You fire up your car, ready to knock out a full day of rideshare driving or package deliveries. You open your mileage tracker to ensure everything is logging, only to be hit with a massive roadblock: the dreaded "Location Services Disabled" error screen. Your tracker refuses to start.
Every mile you drive while that error is active is a lost tax deduction. For independent contractors and freelancers, those miles translate directly into thousands of dollars at tax time. When Everlance loses its connection to your GPS hardware, it completely paralyzes your ability to passively track your business expenses. Fortunately, this is rarely a hardware failure. It is almost always a strict software barrier put up by your smartphone, and we can tear that barrier down in just a few minutes.
Why is Everlance Saying Location Services Are Disabled?
Your smartphone treats your physical location as highly sensitive data. Operating systems like iOS and Android are constantly updating their privacy protocols to prevent rogue applications from spying on you or draining your battery in the background. Sometimes, these security measures are a little too aggressive.
When you see the "Location Services Disabled" warning, it means a digital gate has slammed shut between the Everlance app and your phone's internal GPS antenna. This usually happens right after a major system update. Your phone might have automatically revoked background tracking permissions to save battery, or a privacy setting was silently reset to default. If the app is not explicitly authorized to ping your location 24/7, even when the screen is turned off, the tracker will trigger this exact error protocol to let you know it is flying blind.
4 Ways to Fix the Location Error
1. Force "Always" Location Access
Everlance cannot legally pull your GPS coordinates if your phone restricts it. You must give the app unrestricted clearance.
- For iPhone users: Open Settings > Everlance > Location. You must select Always. If it is set to "While Using the App," your tracking will fail the moment you lock your screen. Ensure Precise Location is turned on.
- For Android users: Navigate to Settings > Apps > Everlance > Permissions > Location. Choose Allow all the time. Verify that the precise accuracy toggle is enabled.
2. Disable Strict Battery Optimization
Your phone's power manager will aggressively kill GPS pings if it thinks Everlance is consuming too much battery juice.
- On Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Everlance > Battery. Change the restriction profile from "Optimized" to Unrestricted.
- On iPhone: Open Settings > Battery. Make sure Low Power Mode is strictly turned off while you are driving. Low Power Mode intentionally disables background GPS tracking.
3. Turn On Wi-Fi Scanning (Android Specific)
Android devices use nearby Wi-Fi networks to help pinpoint your location without relying solely on satellite connections. If this is off, the app might think location services are disabled due to a weak signal.
- Go to Settings > Location > Location Services.
- Find Wi-Fi scanning and toggle it on. You do not need to be connected to a network; the phone simply uses the signals to map your exact coordinates faster.
4. Reset the Network and GPS Cache
If your permissions are perfect but the error persists, your phone's location cache is likely corrupted and needs a hard reset.
- For Android: Go to Settings > Apps > Everlance > Storage & cache. Tap Clear cache. Restart your device.
- For iPhone: The easiest way to force a reset without losing data is to uninstall the Everlance app entirely, restart your iPhone, and download a fresh copy from the App Store. Log back in, and accept the location prompts from scratch.
Fix Breakdown
| Strategy | Action | Time Required |
|---|---|---|
| Permission Override | Grant "Always Allow" location access | 1 Minute |
| Battery Un-restriction | Remove power saver limits | 1 Minute |
| Wi-Fi Scanning | Enable background Wi-Fi mapping (Android) | 2 Minutes |
| Clean Install | Clear cache or reinstall the application | 5 Minutes |
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Everlance retroactively track the miles I drove while the error was active?
No. If the app was blocked from accessing your GPS, no data was recorded. However, you can manually input those missing miles. Open the Everlance dashboard, click the '+' icon, and manually add a trip. Enter your start and end points, and the app will calculate the distance for your tax logs.
Why does this error pop up immediately after an iOS or Android update?
Major operating system updates often reset third-party app permissions back to their factory defaults to enforce new privacy standards. Your phone assumes you want to restrict background tracking until you explicitly grant permission again. Always double-check your location settings after updating your device.
Can I just open the app and leave it on my screen to bypass the error?
No. The "Location Services Disabled" prompt is a hard stop. It means the operating system is actively denying the app access to the hardware sensor. Keeping the screen on won't force a connection. You must go into your phone's main settings to resolve the permissions conflict.