GPS Tracking Android App: Loc Instructions

The app requires Location Service to be enabled.

To start GPS tracking:
If Auto Start is enabled, opening the app starts GPS tracking.

Tap the driver name field to show a driver name input dialog.  Type the driver's name to be used for the filename.

Tap Start, and you will notice that
  the Start button, driver, and time fields become greyed out, and the Stop button becomes active,

  a notification with message "Loc is Active" appears on the notification area,

  pulling down the drawer shows a notification that Loc is active, pressing it opens the app,

  the Location Service notification icon flashes indicating that the GPS receiver is looking for a signal, and

  "Location recorded" message is shown whenever the phone records GPS coordinates.  This message will not appear when continuous tracking is enabled.

  Log files are saved at internal storage's 0_gpstracker directory.

If the date and time shown is earlier than or is the current time, tracking starts immediately.
At this point, you may press the home button, and turn off the screen to conserve battery.
Be careful not to tap the back button twice, because it turns off tracking, and exits the app.

To stop GPS tracking:
Tap stop or exit the app by pressing the back button twice.

To enable scheduled start:
Tap the date, and set the date you want tracking to start.

Tap the time, and set the time you want tracking to start.

Tap start.
  the Start button deactives, and the Stop button becomes active,
  only the notification message "Loc is Active" appears on the notification area.
  the Location Service icon starts flashing when the current time is the scheduled time.

To authorize people allowed to know where the phone is:
Tap the Add Contact icon (Person with a plus sign) on the home screen's top right side, and the "Edit Authorization" screen appears.

Tap the Add icon (Plus) on the screen's top right corner, and the phone's contacts list appears.

Tap the contact you want to add.

  Adding a contact includes all the phone numbers of the particular contact, so you may want to delete some numbers that don't support SMS.

To delete a contact:
In the "Edit Authorization" screen, press and hold the contact you want to remove.  A "Delete" option appears.  Just tap this to confirm delete.

To enable or disable auto start on boot up:
Tap the menu button (3 vertical dots), and a menu appears.
Tap the "Auto Start" option.
  A dialog box will appear where you can enable or disable auto start.

Lastly, to enable continuous tracking:
Tap the menu button (3 vertical dots), and a menu appears.
Tap the "Continuous Tracking" option.
  A dialog box will appear where you can enable or disable continuous tracking.

GPS Tracking Android App: Loc

 

Loc is a SMS based, subscription free Android app that you can use to track your assets through GPS.  Unlike most GPS trackers in the market that charge a monthly service fee on top of a mobile data subscription, Loc is SMS based, so your cost is only your network's SMS rate, which depending on your plan, can be zero.  It works by sending you a Google maps link of the mobile phone's location through SMS whenever you text it with the message "Loc".  You click the link, and it will bring you to a Google maps page with a pin marker showing where the phone is right at that moment.

Features:
1.  Sends a Google maps link of the phone's location through SMS upon request.



2.  Creates a log entry every second or minute of the phone's location, distance travelled, accuracy, speed, and battery status, which is stored in a log file.  The app also logs when tracking is stopped, the app is closed, and the phone is turned off.  You may upload this file to Google maps, to know the route your asset took to get to its destination.  You may also analyse this log using Google maps to find out any unexpected stops.

3.  Has a scheduled start function that kicks off tracking at a predetermined time, if you can't personally press the "Start" button.  This is useful if you're in a business that sends off trucks early in the morning.

4.  Minds your security by having an authorised list of contacts.  The app does not reply to whoever sends it a "Loc" message.  It only answers back if the sender is a contact that you will explicitly register as trusted.

5.  Does not have a monthly service fee, nor rely on a mobile data subscription.  You're in control of the costs.
6.  Runs in the background unless “Stop” or back button is pressed, so Android OS does not inadvertently close the app when it frees up memory.  The back button must be double tapped to prevent inadvertent closing of the app.

 
7.  Has an auto run option when the phone boots up, so you can tell your delivery guys to just reboot the phone if ever it hangs up, and the app starts tracking again.

8.  Has a continuous tracking option if battery life is not an issue.  The default setting is location data gathering is every minute.  With this feature enabled, the GPS is turned on all the time, and gathers location data every second.