Your location, your server, your rules. Battery-friendly background GPS that uploads to any HTTP endpoint you configure. No accounts, no cloud, no telemetry.
BetterTracks logs your location in the background and sends it to a server you control — not ours, not a third party. No accounts, no cloud, no analytics. Just GPS data, going where you tell it to go. Built for people who want a record of where they’ve been without handing that record over to anyone else: self-hosters, Home Assistant users, runners, drivers, hikers, and anyone curious about their own movement data.
WHAT IT DOES
– Tracks your location continuously in the background, even when the app is closed
– Sends each point to an HTTP endpoint you configure, with optional API key auth
– Shows your past 24 hours on a map, with a tap-to-inspect detail view for every point
– Records battery level, network type, and air pressure alongside each GPS reading
– Stores everything locally — old data auto-deletes after 24 hours
DESIGNED FOR BATTERY LIFE
– Uses iOS significant location change monitoring
– 100m accuracy threshold to avoid wasteful updates
– Pauses automatically when you’re not moving
– Batches uploads on your schedule (1 minute to 1 hour)
– Filters out inaccurate GPS readings before storing
YOU NEED A SERVER
BetterTracks does not include a hosted backend. You’ll need an HTTP endpoint that can accept JSON POST requests — anything from a Raspberry Pi running a few lines of Python to a full Home Assistant setup.
PRIVACY
– No accounts, no sign-up, no telemetry
– Location data stays on your device until uploaded to your server
– 24-hour local retention is automatic – You can disable tracking and clear all data at any time
– Requires Always-on location permission (background tracking won’t work otherwise)
REQUIREMENTS
– iOS 17 or later
– An HTTP endpoint you control to receive the data