Understand QuickBooks Time GPS and use app as a team member

Learn how to use and understand GPS tracking in QuickBooks Workforce as well as how much data and battery the app uses.

If you need to, you can also troubleshoot GPS.

Learn about: 

• GPS overview
• Where to find and how to read GPS data
• Team member concerns
  • What we do with your data
  • Data storage
  • Data usage
  • Battery usage
  • Device steps

GPS overview

• GPS points can be pulled when you clock in or out, open the app, switch jobs, and periodically while you’re on the clock.
  • You can also force pull a point while on the clock: go to Track Time, then Time clock, and go to Location. Select the map, then select the location marker in the top right.
• GPS points are NOT stored when on a break, clocked out, or signed out of the app.
  • Your employer will never have access to your location data unless you are on the clock.
  • If your company uses geofencing, QuickBooks Time may read your GPS data, but no location information is ever stored or recorded until you clock in.
• Your employer may require you to turn on location services on your device before you can clock in. If so, you’ll need to set location tracking on your phone to Always. This way, QuickBooks Time can access your location for geofencing purposes even when the app isn’t open.
  • If your employer doesn’t require location services to clock in, you can opt-in or out of location tracking. In the Workforce app, select More, then Settings, then General, and turn Track location while clocked in on or off.
• QuickBooks Workforce uses your location “in the background” to ensure accurate clock-in and clock-out times. If your company uses geofencing, background location tracking can recommend clocking in at nearby job sites. 
  • The GPS points you see in this notification aren't the same GPS points your employer sees when you’re clocked in. Your employer doesn't have access to your location when you’re off the clock.
• Remote clock-ins: If a manager clocks you in remotely, your location information won't be shared until you confirm the shift. You’ll be notified in your Workforce app and can Confirm or Reject the clock in there.
  • If you Confirm the shift, your location data for the duration of the time you’re clocked in will be shared (as if you had clocked in yourself).
  • If you Reject the shift, the app deletes the timesheet and any locations associated with it. No GPS points are shared.
  • If you don't see the notification before you’re clocked out by the manager, the timesheet will remain but no locations are saved or shared.

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Where to find and how to read GPS data

From mobile:

1. Select Track Time, then Timesheets, and select a timesheet to view.
2. Under Location, select the map.
3. Select More to Show Accuracy Bubbles or not.
4. Select a point on the map to see the time it was pulled, and it’s accuracy in metres.

GPS point colours

GPS points display in one of four colours indicating:

• Green: You’re clocked in
• Red: You’re clocked out
• Blue: A point pulled while you’re on the clock
• Orange: A point pulled from a different device you’re logged in to

Note: What you see on your map is the same as what your admin or manager sees. 

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Team member concerns

These are some of the common concerns you may have about how data storage, data usage, and battery usage are affected while using the Workforce app. If you run into an error while using the app, you can also troubleshoot the app. 

What we do with your data

• QuickBooks Time only uses data from your app for time tracking purposes and will never share it with third parties.

Data storage 

• The storage space used by any app is determined by adding the application and data storage amounts.
• In QuickBooks Time, the amount of data storage used is affected by your role, the number of people you manage, and your permissions. For example, when you sign in as a team member, only your information downloads, using much less storage space than an admin’s.
• Data usage, based on the mobile data plan from your carrier, is different from data storage, which is the storage space needed on your mobile device to display things like text or photos. 

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Data usage

The exact amount of data used varies by:

• Device (iOS devices attempt to sync for shorter durations)
• Connection (when connected to Wi-Fi, no data is used)
• How often you change locations, clock in, switch jobs or customers, and clock out

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Battery usage

QuickBooks Time doesn't run continuously, so it uses a tiny amount of your mobile device's battery power. The exact amount varies by:

• Device (iOS devices attempt to sync for shorter durations than Android)
• How often you change location (if GPS tracking is turned on)
• How often you clock in, switch jobs or customers, and clock out
• How often you force a sync

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Device steps

To find out how much data storage, data usage, and battery usage your Workforce app is using on your device and compare it to other apps:

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