarm.com Places in the Alarm.com app.
5. Add the device back to the Geo-Fence rules or notifications.
6. Sync the Geo-Device by crossing in and out of the Geo-Fence.
7. Test by crossing the fence again.   
    <div>**Note**: Alarm.com Places uses triangulation to conserve battery power. The device should pass a significant distance over the Geo-Fence in either direction to register crossing the Geo-Fence. </div>

</div></div></div>## Source and support

For GoSafer Security assistance, visit [gosafersecurity.com](https://gosafersecurity.com/).

Original Alarm.com reference: [https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website\_and\_App/Mobile\_Features/Alarm.com\_Places/Troubleshooting\_Alarm.com\_Places](https://answers.alarm.com/Customer/Website_and_App/Mobile_Features/Alarm.com_Places/Troubleshooting_Alarm.com_Places)

<small>Always verify safety, installation, compatibility, and current UI details against the original manufacturer documentation before operational use.</small>