5 minutes
Enable location tracking (GPS) in Hubstaff
Location tracking is used to record the GPS positions of your team during their work day.
The Location tracking feature requires the Locations add-on.
To enable location tracking:
Step 1
Go to Settings > All Settings
Step 2
Navigate to Schedules > Map
Step 3
Under Track Locations (Mobile only), you’ll be provided with the following options:
- Off – Disables location tracking.
- Tracking time – Only records locations when members are tracking time.
- Also during shifts – Automatically track location during scheduled shifts or when the timer is running.
- Always – Always track locations as long as location tracking is enabled and the app is opened (even when the app is running on the background). This will allow you to track the movement of the team members even if they aren’t tracking to a specific project or within set shift hours. They will still be able to close the app on their device if they choose, which would stop tracking.
When location tracking is set to Always, Hubstaff will record GPS locations continuously in the background whenever the app is installed and location permissions are granted — even when the team member is not actively tracking time or working a shift. This happens automatically and does not require any action from the member beyond the initial app setup.
Before enabling Always tracking, we strongly recommend:
- Notifying your team members in writing that their location will be recorded outside of work hours while the app is installed on their device
- Reviewing your local privacy and employment laws, which may require explicit employee consent or written notice before continuous background location tracking can be used
- Limiting Always tracking to company-managed devices where possible, to avoid collecting location data from personal devices outside of work hours
For less continuous use cases, consider Tracking time mode instead, which only records GPS locations while the timer is actively running.
You can enable the setting for your entire organization, or for individual users.
Location services need to be enabled for the feature to work.
Location tracking is available through the Locations add-on and is included in Enterprise plans.
Location tracking is available through the Locations add-on and is included in Enterprise plans.