Quick answer

QuickBooks Time GPS not working usually means the QuickBooks Workforce app cannot capture a location point, not a system-wide outage. In most cases the phone's location permission is not set to Always with Precise Location, a battery-saving mode is blocking background access, or the company requires location tracking that the device is not granting. Fix permissions and battery rules first, then check the timesheet log.

What "GPS not working" means in QuickBooks Time

QuickBooks Time gathers GPS points from the QuickBooks Workforce mobile app. Each point is captured while an employee is on the clock and attached to that employee's timesheet. The web dashboard and admin tools only display what the phone sends; they never generate a location on their own.

Points are saved when a team member clocks in or out, opens the app, switches job codes, and periodically while on the clock. They are not saved during a break, after clocking out, or after signing out. That behavior is intentional: QuickBooks Time only records location during paid work time.

Admins and managers view the data on the timesheet map or the Who's Working map, and they can export coordinates from Reports → Tracking → GPS Points. If an employee clocked in through a kiosk or a computer, or a manager created or edited the timesheet manually, expect no GPS at all.

Symptoms of a GPS problem

  • The timesheet map shows gaps, a missing clock-in pin, or no points for a full shift.
  • A point lands at the wrong address, or the accuracy circle around it is very wide.
  • The employee sees "Turn on location services to allow QuickBooks Time to determine your locations."
  • The employee is clocked out with "You've been clocked out—Your company requires a location while on the clock."
  • The map stays empty until the phone reconnects to Wi-Fi or cellular data; a new point can take up to 15 seconds to appear.

Common causes, ranked

  1. Location permission is not "Always" or Precise Location is off. When your company requires tracking, the Workforce app needs Always and Precise Location; anything less can block clock-in or drop points.
  2. Battery optimization. iPhone Low Power Mode, Android battery saver, and third-party battery apps suspend background location work.
  3. Background data or refresh is blocked. On Android, Restrict background data stops points; on iOS, Background App Refresh off does the same.
  4. The app was force-closed or the employee signed out while on the clock. QuickBooks Workforce must stay open in the background while the employee is clocked in.
  5. The clock-in did not come from QuickBooks Workforce. Kiosk, browser, and computer clock-ins never carry GPS.
  6. The timesheet was created or edited manually. Check the Timesheet log: if a manager built or altered the entry, GPS points will not display.
  7. The app or phone operating system is out of date. Older builds can fail modern permission prompts.
  8. Environment or hardware. Dense buildings, bad weather, an overheated phone, or a damaged location chip can prevent a fix.

Signal myth. Weak cellular service does not stop GPS points from being captured. A phone with no internet connection still records points and syncs them when it reconnects.

Before you change any device settings

  • Confirm who is affected. One employee on one phone points at device settings; everyone showing the same gap points at a company setting. If your team is still rolling the product out, finish the steps in QuickBooks Time setup before you troubleshoot GPS.
  • Ask the admin to check the company's location requirement (required or optional) before changing device permissions. Optional tracking only needs a basic permission; required tracking needs Always and Precise.
  • Test while the employee is on the clock, and allow up to 15 seconds for a point to appear.
  • Budget 5–10 minutes per phone. Company-wide setting changes take effect immediately, so schedule them carefully.

Do not change tracking settings mid-shift. If location tracking is required and an employee turns off location services while clocked in, QuickBooks Time clocks them out and prompts them to turn location back on. Make company-wide changes between shifts and tell the team in advance.

How to fix QuickBooks Time GPS problems

1

Confirm the clock-in came from QuickBooks Workforce

GPS tracking only works when a team member clocks in through the QuickBooks Workforce mobile app. Ask the employee to open the app, clock in from the phone, and leave the app running in the background. A clock-in from a kiosk, browser, or admin dashboard will never produce a location point.

2

Check the company setting and the Timesheet log

As an admin, review the tracking setting for the employee and for the company. You can require location per employee from the employee's Mobile options tab, or apply the rule to groups and the whole company. Then open the timesheet's log on the web dashboard: if the entry was created or edited by someone else, no GPS will display for that window.

3

Fix iPhone location permissions

On the phone, open Settings → Privacy & Security → Location Services and confirm it is on. Select Workforce in the app list, set Allow Location Access to Always, and turn on Precise Location. If the settings look correct but points are still missing, toggle Location Services off and back on to refresh the permission.

4

Fix Android location permissions

Open Settings → Apps → QuickBooks Workforce → Permissions → Location. Choose Allow all the time, then turn on Use precise location. Menu names vary by manufacturer, so if you cannot find an option, check your phone maker's support page for the exact path on that model.

5

Remove battery and background-data restrictions

On iPhone, open Settings → Battery and turn off Low Power Mode. If a battery-saver app is installed, exclude Workforce from its restrictions. On Android, turn off battery optimization for QuickBooks Workforce and allow unrestricted background usage. Then confirm Background App Refresh is on (iOS) and Restrict background data is off (Android).

6

Refresh the radios and restart the phone

Turn Airplane Mode on for ten seconds, then off again to reset the wireless radios. Restart the phone and open QuickBooks Workforce. Keep the app running in the background while clocked in rather than swiping it away — a force-closed app stops pulling points even though the timesheet stays open.

7

Update the Workforce app and the phone operating system

Install the current QuickBooks Workforce build from the App Store or Google Play, then install any pending operating system update. Older versions can lose access to location features after a phone update, which shows up as intermittent or missing points. If sign-in is also failing, work through QuickBooks Time login problems before retesting GPS.

Verify that location points are recording

  1. Clock in from QuickBooks Workforce and wait up to 15 seconds.
  2. On the web dashboard, open Who's Working and select the employee to see the live map, or open the timesheet from Time entries and select the map.
  3. Select a point to confirm its timestamp and accuracy in meters. A small accuracy circle means a strong fix.
  4. Run Reports → Tracking → GPS Points and download the CSV to confirm latitude and longitude rows for the shift.
  5. Clock out, then clock in again. A red point should appear at clock-out and a green point at the next clock-in. Once the timesheet is approved, it flows to payroll as described in QuickBooks Time payroll sync.

If location points are still missing

Work through the remaining explanations before you change company policy. Indoors, in dense buildings, or during severe weather, a phone may simply not get a fix. A phone that is powered off records time but not location, and points captured offline appear only after the device reconnects.

If the phone is managed by your company, a mobile device management (MDM) policy may limit background location access. Ask your IT administrator to allow Always location for QuickBooks Workforce and to leave background app refresh enabled. If the issue continues, ask the employee to upload device logs from More → Settings → Help & Support → Upload device logs, then contact Intuit support with the case number tied to that log. Other mobile issues are covered in QuickBooks Time app not working.

Privacy expectations for tracked employees

  • QuickBooks Time does not collect location points when an employee is on a break, clocked out, or signed out, and admins cannot view off-the-clock locations.
  • Only administrators, managers, and people granted the Manage Timesheets for All Employees permission can view another employee's points. Employees can see their own.
  • GPS points cannot be edited or deleted after they are recorded. The one exception: if a timesheet is edited and the time window is removed, any point captured inside it no longer displays.
  • The Always permission exists so geofencing and nearby-job reminders can work while the app is closed. Explain that purpose to employees, and put your location policy in writing before you turn required tracking on.

Frequently asked questions

Why does QuickBooks Time show the wrong location?

Accuracy depends on satellites, Wi-Fi, and cellular data. Turning on Precise Location improves the fix, and the map shows an accuracy circle in meters around each point. Indoors and in dense areas, a point can land at a nearby address even when everything is configured correctly.

Does QuickBooks Time track employees when they are off the clock?

No. GPS points are not saved while an employee is on a break, clocked out, or signed out of QuickBooks Workforce, and admins cannot access off-the-clock location data. Tracking resumes when the employee clocks back in.

Why do GPS points stop when the app is closed?

A force-closed app cannot pull points, even if the employee is still on the clock. Keep QuickBooks Workforce open in the background for the full shift. A phone that is switched off records time only, and offline points sync once the phone is back online.

Can a manager add a missing GPS point manually?

No. GPS points are captured by the device and cannot be created or edited afterward. If a point was never pulled, the only way to record a new one is to clock in from QuickBooks Workforce with working location permissions. Admin-side edits are limited to the time entry itself.

Sources & further reading