PearCircle

PearCircle shares your live location with your circles. For that to keep working when you put the phone in your pocket, the OS needs permission to run PearCircle in the background and to read location while the app is not in the foreground.

Two permissions matter:

• Background location. Permission for the app to read GPS when the screen is off.
• Battery optimization whitelist. Permission to keep the PearCircle service alive instead of putting it to sleep.

Without both, your pin goes stale as soon as you leave the app.

On first launch, PearCircle explains why background location is needed before the system dialog appears. Choose Always when prompted.

If you previously chose "While Using" or denied:

1. Open Settings, then PearCircle.
2. Tap Location.
3. Set to Always.
4. Enable Precise Location.

iOS will occasionally ask you to confirm that you still want PearCircle to use background location. Tap "Always Allow" when this appears, otherwise iOS silently downgrades to foreground-only.

Focus modes and Low Power Mode can suppress background activity. If sharing stutters, check whether a Focus or Low Power is on.

On first launch, PearCircle explains why background location is needed before the system dialog appears.

1. When prompted, choose Allow all the time.
2. Enable Use precise location in the same dialog.

If you previously declined, open Settings, Apps, PearCircle, Permissions, Location and set to "Allow all the time" with precise location enabled. PearCircle shows an in-app banner that deep-links to this screen.

Many Android phones aggressively stop background apps to save battery. If PearCircle keeps going to sleep, exclude it from battery optimization:

• Stock Android and Pixel. Settings, Apps, PearCircle, Battery, Unrestricted.
• Samsung (One UI). Settings, Apps, PearCircle, Battery, set to Unrestricted. Also check Device care, Battery, Background usage limits and remove PearCircle from Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps.
• Xiaomi, Redmi, POCO (MIUI or HyperOS). Settings, Apps, Manage apps, PearCircle, Battery saver, No restrictions. Then enable Autostart for PearCircle under Settings, Apps, Permissions, Autostart.
• OnePlus, Oppo, Realme (ColorOS). Settings, Battery, Battery optimization, PearCircle, Don't optimize. Also check Settings, Apps, Auto launch and enable PearCircle.
• Huawei. Settings, Apps, PearCircle, Battery, Launch, turn off Manage automatically and enable all three auto options.

After changing these settings, reboot the device and confirm your pin keeps updating on another circle member's map while PearCircle is in the background.

The quickest end to end test:

1. Open PearCircle and confirm the foreground service notification (Android) or the blue location indicator (iOS) is present.
2. Lock the screen and walk around the block.
3. Ask another circle member to open the map. Your pin should update during the walk, not jump only when you reopen the app.

If your pin only updates when PearCircle is foregrounded, return to the permission and battery steps above. A reboot after changing battery whitelist settings is often required for the change to take effect.

Email peerloomllc@proton.me or open a GitHub issue. Include your device model, OS version and the settings you have already tried.