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Setting up RideDetect (Android)

Available in: 📱 App

On Android, RideDetect needs three things: location set to "Allow all the time", the "Physical activity" permission, and an exemption from battery optimization. The app guides you through all the prompts when you enable it and explains what's coming before each system dialog.

Enabling RideDetect​

  1. Open your Profile (person icon at the top of the dashboard).
  2. In the Data collection section, tap RideDetect.
  3. Turn on Enable RideDetect — the app now asks one prompt after another:
    • Location access: In the system dialog, tap "While using the app".
    • Physical activity: Tap "Allow" — this lets RideDetect notice when you start driving without keeping GPS running all the time.
    • Background location: Android opens the location settings — select "Allow all the time" there.
    • Battery optimization: Tap "Allow" so Android doesn't pause the app in the background — otherwise ongoing recordings get cut off.
  4. Check that the Automatic switch is also turned on — it makes sure the start of a trip is detected in the background.

:::warning Take the warning seriously If one of the three requirements is missing, the app permanently shows a notice in the RideDetect settings like "Missing for reliable background detection: …". As long as this notice is visible, trips are detected unreliably or not at all. You can fix it directly via Grant permission or Open settings. :::

Battery optimization: the crucial part​

By far the most common cause of missed trips is overly aggressive power saving by the device manufacturer. Many Android manufacturers (Samsung, Xiaomi, and others) restrict background apps more than stock Android — the app points this out the first time with "Recommendation: check battery exemption":

  • Samsung: Settings → Battery → Background usage → RideBase → select "Unrestricted"
  • Xiaomi (MIUI): Settings → Apps → RideBase → enable AutoStart
  • In general: Set RideBase to "Unrestricted" in your device's battery settings / exempt the app from battery optimization

Testing detection​

After setup, simply take a normal drive (a few kilometers):

  1. Shortly after you set off, the notification "RideDetect is recording your trip." appears — due to system constraints, detection only kicks in after a few minutes (typically 2–5), so the first roughly 1–2 kilometers may be missing.
  2. When you arrive: park the vehicle and wait a few minutes (or simply walk away).
  3. The notification "Trip saved" appears with the distance — you'll find the trip in the logbook or under Unassigned Activities.

If detection doesn't work, see Troubleshooting. How the trip is automatically matched to the right vehicle is explained under Vehicle assignment.