Location Sharing¶

Vincenty tracks team members' positions in real-time on the map. This guide explains how location sharing works and how to manage it.

When you open the Map page, Vincenty requests access to your browser's Geolocation API.
If you grant permission, your position is sent via WebSocket to the Vincenty API.
The API records your location in the location_history table and broadcasts it to all group members with read permission.
Other users see your marker move on their map in real-time.

Browser Permission¶

The first time you visit the Map page, your browser will ask for location permission. You must allow this for location sharing to work.

Chrome/Edge: Click "Allow" in the permission popup
Firefox: Click "Allow Location Access"
Safari: Click "Allow" or "Allow While Using App"

If you previously denied permission, you can re-enable it in your browser's site settings.

Track My Location Button¶

On the map, click the crosshair icon (Track my location) in the right toolbar to: - Center the map on your current position - Begin actively sharing your location

Location Update Frequency¶

Location updates are throttled to prevent excessive network traffic. The default interval is 1 second between updates, configurable via the WS_LOCATION_THROTTLE environment variable.

When your position changes, the browser's Geolocation API provides: - Latitude and longitude - Altitude (if available) - Heading (compass direction, if moving) - Speed (if moving) - Accuracy (estimated error radius in meters)

Who Can See Your Location¶

Your location is visible to: - Group members with read permission in any group you share - Administrators who can see all user locations across all groups

You can only see locations of users who are in the same group(s) as you (unless you are an admin).

Location History¶

Every location update is stored in the database with a timestamp. This history enables:

Replay¶

Open the Replay panel on the map to play back location history for any time range. See Using the Map > Replaying Location History.

GPX Export¶

Export your own location history as a GPX file: 1. Open the Replay panel 2. Select a time range 3. Click Export GPX

The GPX file can be opened in mapping applications like Google Earth, QGIS, or Garmin BaseCamp.

Activity Log¶

Your location data is also recorded in the audit trail when you perform API actions, providing a spatial context for your activity.

Privacy Considerations¶

Location sharing only works while you have the Map page open and the browser tab is active
Closing the browser tab stops location sharing
Your location is only visible to members of your groups (not to all users on the system, unless the viewer is an admin)
Location history is retained indefinitely -- contact your administrator about data retention policies
The WS_LOCATION_THROTTLE setting controls how frequently updates are sent (minimum 1-second interval by default)

Troubleshooting¶

Issue	Solution
No location marker shown for me	Check that you granted browser location permission. Look for a location icon in your browser's address bar.
Location seems inaccurate	GPS accuracy depends on your device. Desktop browsers using Wi-Fi may be less accurate than phones with GPS.
Location not updating	Make sure the Map page is open and the browser tab is in the foreground. Check the connection status indicator.
Others can't see my location	Verify you are a member of a shared group with write permission.