# Location sensor resolution and background capability **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions about Thunkable X\ **Tags:** beginner\ **Created:** [September 29, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350 "2021-09-29T19:40:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 7:40pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/1 "2021-09-29T19:40:27Z")
Hello, I would like to use the location sensor to alert me when I am a certain distance from a particular address. I have a couple of questions 1. Can the location sensor work of the app is not opened? 2. What is the minimum distance it needs to recognize a change? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![tatiang](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/tatiang/32/55482_2.png) [@tatiang](https://community.thunkable.com/u/tatiang)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/2 "2021-09-29T21:18:11Z")
1. No 2. I don’t believe there is a minimum distance. But there is a setting on the location sensor for `maximum age`. This refers to the amount of time that goes by between readings. So if you set `maximum age` to 5000 (5000 milliseconds = 5 seconds) and get the device location again after only 4 seconds, it will use the previous value. If you instead wait 6 seconds and get the device location, it will update to a new location value. ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2021, 9:30pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/3 "2021-09-29T21:30:53Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 5:37pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/4 "2021-10-05T17:37:41Z")
Had another basic question - once we set the maximum age, we have to call getcurrentlocation to get a new position ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/5 "2021-10-05T17:40:25Z")
I mean that as a question ---
**Author:** ![tatiang](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/tatiang/32/55482_2.png) [@tatiang](https://community.thunkable.com/u/tatiang)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/6 "2021-10-05T18:07:21Z")
> [@sriram.padmanabhan05](#): > > Had another basic question - once we set the maximum age, we have to call getcurrentlocation to get a new position? Yes, correct. The location sensor will not automatically generate data. You have to call it each time but you can add it to a loop or timer. ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:11pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/7 "2021-10-05T18:11:26Z")
Thanks. And the loop can be added in the opening screen? Sorry to bother you so much ---
**Author:** ![tatiang](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/tatiang/32/55482_2.png) [@tatiang](https://community.thunkable.com/u/tatiang)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/8 "2021-10-05T18:23:33Z")
You can place a loop anywhere you like such as inside a `when screen opens` block. ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2021, 6:26pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/9 "2021-10-05T18:26:01Z")
Thanks. That helps a lot ---
**Author:** ![sriram.padmanabhan05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@sriram.padmanabhan05](https://community.thunkable.com/u/sriram.padmanabhan05)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 1:38pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/10 "2021-10-07T13:38:19Z")
Is there any way for an alert to be shown when app is ope but in background? ---
**Author:** ![tatiang](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/tatiang/32/55482_2.png) [@tatiang](https://community.thunkable.com/u/tatiang)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/11 "2021-10-07T14:19:51Z")
I believe you can use One Signal for that. I haven’t tried it myself, though. > **[Push Notifications by One Signal](https://docs.thunkable.com/push-notifications-by-one-signal)** ---
**Author:** ![ioannis](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/community.thunkable.com/ioannis/32/146956_2.png) [@ioannis](https://community.thunkable.com/u/ioannis)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://community.thunkable.com/t/location-sensor-resolution-and-background-capability/1534350/12 "2024-11-08T13:15:00Z")