What determines a drive?

To determine your drives, MileIQ relies on a clever mix of factors to make things easy.

We've crafted our drive detection to be super smart, ensuring it kicks into action, records your drives accurately, and doesn't put a dent in your phone's battery life.

Here's how it works:

MileIQ considers the endpoint of one trip as the starting point for the next. We need a difference of at least half a mile (0.8 km) in reported locations to spot a new trip.

Depending on where the last location info came from (like a cell tower or a Wi-Fi hotspot) and where the next data point pops up, there can be up to a mile (1.6 km) of distance for MileIQ to know a new trip has started.

Sometimes, drives under a mile (1.6 km) might be missed because of this slight variation.

We've also got formulas to measure speed, helping us filter out leisurely strolls and supersonic flights from your drives.

Once we detect a drive, MileIQ takes about 15 minutes after the drive to figure out if you're at a restful stop. Only then does MileIQ jot down the drive and pop it into your app as a Drive Card. This may take less time on iOS if you start walking after ending your drive.

If you make quick stops, we might group them together during this settling time. But if you find yourself stopped for 15 minutes or more before we see you move again, we'll likely create a separate drive card for that part of your journey.

If you're not already on Wi-Fi, it's a good idea to turn it on. It can give MileIQ a little boost in performance. Don't worry; you don't have to be connected to Wi-Fi. Your device just needs to be able to spot available networks.

Now, here's the deal:

If your Wi-Fi is off, MileIQ might sometimes miss drives or split them up unintentionally. Seems a bit counterintuitive, right? Well, it turns out Wi-Fi is a battery-saving champ compared to GPS and provides more location data for accurate tracking. This is especially handy for short trips or when you're stuck in traffic, as it helps MileIQ keep up with your movements more effectively.

Did you miss recording some drives?

No problem! You can easily add them in the MileIQ web dashboard using the same email and password as your app login. Just select "Add+" from the bottom menu, and fill in your departure and arrival spots, along with the date and time.

We're constantly fine-tuning our algorithms to get even better at catching your drives. Thanks for your patience as we keep improving this fantastic technology.

Make sure to follow our Drive detection best practices to make sure your device is all set up to snag your drives effortlessly. Happy driving! 😊

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