Background Geolocation

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A Capacitor plugin for accurate background location tracking and native geofencing on iOS and Android. Use it to stream precise location updates, monitor circular geofence regions, react to enter/exit events in JavaScript, and POST geofence transitions natively while the WebView is suspended.

Features

Accurate foreground and background geolocation without a paid license.
Native geofencing on iOS and Android for circular regions.
Enter and exit events through geofenceTransition while the app is alive.
Native webhook delivery for geofence transitions when the WebView is suspended.
A web fallback for development and browser-based testing.

This plugin's history

Interestingly enough, this plugin has a lot of history. The initial solution from Transistorsoft was a great piece of software, and I (HarelM) encourage using it if it fits your needs.
I tried it and understood that it prioritizes battery life over accuracy, which wasn't the right fit for my hiking app.
There was a very good fork maintained by mauron85 specifically for that use case, and I was happy to help maintain it.
But at some point, mauron85 stopped responding to messages on GitHub, and no one could continue maintaining it.
I hope mauron85 is safe and sound somewhere.

So I created a fork and started maintaining it here.
It served me well for over half a decade, but I felt it was hard to maintain due to all its history, features, and bug fixes.
I also felt like there was a barrier to introducing new features because of its complexity.

So I started exploring what it would take to reduce that complexity—at the same time, I was envious of how small @capacitor-community/background-geolocation is.
I took the best of both worlds: tried to reduce the codebase in the original Cordova plugin and add some robustness to the Capacitor plugin.

That's how I ended up maintaining this one.
I hope you'll enjoy it!

Plugin comparison

A short comparison between the three main background-geolocation plugins commonly used in Capacitor apps.

Plugin	Accuracy	Background	Geofencing	Native transition POST	Pricing
`@capacitor-community/background-geolocation` (Community)	Not accurate	Yes	No	No	Free
`@capgo/background-geolocation` (this plugin)	Accurate	Yes	iOS and Android	Yes, for geofence transitions	Free
Transistorsoft (original)	Accurate	Yes	Yes	Yes, built-in HTTP uploader	Paid

Notes:

The Community plugin is lightweight and continues to work in the background, but it is known to be less accurate than the options below.
This Cap-go plugin aims to provide accurate location fixes, reliable background operation, and native geofence enter/exit handling without requiring a paid license.
Native geofence POST delivery is useful when iOS or Android wakes native code for a region transition but the Capacitor WebView is not running.
Transistorsoft's plugin is a mature, accurate solution that also includes a broader HTTP uploader. It is a commercial product and requires a paid license for full use.

Usage

import { BackgroundGeolocation } from "@capgo/background-geolocation";

BackgroundGeolocation.start(
    {
        backgroundMessage: "Cancel to prevent battery drain.",
        backgroundTitle: "Tracking You.",
        requestPermissions: true,
        stale: false,
        distanceFilter: 50
    },
    (location, error) => {
        if (error) {
            if (error.code === "NOT_AUTHORIZED") {
                if (window.confirm(
                    "This app needs your location, " +
                    "but does not have permission.\n\n" +
                    "Open settings now?"
                )) {
                    // It can be useful to direct the user to their device's
                    // settings when location permissions have been denied. The
                    // plugin provides the 'openSettings' method to do exactly
                    // this.
                    BackgroundGeolocation.openSettings();
                }
            }
            return console.error(error);
        }
        return console.log(location);
    }
).then(() => {
    // When location updates are no longer needed, the plugin should be stopped by calling
    BackgroundGeolocation.stop();
});

// Set a planned route to get a notification sound when a new location arrives and it's not on the route:
        
BackgroundGeolocation.setPlannedRoute({soundFile: "assets/myFile.mp3", route: [[1,2], [3,4]], distance: 30 });

Native geofencing

Use native geofencing when you need lightweight location boundaries such as stores, job sites, delivery zones, campuses, or check-in areas. The plugin monitors geofences natively and emits JavaScript events while the app is active. Android background delivery is optional and only requested when you opt in.

import { BackgroundGeolocation } from "@capgo/background-geolocation";

// Geofencing can notify JavaScript while the app is alive.
await BackgroundGeolocation.setupGeofencing({
    notifyOnEntry: true,
    notifyOnExit: true,
    payload: { userId: "123" }
});

await BackgroundGeolocation.addGeofence({
    identifier: "office",
    latitude: 37.33182,
    longitude: -122.03118,
    radius: 150
});

const handle = await BackgroundGeolocation.addListener(
    "geofenceTransition",
    (event) => console.log(event.identifier, event.transition)
);

await BackgroundGeolocation.removeGeofence({ identifier: "office" });
handle.remove();

Android background geofence permission

The plugin does not add ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION by default and does not request it unless you explicitly opt in. Apps that only use foreground location can omit this permission.

Opt in only when you need Android geofence transitions while the app is in the background:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION" />

await BackgroundGeolocation.setupGeofencing({
    url: "https://api.example.com/geofences",
    backgroundLocation: true
});

// If you just want the current location, try something like this. The longer
// the timeout, the more accurate the guess will be. I wouldn't go below about 100ms.
function guessLocation(callback, timeout) {
    let last_location;
    BackgroundGeolocation.start(
        {
            requestPermissions: false,
            stale: true
        },
        (location) => {
            last_location = location || undefined;
        }
    ).then(() => {
        setTimeout(() => {
            callback(last_location);
            BackgroundGeolocation.stop();
        }, timeout);
    });
}

Documentation

The most complete doc is available here: https://capgo.app/docs/plugins/background-geolocation/

Compatibility

Plugin version	Capacitor compatibility	Maintained
v8..	v8..	✅
v7..	v7..	On demand
v6..	v6..	❌
v5..	v5..	❌

Note: The major version of this plugin follows the major version of Capacitor. Use the version that matches your Capacitor installation (e.g., plugin v8 for Capacitor 8). Only the latest major version is actively maintained.

Installation

This plugin supports Capacitor v8:

Capacitor	Plugin
v8	v8

bun add @capgo/background-geolocation
bunx cap update

iOS

Add the following keys to Info.plist.:

<dict>
  ...
  <key>NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
  <string>We need to track your location</string>
  <key>NSLocationAlwaysAndWhenInUseUsageDescription</key>
  <string>We need to track your location while your device is locked.</string>
  <key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
  <array>
    <string>location</string>
  </array>
  ...
</dict>

Android

Set the the android.useLegacyBridge option to true in your Capacitor configuration. This prevents location updates halting after 5 minutes in the background. See https://capacitorjs.com/docs/config and capacitor-community/background-geolocation#89.

On Android 13+, the app needs the POST_NOTIFICATIONS runtime permission to show the persistent notification informing the user that their location is being used in the background. This runtime permission is requested after the location permission is granted.

For background geofencing on Android 10+, the app also needs ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION and backgroundLocation: true in setupGeofencing(). Android may require the user to grant this from system settings after foreground location is granted; use openSettings() if the permission remains denied. Leave backgroundLocation unset or false if your app does not have Google Play approval for Android background location.

If your app forwards location updates to a server in real time, be aware that after 5 minutes in the background Android will throttle HTTP requests initiated from the WebView. The solution is to use a native HTTP plugin such as CapacitorHttp. See capacitor-community/background-geolocation#14.

Configuration specific to Android can be made in strings.xml:

<resources>
    <!--
        The channel name for the background notification. This will be visible
        when the user presses & holds the notification. It defaults to
        "Background Tracking".
    -->
    <string name="capacitor_background_geolocation_notification_channel_name">
        Background Tracking
    </string>

    <!--
        The icon to use for the background notification. Note the absence of a
        leading "@". It defaults to "mipmap/ic_launcher", the app's launch icon.

        If a raster image is used to generate the icon (as opposed to a vector
        image), it must have a transparent background. To make sure your image
        is compatible, select "Notification Icons" as the Icon Type when
        creating the image asset in Android Studio.

        An incompatible image asset will cause the notification to misbehave in
        a few telling ways, even if the icon appears correctly:

          - The notification may be dismissable by the user when it should not
            be.
          - Tapping the notification may open the settings, not the app.
          - The notification text may be incorrect.
    -->
    <string name="capacitor_background_geolocation_notification_icon">
        drawable/ic_tracking
    </string>

    <!--
        The color of the notification as a string parseable by
        android.graphics.Color.parseColor. Optional.
    -->
    <string name="capacitor_background_geolocation_notification_color">
        yellow
    </string>
</resources>

Main plugin interface for background geolocation functionality. Provides methods to manage location updates and access device settings.

start(...)

start(options: StartOptions, callback: (position?: Location | undefined, error?: CallbackError | undefined) => void) => Promise<void>

To start listening for changes in the device's location, call this method. A Promise is returned to indicate that it finished the call. The callback will be called every time a new location is available, or if there was an error when calling this method. Don't rely on promise rejection for this.

Param	Type	Description
`options`	`StartOptions`	The configuration options
`callback`	`(position?: Location, error?: CallbackError) => void`	The callback function invoked when a new location is available or an error occurs

Since: 7.0.9

stop()

stop() => Promise<void>

Stops location updates.

Since: 7.0.9

openSettings()

openSettings() => Promise<void>

Opens the device's location settings page. Useful for directing users to enable location services or adjust permissions.

Since: 7.0.0

setPlannedRoute(...)

setPlannedRoute(options: SetPlannedRouteOptions) => Promise<void>

Plays a sound file when the user deviates from the planned route. This should be used to play a sound (in the background too, only for native).

Param	Type	Description
`options`	`SetPlannedRouteOptions`	The options for setting the planned route and sound file

Since: 7.0.11

setupGeofencing(...)

setupGeofencing(options: GeofenceSetupOptions) => Promise<void>

Configures native geofence transition handling.

Call this before adding geofences when you need default entry/exit settings or native background POSTs. Android background POSTs require backgroundLocation: true.

Param	Type	Description
`options`	`GeofenceSetupOptions`	The geofence configuration options

Since: 8.0.30

addGeofence(...)

addGeofence(options: AddGeofenceOptions) => Promise<void>

Starts monitoring a circular native geofence.

Param	Type	Description
`options`	`AddGeofenceOptions`	The geofence region options

Since: 8.0.30

removeGeofence(...)

removeGeofence(options: RemoveGeofenceOptions) => Promise<void>

Stops monitoring one geofence.

Param	Type	Description
`options`	`RemoveGeofenceOptions`	The geofence identifier

Since: 8.0.30

removeAllGeofences()

removeAllGeofences() => Promise<void>

Stops monitoring every geofence registered by this plugin.

Since: 8.0.30

getMonitoredGeofences()

getMonitoredGeofences() => Promise<MonitoredGeofencesResult>

Lists the geofence identifiers currently monitored by this plugin.

Returns: Promise<MonitoredGeofencesResult>

Since: 8.0.30

addListener('geofenceTransition', ...)

addListener(eventName: 'geofenceTransition', listenerFunc: (event: GeofenceTransitionEvent) => void) => Promise<PluginListenerHandle>

Listens for geofence enter/exit transitions while the WebView is alive.

Native url delivery configured through setupGeofencing is used for background-safe delivery.

Param	Type
`eventName`	`'geofenceTransition'`
`listenerFunc`	`(event: GeofenceTransitionEvent) => void`

Returns: Promise<PluginListenerHandle>

Since: 8.0.30

addListener('geofenceError', ...)

addListener(eventName: 'geofenceError', listenerFunc: (event: GeofenceErrorEvent) => void) => Promise<PluginListenerHandle>

Listens for native geofence monitoring errors while the WebView is alive.

Param	Type
`eventName`	`'geofenceError'`
`listenerFunc`	`(event: GeofenceErrorEvent) => void`

Returns: Promise<PluginListenerHandle>

Since: 8.0.30

getPluginVersion()

getPluginVersion() => Promise<{ version: string; }>

Get the native Capacitor plugin version

Returns: Promise<{ version: string; }>

Interfaces

StartOptions

The options for configuring for location updates.

Prop	Type	Description	Default	Since
`backgroundMessage`	`string`	If the "backgroundMessage" option is defined, the plugin will provide location updates whether the app is in the background or the foreground. If it is not defined, location updates are only guaranteed in the foreground. This is true on both platforms. On Android, a notification must be shown to continue receiving location updates in the background. This option specifies the text of that notification.		7.0.9
`backgroundTitle`	`string`	The title of the notification mentioned above.	`"Using your location"`	7.0.9
`requestPermissions`	`boolean`	Whether permissions should be requested from the user automatically, if they are not already granted.	`true`	7.0.9
`stale`	`boolean`	If "true", stale locations may be delivered while the device obtains a GPS fix. You are responsible for checking the "time" property. If "false", locations are guaranteed to be up to date.	`false`	7.0.9
`distanceFilter`	`number`	The distance in meters that the device must move before a new location update is triggered. This is used to filter out small movements and reduce the number of updates.	`0`	7.0.9

Location

Represents a geographical location with various attributes. Contains all the standard location properties returned by GPS/network providers.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`latitude`	`number`	Latitude in degrees. Range: -90.0 to +90.0	7.0.0
`longitude`	`number`	Longitude in degrees. Range: -180.0 to +180.0	7.0.0
`accuracy`	`number`	Radius of horizontal uncertainty in metres, with 68% confidence. Lower values indicate more accurate location.	7.0.0
`altitude`	`number \| null`	Metres above sea level (or null if not available).	7.0.0
`altitudeAccuracy`	`number \| null`	Vertical uncertainty in metres, with 68% confidence (or null if not available).	7.0.0
`simulated`	`boolean`	`true` if the location was simulated by software, rather than GPS. Useful for detecting mock locations in development or testing.	7.0.0
`bearing`	`number \| null`	Deviation from true north in degrees (or null if not available). Range: 0.0 to 360.0	7.0.0
`speed`	`number \| null`	Speed in metres per second (or null if not available).	7.0.0
`time`	`number \| null`	Time the location was produced, in milliseconds since the unix epoch. Use this to check if a location is stale when using stale: true.	7.0.0

CallbackError

Error object that may be passed to the location start callback. Extends the standard Error with optional error codes.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`code`	`string`	Optional error code for more specific error handling.	7.0.0

SetPlannedRouteOptions

Prop	Type	Description	Default	Since
`soundFile`	`string`	The name of the sound file to play. Must be a valid sound relative path in the app's public folder to work for both web and native platforms. There's no need to include the public folder in the path.		7.0.10
`route`	`[number, number][]`	The planned route as an array of longitude and latitude pairs. Each pair represents a point on the route. This is used to define a route that the user can follow. The route is used to play a sound when the user deviates from it.		7.0.11
`distance`	`number`	The distance in meters that the user must deviate from the planned route to trigger the sound. This is used to determine how far off the route the user can be before the sound is played. If not specified, a default value of 50 meters is used.	`50`	7.0.11

GeofenceSetupOptions

Options for configuring native geofence transition handling.

When url is provided, native code can send a JSON POST whenever a monitored region is entered or exited. Android background POST delivery requires backgroundLocation: true.

Prop	Type	Description	Default	Since
`url`	`string`	Endpoint that receives geofence transition payloads. On Android, native background POST delivery requires `backgroundLocation: true`.		8.0.30
`notifyOnEntry`	`boolean`	Whether entry transitions should be monitored.	`true`	8.0.30
`notifyOnExit`	`boolean`	Whether exit transitions should be monitored.	`true`	8.0.30
`payload`	`Record<string, unknown>`	Base JSON payload merged into every native transition POST and listener event.		8.0.30
`requestPermissions`	`boolean`	Whether the plugin should request the native location permission needed for geofencing. iOS geofencing needs Always location authorization. Android geofencing requests foreground location by default. Android background location is only requested when `backgroundLocation` is enabled.	`true`	8.0.30
`backgroundLocation`	`boolean`	Whether Android geofencing should opt into background location permission. The plugin does not add `ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION` to your app manifest. Leave this disabled if your app does not have Google Play approval for Android background location. Enable it only after adding `ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION` to your app manifest and when you need Android geofence transitions while the app is in the background. This option only affects Android. Android versions below 10 do not request an extra background-location runtime permission, but the option still gates native Android background geofence delivery.	`false`	8.0.34

AddGeofenceOptions

A circular geofence region.

Prop	Type	Description	Default	Since
`latitude`	`number`	Latitude in degrees for the region center.		8.0.30
`longitude`	`number`	Longitude in degrees for the region center.		8.0.30
`radius`	`number`	Region radius in meters.	`50`	8.0.30
`identifier`	`string`	Stable identifier for the geofence.		8.0.30
`notifyOnEntry`	`boolean`	Overrides the setup-level entry setting for this region.		8.0.30
`notifyOnExit`	`boolean`	Overrides the setup-level exit setting for this region.		8.0.30
`payload`	`Record<string, unknown>`	Region-specific payload merged over the setup payload.		8.0.30

RemoveGeofenceOptions

Options for removing a monitored geofence.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`identifier`	`string`	Identifier passed to `addGeofence`.	8.0.30

MonitoredGeofencesResult

Result returned when listing monitored geofences.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`regions`	`string[]`	Identifiers for all geofences currently monitored by this plugin.	8.0.30

PluginListenerHandle

Prop	Type
`remove`	`() => Promise<void>`

GeofenceTransitionEvent

Event emitted when a monitored geofence is entered or exited.

The same data is also sent to the configured url, when one is set.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`identifier`	`string`	Identifier of the geofence that changed state.	8.0.30
`transition`	`'enter' \| 'exit'`	Transition name.	8.0.30
`enter`	`boolean`	`true` for entry transitions, `false` for exit transitions.	8.0.30
`latitude`	`number`	Latitude in degrees for the monitored region center, when available.	8.0.30
`longitude`	`number`	Longitude in degrees for the monitored region center, when available.	8.0.30
`radius`	`number`	Region radius in meters, when available.	8.0.30
`payload`	`Record<string, unknown>`	Merged setup and region payload.	8.0.30

GeofenceErrorEvent

Event emitted when native geofence monitoring fails.

Prop	Type	Description	Since
`identifier`	`string`	Identifier of the geofence that failed, when native APIs provide it.	8.0.30
`code`	`number`	Native platform error code.	8.0.30
`message`	`string`	Native platform error message.	8.0.30
`domain`	`string`	Native error domain, when available.	8.0.30

Type Aliases

Record

Construct a type with a set of properties K of type T

{ [P in K]: T; }

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 356 Commits
.github		.github
android		android
example-app		example-app
ios		ios
scripts		scripts
src		src
.cz.toml		.cz.toml
.eslintignore		.eslintignore
.gitignore		.gitignore
.prettierignore		.prettierignore
AGENTS.md		AGENTS.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
CapgoBackgroundGeolocation.podspec		CapgoBackgroundGeolocation.podspec
LICENSE		LICENSE
Package.swift		Package.swift
README.md		README.md
bun.lock		bun.lock
package.json		package.json
renovate.json		renovate.json
rollup.config.mjs		rollup.config.mjs
tsconfig.json		tsconfig.json

Plugin version	Capacitor compatibility	Maintained
v8..	v8..	✅
v7..	v7..	On demand
v6..	v6..	❌
v5..	v5..	❌

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Background Geolocation

➡️ Get Instant updates for your App with Capgo

Missing a feature? We’ll build the plugin for you 💪

Features

This plugin's history

Plugin comparison

Usage

Native geofencing

Android background geofence permission

Documentation

Compatibility

Installation

iOS

Android

API

start(...)

stop()

openSettings()

setPlannedRoute(...)

setupGeofencing(...)

addGeofence(...)

removeGeofence(...)

removeAllGeofences()

getMonitoredGeofences()

addListener('geofenceTransition', ...)

addListener('geofenceError', ...)

getPluginVersion()

Interfaces

StartOptions

Location

CallbackError

SetPlannedRouteOptions

GeofenceSetupOptions

AddGeofenceOptions

RemoveGeofenceOptions

MonitoredGeofencesResult

PluginListenerHandle

GeofenceTransitionEvent

GeofenceErrorEvent

Type Aliases

Record

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