Life360 Shows Walking Instead of Driving [Solved]

You’ve been trying to monitor someone’s driving speed with the Life360 app, but the app keeps saying they’re walking. Yet you’re sure that they’re still driving.

If this sounds like you, then you want to keep reading as I’ll explain why this happens and how to fix the issue.

When Life360 shows walking instead of driving, it’s often because you and the driver haven’t activated Driver Detection Mode on the app. Once both of you enable Driver Detection Mode on your apps, Life360 should change the action from Walking to Driving.

Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to resolve this issue.

Table of Contents

How to Troubleshoot Life360 Shows Walking Instead of Driving

Enable Driver Detection Mode on Life360

The most common reason why Life360 shows walking instead of driving is an inactive Driver Detection Mode. Life360 app uses Driver Detection Mode to recognize when a user is driving. So, if you or the driver haven’t enabled this option, the app will keep showing that they are walking when they’re driving.

To fix this issue, you and the person you’re monitoring must activate Driver Detection Mode on your Life360 apps. Here’s how to do that:

Wait for Five Minutes

For Life360 to identify the drive, the driver must be over 850m away from you. If you open the app as soon as the person you’re monitoring drives off, Life360 might show walking instead of driving.

Wait about five minutes for the driver to reach 850m in distance. Then, check the app again.

Is your Life360 still showing walking? If so, try the next tip.

Wait or Ask the Driver to Increase Their Speed

Life360 differentiates driving from walking by studying the speed. If a person’s driving speed is less than 15mph, the app will think they’re walking.

You may have to wait until the person increases their speed to over 15mph or call and ask them to do that. This should resolve the problem.

However, if Life360 doesn’t show Driving after this, continue to the next tip.

Check and Turn Off Battery Saver Mode on Your Phone

Remember when I mention that Life360 needs Driver Detection Mode to recognize driving? Unfortunately, Driver Detection Mode isn’t compatible with Battery Saver Mode.

Study the top of your screen to check if your Battery Saver Mode is on. If it is, pull down the Shortcuts tab and turn off your battery saver.

Check Your Network Signal

Driver Detection Mode must be one of the most powerful options on Life360. In addition to needing a manual activation and high battery power, it also requires an internet connection.

If your Life360 app is showing Walking instead of Driving, you might have a poor network signal. It could also be that the driver’s GPS is low (under two bars).

Check if your signal strength is low. If it is, move to a location with a stronger signal.

Then, ask the driver to check their GPS. If their GPS is under two bars, you’ll have to wait until the signal improves.

Once the internet connection on both sides is restored, try tracking the driver again.

Life360 should say they’re driving now.

Check if the Driver is On a Phone Call

If the driver is on a phone call, Life360 may say that they’re walking. As we’ve said earlier, Driver Detection Mode requires a stable internet connection.

That said, a phone call often disables network signals. This restricts access to the Driver Detection Mode on Life360. Since the app can’t tell that they’re driving, it will assume that the driver is walking.

If Life360 keeps saying Walking when you’re tracking someone who’s driving, the driver might be making a phone call. You can call their number to confirm this. If their phone number is busy, you’ll have to wait until the call ends to monitor the drive.

Clear Your App Cache

If the cache in your Life360 app is overloaded, it can cause the app to display the wrong action.

As you keep using your Life360 app, the app stores all your usage data in its cache until it is full. An overloaded cache often causes the app to malfunction.

As such, Life360 may fail to detect a member’s action correctly.

To resolve this problem, you’ll need to delete the cache in the app.

Follow these steps to clear your Life360 app cache:

For Android Phones

Open your Settings app.
Click on Apps or App Manager.
Search for Life360 on the list.
Then, click on the app.
Now, tap the Clear Cache button to delete the cache on your Life360.

iPhones

Open your Settings app.
Select General.
Then, click on iPhone Storage.
A list of apps will appear.
Scroll through the list until you find Life360.
Tap the app and swipe to the left.
Finally, click on Offload App to clear the app cache.

Update Your Life360 App

Did you apply all the tips above without any positive results? Then, there might be a bug in the Life360 app.

This causes the app to misbehave and show incorrect actions. Sometimes, it might even fail to locate a user.

The only way to maintain the app’s functionality is to update it regularly.

Take these steps to update your Life360 app:

Open Play Store or AppStore.
Enter Life360 in the search bar.
Then, click on the app in the search results.
You’ll be directed to the Life360 Download page.
Tap on the Update button to update the app.

Wrapping Up

If you apply the tips above correctly, Life360 will show Driving. However, if the app still indicates that the person you’re monitoring is walking, you might need to contact the Life360 Support team for further assistance.

Life360 Shows Walking Instead of Driving [Solved] - Smart TechVille (2024)