# Using iphone 6 as Presence Senson

**URL:** <https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226>\
**Category:** General Discussion\
**Tags:** uncategorized\
**Created:** [September 27, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226 "2015-09-27T23:24:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Yustos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f0a364/32.png) [@Yustos](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Yustos)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2015, 11:24pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226/1 "2015-09-27T23:24:36Z")

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Hello,

I am new to this. I just bought the Smartthings Hub2, bought a couple of Wemo switch lights and a couple of Aeotec micro smart switches. I love the whole thing and look forward to adding stuff…

I tried to configure the Wemo switches in the Living Room to turn on when I enter using my iphone 6 as a presence sensor and it does not work. I see that others have had similar problems.

Any thoughts or detailed specific steps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![chuckles](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/chuckles/32/12146_2.png) [@chuckles](https://community.smartthings.com/u/chuckles)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226/2 "2015-09-28T14:05:28Z")

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When you say _“when I enter”_, do you mean when you enter your home, or when you enter the room?

Using a mobile device as a presence sensor by itself will not give you the location accuracy needed to track your movements from room to room. You would need another technology such as iBeacons to do that.

Refer to this thread if you want to explore iBeacons with SmartThings:

> [@BeaconThings - Beacons and SmartThings](https://community.smartthings.com/t/beaconthings-beacons-and-smartthings/20441):
>
> We’ve released another iOS app called [BeaconThings](http://beaconthingsapp.com)! This app allows you to easily integrate iBeacons into your SmartThings smart home. Here’s how it works: You place iBeacons throughout your home/office/wherever (we like [these beacons from Radius Networks](http://www.amazon.com/Radius-Networks-RadBeacon-USB-Technology/dp/B00JI69JZY/ref=as_sl_pc_ss_til?tag=smart0abd-20&linkCode=w01&linkId=W5HKBOGGMLYZTJIP&creativeASIN=B00JI69JZY)) Use BeaconThings to register these beacons with SmartThings. They work just like presence sensors. The app sends updates to SmartThings when it enters/leaves the range of those beacons. Everything happens in the background. Once the beacons are registered, you never open BeaconThings again! Create SmartApps or [SmartRules](http://smartrulesapp.com) to make your home take actions based on these beacons. The first version of the app is available now on the App Store. This version searches for beacons with a pre-defined UUID. After discussions with early users, we …

By itself, the iPhone 6 as a presence sensor should be able to track whether you are home or not (or at least within close proximity to your home, though people have varying degrees of success with this). But don’t expect it to track where in your home you are.

Adding iBeacons should dramatically improve both situations, however. It should track whether you are home or not very, very well and, with enough iBeacons set up with appropriate power levels, be able to track your presence (or perhaps more accurately, your phone’s presence) from room to room.

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**Author:** ![Yustos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f0a364/32.png) [@Yustos](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Yustos)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 11:59am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226/3 "2015-09-29T11:59:42Z")

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Thanks Chuckles. The issue is fixed. I found the hub recognizes the iphone as away only after I have driven about 1/2 mile from my house, not just outside my house or at the end of the street. But at least it is working. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![chuckles](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/smartthings/user_avatar/community.smartthings.com/chuckles/32/12146_2.png) [@chuckles](https://community.smartthings.com/u/chuckles)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226/4 "2015-10-01T09:53:28Z")

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Note that you can change the size of the area around your location within which you are considered to be “present” or “home”.

1. In the mobile app, from the “three buttons menu” (top right), select  
" **My Locations**"

2. Tap the little “gear” icon in the top right corner of the photo for  
the relevant location.

3. Amongst the settings for the location is a small map. The red circle  
is the area within which you are considered to be “present”.

4. Tap on the circle to change to a full-screen map. A black dot will  
also appear on the circuference of the red circle together with a  
black dotted radius line.

5. You can move the center of the circle (the red pin) by long-pressing  
somewhere on the map (if you want to move the pin to somewhere else  
already inside the circle then you may need to first move the pin  
further away (outside the circle) then move it back to where you  
want it.

6. You can drag the black dot to change the radius of the circle  
(though there is a minimum radius - approx. 495 feet).

7. Once the circle represents the area you want (where you should be  
considered “present” or “home”), tap the “ **Save** ” option (top right).

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**Author:** ![Yustos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/f0a364/32.png) [@Yustos](https://community.smartthings.com/u/Yustos)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.smartthings.com/t/using-iphone-6-as-presence-senson/24226/5 "2015-10-01T12:00:03Z")

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Thanks Chuck! I just did that, let’s see what it does. There seem to be a minimum circle radius of 500 feet that you can’t go smaller. Thanks a lot 🙂
