Phone as presence sensor not triggering automations in new app

I just migrated to the new app a few days ago, and since I have, neither my iPhone (wife’s phone) nor my Galaxy S10 (mine) are properly triggering automations.

When I look in the IDE, I see both devices, and they are properly reporting activity. And I have an Automation configured to recognize either of them and trigger a scene. But it’s not working.

Any ideas?

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Same issue after migrating. Two iPhones used for presense have worked for years to trigger SHM arm and disarm, not anymore.

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I would recommend reporting it to support@smartthings.com.
If they don’t know about the issues it’s unlikely they will investigate and fix it.

There is one difference I have noted (and reported). In the new app automations with presence sensors, they tend to react to current state rather than an event. For example if the sensor is present it will trigger the automation immediately rather than when it arrives. In the Classic app, an arrival event meant just that, when a sensor arrives. In the new app it will trigger of it’s present rather than when it arrives. So that makes a difference on how automations work and especially if you have automations which depends on events rather than state (interlinked automations)

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But how frequently does it poll to determine the state and trigger the automation?

I have used cell for presence for years until the new app. No matter what I clear, reinstall (phone), delete from old app (all the ST support suggestions) etc. I find presence from a phone useless.
For the last year I have been using a virtual presence device which amalgates my phone and a real presence sensor in my current vehicle. The real presence wins everytime by up to 5 minutes. Sometimes my phone never arrives for hours but usually seems to leave ok.

I’m having the same issue…very frustrating with new app!

I’m having the same problem after upgrading with my OnePlus phone

The new SmartThings was working for me until about two weeks ago or so. Now I’m using a combination of both the old SmartThings Classic and new SmartThings app. Here’s my post about it.

Phone as a presence sensor does not work for me in the new SmartThings app. It worked well on the classic version.
I called tech support and they asked me to install the new app again - no luck.
Any ideas how to get the iPhone as presence sensor running? What am I missing?

I’m back to testing the performance of Life360.

Try to check the settings page of the new app. Under it check “Get your location from this phone” and make sure it enabled. You can delete and re add your phone presence from that page. Also check your mobile phone OS location settings are set to always for the new app.

When I submitted a ticket to support, they suggested first ensuring the “Get location from phone” setting is enabled, and then to change the geolocation, save the new (random) location, and then set it back to the desired location.

Doing both of those has not change it for me.

What phone and version of OS do you have?

I have a Galaxy S10 running Android 10 and an iPhone XS running iOS 13.

I just reset the Home location circle the other day too, but I haven’t went anywhere yet to see if it makes it work. So that doesn’t even help the new app either.

I still find it really funny that the old app can use the new app’s location as a presence sensor perfectly even though the new app doesn’t.

I just migrated recently as well after getting notice that Classic would be obsolete in October. I’m having the same issue with the mobile presence not triggering automations. Running on v2 hub and iOS. It’s quite frustrating as many said since the Classic app seems to correctly detect Present vs Away of our phones. Tried this a number of times and still can’t get it to trigger.

Anyone find a solution yet?

I’m back on Life360 after many years of Classic app cell presence. Doesn’t work well in the new app as it presents itself (events) in a different manner.
It’s free and seems to work fine. I use it in WebCore though and there have been some questions about it’s integration into the new app if you using the simpler Automations/Scenes.
I don’t use this part of the UI so search for threads on this.

I think I have the solution. Reboot the router and modem.
You may also want to reinstall the NEW app.
Re install the automations (credit goes to JKP) and it started working.

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Hi – I’m resending this, because I may have put my earlier response in the wrong section of the email (so it may not have been added to my support ticket)! Look forward to hearing from you … thanks so much.

Hi. Thanks for following up!

I am having a number of problems… here are the main ones.

Can you help me on each of these?

  1. Given that “Scenes” can no longer arm or disarm SHM Security, I want to add the three SHM commands (Arm Stay, Arm Away, Disarm) as widgets on my iPhone’s “Today View” screen … so I can quickly and easily control my security system without opening the app. I can’t figure out how to do that! I can only seem to add Scenes — but not SHM controls. Can you please advise how?

  2. I’m having difficulty using my family’s iPhones as presence sensors in the new app. I want to trigger automations when family members arrive or depart. So far, the iPhone presence has only worked (occasionally) in Automations using one of our four iPhones. (All settings in the new SmartThings app on each of those phones are definitely correct, and Location is set to “Always” for all of them in the iPhone settings.) I’ve done everything your instructions say to do, but I can’t get it to work. Can you help?

  3. Mobile phones apparently no longer appear as “Things” in the new app — which is really, really frustrating. (They did in the old/Classic app.). Now, there’s no way to tell if presence is working (see above) or to know who in my family is home or away. Am I missing something … is there some way to have an iPhone be a “Thing” and be able to see it’s location status (ie at home vs away)?

  4. When writing Automations that use iPhones arriving or departing as the trigger, I’m confused by the language used in the new app. The two options for my “If” statement when I create an Automation are “The member is at Home” or “The member isn’t at Home”. Do those actually mean the same as “arrived” and “departed”?? (I assume so?! But it’s not working for me!) The language is confusing, so I’m trying to figure out if I’m not understanding those descriptions correctly … when I’m having problems making arriving and departing iPhones trigger Automations.

  5. If not, then how do I create an Automation that uses an iPhone arriving or departing as the trigger?

  6. How do I add or delete Modes in the new app. I’ve found the list of Modes on the “Manage Location” screen — but can’t figure out how to delete any or create/add new ones.

  7. I’ve had to create many new Automations in the new app to replicate what my old app did. I’m having problems whenever an Automation makes a Mode change (ie one mode is a precondition, and then the Automation causes mode to change). I’ve been unable to get those to work correctly in the new app — so I’ve had to re-do everything without Mode changes. As a result, I’ve lost some great functionality compared to the Classic app. Are there tricks to making automated Mode changes work?

Any support or instructions you could provide on the above would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you,

Rob Sutherland

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Not sure if this helps anyone but just did the migration and realized my stay and away was not working. When into the new app “Automations” youll find one about people leaving or being back (probably) when you go into it an choose the people youll see that your phone is not check. Check it then save. For some reason it makes you choose a new name. Then I believe it is working. Also on iphone for some reason the app will not let you choose always allow on location. but if you go into iphone settings and find the app you can choose always allow