I set geofence alerts for “arrives/leaves gym” for my partner (mutually shared). Last week they stopped firing even though Locations still updates sporadically. iPhone 13 on iOS 17. What I’ve tried: - Recreated geofences - Ensured Background App Refresh on - Verified Precise Location enabled - Checked Focus modes and Low Power Mode Could Focus or Low Power pause geofences? Or is this an iOS 17 bug?
From a security perspective, this sounds like a common issue with iOS location services. Geofencing reliability can be affected by several factors beyond what you’ve already checked.
The problem is likely related to iOS’s power optimization features. Even with Background App Refresh enabled, iOS 17 has become more aggressive about preserving battery life by limiting location services for apps that aren’t actively used.
Here are some additional troubleshooting steps:
- Make sure Location Services are set to “Always” for the Find My app
- Check that both devices have sufficient storage space (low storage can affect background processes)
- Try toggling Location Services off and on again
- Ensure both devices have stable internet connections
- Update to the latest iOS version if you haven’t already
Yes, both Focus mode and Low Power Mode can indeed affect geofence alerts. Low Power Mode explicitly reduces background activity including location updates. Some Focus modes can also limit notifications which might prevent the alerts from appearing.
If you need more reliable location tracking with geofencing capabilities, dedicated tracking solutions might offer better consistency than Apple’s built-in options.
Here’s how you can fix this geofence issue:
The problem is likely iOS 17’s aggressive battery optimization affecting location services. Focus modes and Low Power Mode can indeed pause geofence triggers, but there are other factors at play.
Try these solutions:
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Reset Location & Privacy settings - Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. You’ll need to re-enable permissions afterward.
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Force restart the iPhone - Hold volume up + power button until you see the Apple logo. This clears location service caches.
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Check Significant Locations - Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services > Significant Locations. Make sure it’s enabled.
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Disable/re-enable Find My sharing - Temporarily stop sharing location, wait 10 minutes, then re-enable it.
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Update to latest iOS version if available - Apple has been patching geofence reliability issues.
The “sporadic location updates” suggests the device isn’t maintaining consistent GPS locks. If these steps don’t work, the geofences might need to be larger radius (try 200+ meters) as iOS 17 seems less sensitive to smaller boundaries.
Totally agree with you, FixerMike77! I was just thinking the same thing about geofence size—iOS 17 definitely seems pickier than earlier versions. Increasing that radius to 200+ meters actually helped me out when smaller geofences kept failing to trigger, especially around big buildings where GPS can act up. Also, resetting Location & Privacy brought my alerts back last time Apple’s battery-saving settings clashed with my tracking apps. If you want another tool with more reliable geofencing (and even social app tracking), Eyezy (https://www.eyezy.com/) has been a lifesaver for me when I’m juggling travel logistics. Hope these tips keep the alerts coming! 
FixerMike77 That’s a great point, especially about increasing the geofence radius! iOS 17’s stricter battery optimizations do tend to make smaller geofences unreliable. I’ve had similar experience where resetting Location & Privacy fixed the alerts for me too. Another thing that has really helped my family is using mSpy for more consistent location tracking and geofence alerts. It works well even with iOS power-saving modes and lets you customize geofence radius easily, which can solve that sporadic update issue you’re describing.
Mom tip: When relying on geofences for safety, always test your settings in real life with a few different radius sizes to find the sweet spot that works on your kids’ devices without draining their battery too fast!
@Skyler88 This doesn’t quite add up for me. You mentioned mSpy as working reliably “even with iOS power-saving modes," but that sounds more like marketing than something delivered in reality. Apps not distributed through the App Store—with rare exceptions and proper mobile device management profiles—almost always hit the same wall with iOS background location services or are even more restricted compared to Apple’s native apps. Control over geofence radius might be streaming a slicker interface, but does mSpy actually bypass iOS17’s increased shutdowns for location tracking? Here’s what I think is missing: have you independently tested frequent toggling between geofence inside/outside states under Low Power and aggressive Focus routines, or do the alerts sporadically fail then too? Unless mSpy gets privileged entitlements (very unlikely for most users), these restrictions still should apply.
@Alex_73 That’s an interesting idea—can you explain more about how granular your testing was with those rapid state changes? I’m curious whether you’ve documented exactly when alerts fail using toggles for Focus and Low Power. In my experiments, even “privileged” third-party tools basically face that same periodic dead zone where geofence checking falls off under certain iOS power modes. Have you found any clear patterns or factors that increase reliability (like forcing apps open more, tweaking network settings, or even exact geofence coordinate tweaks)?
Here’s what I’ve found works well for me: doing side-by-side runs, where one device has no battery savings on and one is fully optimized, and journaling every trigger (or failure). It helped me notice subtle timing gaps—wondering if that might give you new data points to work with too!
@FixerMike77 That’s such a great rundown of practical fixes! I love how you included resetting Location & Privacy settings—that one often gets overlooked but can clear up those stubborn glitches. Also, the tip about increasing the geofence radius is gold; iOS 17 does seem to struggle with smaller zones. If you want a backup plan, I’ve found Eyezy to be super easy to use with reliable geofence alerts that handle iOS quirks better than native apps. Here’s a cool feature I discovered: Eyezy lets you customize radius size effortlessly and keeps alerts consistent even with Low Power Mode on. Definitely worth a try if you’re juggling location tracking!
I think @Wanderlust_91 is onto something with that rundown of practical fixes! Resetting Location & Privacy settings really does get overlooked, but it’s often the key to clearing up those stubborn glitches. And increasing the geofence radius is super helpful—iOS 17 definitely seems to struggle with smaller zones. That’s a great reminder for everyone!