Fix mileage tracking issues in QuickBooks Self-Employed for Android

Learn what to do if you run into problems tracking your work trips on your phone.

When you turn on mileage tracking in the QuickBooks Self-Employed app, it automatically records your work trips.

If you notice missing or inaccurate trips on your phone, don't worry. Here's how you can adjust your Android device and your app settings so your trips are tracked accurately.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Check location settings on your device
• Disconnect Wi-Fi networks while driving
• Fine-tune the mileage settings
• Turn off background data and battery restrictions
• Update the QuickBooks Self-Employed app
• Update your operating system
• Tips to keep your trips accurate
• Manually add or edit a trip

Note: If you use an Apple device, here's how to fix mileage tracking issues for iPhone or iPad.

Step 1: Check location settings on your device

Review the general location settings on your phone or tablet. Make sure you’ve allowed the QuickBooks Self-Employed app to run in the background.

Note: If you don't allow the app to run in the background, it will only track trips when it's open and active on your screen.

Since Android devices and operating systems vary, use Google's steps to make sure QuickBooks can run in the background.

Step 2: Disconnect Wi-Fi networks while driving

Your trip won’t record correctly if your phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network while you’re driving. Make sure your device tracks accurately by turning off the Wi-Fi setting before your trip. Then after your trip, you can reconnect your Wi-Fi.

Step 3: Fine tune the mileage settings

Your device might have trouble tracking mileage in slow-moving traffic and recording the specific addresses of a trip. Fortunately, the app has a couple of settings you can turn on to improve the accuracy of this info. Keep in mind that these settings can increase battery usage. Here’s how to enable those settings:

1. Select the Menu ☰ icon.
2. Select Settings.
3. Select Mileage settings.
4. To improve accuracy in slow-moving traffic, turn on the Track slow speed trips setting.
5. To improve accuracy recording addresses, turn on the Boost location accuracy setting.

Note: In your Mileage settings, if the list items in the Avoid missed trips section have a green checkmark, you're good to go. If you see an exclamation mark (!), follow the on-screen steps to make the necessary adjustments to your settings.

Step 4: Turn off background data and battery restrictions

Android devices give you the option to restrict battery and data usage. When these settings are turned on, they can interfere with the accuracy of QuickBooks Self-Employed GPS mileage tracking.

The steps to turn off these settings vary depending on your Android device. Here’s some common steps for turning off these settings on Android devices. You can also check the support site of your device's manufacturer for details.

Turn off data saver settings

Each device will vary, but here’s some common steps to turn off the data saver setting so the app can run in the background:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Network & Internet.
3. Select Data Saver. Then select Unrestricted data.
4. Turn on the app or service you'd like to use mobile data while Data Saver is on.
   Or, here’s how to disable the data saver setting for Google (Pixel, Nexus, other), or Huawei devices.

Turn off battery saver settings

Each device will vary, but here’s some common steps to turn battery saver off so the app can run in the background:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Battery.
3. Turn off Battery saver.

Or, here’s how to disable battery saver settings for Google (Pixel, Nexus, etc) devices.

Turn off battery optimization settings

Each device will vary, but here’s some common steps to turn off battery optimization so the app can run in the background:

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap Apps & notifications and then select Advanced.
3. Tap Special app access and select Battery optimization.
4. If QuickBooks Self-Employed is listed for Optimizing battery usage, tap the app and then select Don’t optimize.
5. Then select Done.

Or, learn how to turn off battery optimization settings for Samsung 6, 7 and 8, Samsung 9 and above, or Huawei devices.

Step 5: Update the QuickBooks Self-Employed app

If you haven't already, update the app to the latest version. You can also use Google's steps to update your app.

1. On your device, open the Google Play store.
2. On the home screen, select the Menu ☰ icon.
3. Select My apps & games.
4. In the Updates tab, find and select the QuickBooks Self-Employed app. Note: if you don’t see the QuickBooks Self-Employed app in the Updates tab, your app is already up to date.
5. Select Update.

Step 6: Update your operating system

If you haven't already, update your phone or tablet to the latest version of Android OS.

Tips to keep your trips accurate

Here are some tips to keep in mind during work trips:

• When you start your trip, open and sign in to the QuickBooks Self-Employed app to ensure the app is running in the background.
• If your battery runs out or your phone restarts, open the QuickBooks Self-Employed app and sign in again. Follow "Step 4: Turn off background data and battery restrictions" to verify your settings are accurate.
• Be aware that if you're in stop-and-go traffic, the app may record multiple short trips instead of one trip.

Manually add or edit a trip

If you need to change or manually add a past trip, here's how to edit or add trips manually in the QuickBooks Self-Employed app.