Applies to: Phone

A drive was not recorded

MileLedger's automatic drive detection requires Always location access, Background App Refresh, and the app to be running in the background. Several system conditions — force-quitting, Low Power Mode, or restricted location access — will prevent automatic recording. This guide covers every cause and fix.

Steps

  1. 1

    Check location access

    Go to Settings → MileLedger → Location. Confirm it is set to 'Always'. If it shows 'While Using', 'Never', or 'Ask Next Time', tap it and change to 'Always'. Also confirm 'Precise Location' is enabled.

  2. 2

    Check Background App Refresh

    Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh. Confirm Background App Refresh is on (the main toggle) and that MileLedger specifically is enabled in the list below.

  3. 3

    Confirm you have not force-quit the app

    MileLedger needs to be in the background — not force-quit — to detect drives automatically. Do not swipe MileLedger out of the app switcher. Simply press the Home button or swipe up to go home, leaving MileLedger running in the background.

  4. 4

    Disable Low Power Mode during work hours

    If your phone activates Low Power Mode automatically at 20% battery, consider charging your phone before long drives or disabling Low Power Mode in Settings → Battery while you need tracking to work.

  5. 5

    Check for a short-trip flag

    In the Drives tab, look for any entry from the time of the missed drive. Short trips may appear with a 'Short Trip' flag and be hidden from default views. Tap 'Show all' or check filters to see if the trip is listed but filtered out.

  6. 6

    Add the drive manually as a fallback

    If the drive was not recorded and automatic detection was not running, add it manually: tap the '+' button in the Drives tab, enter the date, distance, start and end location, vehicle, and categorization, then tap Save.

Why automatic tracking might miss a drive

Force-quit: if you swiped MileLedger out of the app switcher before or during the drive, iOS prevents the app from receiving background location updates. The app cannot record a trip it cannot detect. Re-open MileLedger before driving to ensure background processes are running.

Location access not set to 'Always': automatic detection requires location access set to 'Always Allow' in phone Settings. 'While Using' allows tracking only when MileLedger is visible on screen — as soon as you switch apps, tracking stops.

Background App Refresh disabled: if Background App Refresh is off for MileLedger, iOS prevents background processing, which is required for automatic trip detection.

Low Power Mode: when Low Power Mode is active, iOS aggressively throttles background activity. MileLedger may miss trip-start signals or fail to complete trip recording.

Airplane Mode: no location updates are processed when the device is in Airplane Mode, even if Wi-Fi is on.

Trip below minimum distance: trips shorter than approximately 0.5 miles (804 metres) are saved but may be excluded from standard reports. The drive may exist but not appear in the default view.

Expected results

  • Future automatic drives are captured once location access is set to 'Always' and Background App Refresh is enabled.
  • The missed drive is added manually and appears in the Drives tab.

Important notes

  • Automatic tracking cannot record drives retroactively. If a drive was missed, add it manually.
  • Always location access is required for background detection. MileLedger does not work as an automatic tracker with 'While Using' access.

Common problems

I have Always location access but drives are still missing.

Check Background App Refresh and confirm Low Power Mode was not active. Also check that Motion & Fitness access is granted: Settings → Privacy & Security → Motion & Fitness → MileLedger. This helps the app distinguish driving from walking.

The drive shows up but with a 'Needs Review' flag.

A 'Needs Review' flag means the drive was recorded but has a quality concern — low GPS accuracy, an interrupted session, or a possible duplicate. Review the drive details, correct the distance or location if needed, and save.

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Still stuck? Contact support or browse Troubleshooting.