Migrating to new phone (phone presence not working)

Apps & Clients Android
1

OK. I got a new phone. Installed new app on it, enabled location tracking.

Now my new phone shows up as a “placeholder” device. What gives?

2

that is expected. placeholder is displayed for non-groovy devices

1 Like
3

Well, my old phone and my wife’s phone show up correctly. as Mobile Presence
As placeholder I don’t see important properties like presence.

4

Yes, that has changed in the new app. You no longer see a device for presence reflecting present/not present as you did with the Classic app. There is a work-around where you can create a simulated presence sensor and use automation to sync the data between the phone presence and that virtual devices.

5

Geez. So, how do I know it is working as a mobile presence sensor?

6

Easiest way is to set up your automations and add a push notification when the state of your presence occurs to test. Or use the simulated presence as noted above that would display the state.

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I guess I could set up a very simple routine based on it and see what happens. But man, that just seems super odd to me…

9

Yep… lots of users complaining about it

10

Sorry, this is a better thread on the current state of presence…

11

I had spent some time building a BTLE based presence detection mechanism using raspberry Pis located around the house. Maybe during a long cold winter I could resurrect that and see if I can improve it.

Though it doesn’t really work with phones since they don’t really broadcast their BTLE address unless they are pairing (I think). I did get something working for use with BTLE trackers though.

But thanks?

12

OK, so I went to adjust my routines (one for when anyone is home, and another when everyone leaves), but I can’t add my nw phone as a device. I presume that is just a consequence of it not really being a sensor of any kind.
Is there really no way for me to use it in a regular routine?
I do use action tiles, and I was able to add my phone (it actually sees it as a presence sensor). So, super confused.

13

For routines… I think you mean automations? Routines were only available in the Classic app and that is being phased out. In the new app, you would use automations and location should show in member location when setting the automation.

Here is the thread on STHM and ActionTiles.

14

Actually I didn’t need to do anything with action tiles, it recognized my new phone as a presence sensor like a champ.

yea, sorry meant automations in the new app. In my automation I am not able to add my phone as a device.

(already got STHM setup properly in ActionTiles, just trying to figure out how to use my phone as a presence sensor in an automation in the new app?)

15

Create automation…

If
Add condition
Member location

16

Oh, more awesomeness. You are right, that works for a new automation. But for my existing one it doesn’t have Member Location as an option.

So sounds like what I need to do is create new automations?

17

Yes, that works

18

(killing me softly)

Thanks for your help, wouldn’t have figured it out without your expertise!

19

Just hope presence works for you. Some users have had difficulties.

20

omg, yup, problems.

So, when creating a new automation, I can add both our member locations (wife and I). But when I go add devices (for my family who are represented with presence sensors managed by Life360) it gets funky.

I can add one. But when I try to add a second, it gets confused and doesn’t show it as a presence sensor. In fact it doesn’t seem to know what it is at all. Can’t add any one them. Even though they all already exist in my old automation.

Sheesh.