Why does Android warn me when I install GigOdo?

GigOdo is distributed as a direct APK download instead of through an app store, and Android shows the same 'unknown apps' warning for every app installed that way. The APK is signed by us and served only from app.gigodo.app.

Why does GigOdo need 'Allow all the time' location?

Auto-Detect and Home Zone watch for driving while the app is closed, which Android only permits with background ('Allow all the time') location. Your GPS route never leaves your phone - only each trip's total miles are saved. Manual tracking works fine with 'While using the app'.

GigOdo stopped recording in the middle of a shift. Why?

Almost always battery optimization: Android or a manufacturer battery saver paused the app. Open GigOdo's Settings > Battery panel (v1.18+) - it detects this and takes you to the fix. Set GigOdo's battery usage to Unrestricted, and on Samsung remove it from Sleeping apps. Then re-check that location is still set to Allow all the time.

The floating bubble toggle will not turn on. What is the fix?

On sideloaded installs Android blocks the overlay permission behind 'restricted settings'. Go to Settings > Apps > GigOdo, tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, choose Allow restricted settings, confirm with your PIN, then switch on Display over other apps and toggle the bubble again.

Does the app track me all the time?

Only if you turn on Auto-Detect or Home Zone, and even then everything is computed on your phone. GigOdo stores trip totals (miles, times), not routes, and you can turn both features off anytime. With both off, tracking only runs when you press Start.

How do I update GigOdo?

Download the latest GigOdo.apk from app.gigodo.app and install it over the existing app. Your trips and settings are kept - it is an in-place update, not a reinstall.

Where are the permissions if I denied one by accident?

Android Settings > Apps > GigOdo > Permissions. Set Location to Allow all the time (for Auto-Detect) and Notifications to Allowed. Battery lives one screen up under Battery > Unrestricted.

Android setup guide

Five minutes now saves you from missed miles later. Every warning and permission below is normal - here is what each one means and exactly which buttons to press.

The short version: install the APK, choose While using the app and Allow on first launch, turn on Auto-Detect and pick Allow all the time, set battery to Unrestricted. Everything else is optional.

1Install the app

Download GigOdo.apk on your phone and open it from your notifications or Files app.

Android will likely say your browser is not allowed to install unknown apps. That is not a judgment about GigOdo - Android shows the same screen for every app installed outside an app store. Tap Settings, switch on Allow from this source, and go back to finish installing. If Play Protect asks to scan the app, let it - it will come back clean.

2First launch: two permissions

GigOdo asks for exactly two things when it first opens:

Location - choose While using the app. This is enough for manual trip tracking with the Start button.
Notifications - choose Allow. This is how GigOdo tells you a drive was detected and shows the tracking status while recording.

Denied one by mistake? Fix it anytime under Android Settings > Apps > GigOdo > Permissions

3Turn on Auto-Detect (the big one)

Auto-Detect notices when you start driving and logs the trip by itself - it is the difference between a mileage log you maintain and one that maintains itself. Because it works while the app is closed, Android requires its strongest location setting.

In GigOdo, open Settings and tap Auto-Detect Trips. The app first explains what it needs in plain language; tap Allow. Android then opens its permission screen - choose Allow all the time.

Privacy, concretely: your GPS route never leaves your phone. GigOdo computes the distance on the device and saves only each trip's total miles and times. There is no route history anywhere, including on our servers.

If you skipped the prompt, the setting lives at Android Settings > Apps > GigOdo > Permissions > Location > Allow all the time

4Stop Android from pausing GigOdo

This is the #1 cause of missed trips. Phone makers ship aggressive battery savers that quietly pause background apps a few hours into a shift - exactly when you need tracking most.

Set Android Settings > Apps > GigOdo > Battery > Unrestricted

Samsung: also check Settings > Battery > Background usage limits, and make sure GigOdo is not in Sleeping apps or Deep sleeping apps.
Xiaomi/Redmi/POCO: Settings > Apps > Manage apps > GigOdo > Battery saver > No restrictions, and enable Autostart.
OnePlus/Oppo: Settings > Battery > Battery optimization > GigOdo > Don't optimize.

The app now checks this for you. Since v1.18, GigOdo's own Settings > Battery panel warns you when Android's battery optimization could stop auto-detect - including when a system update quietly re-enables it - and its button jumps straight to the right Android screen. The same panel shows what tracking actually did today (minutes of active GPS, hours in low-power watch or Home Zone sleep) and, after some unplugged driving, measured battery use per hour. More on the features page.

5Optional: the floating bubble

The bubble is a small on-screen widget that shows tracking status over your delivery apps, with a stop button one tap away. It needs Android's Display over other apps permission, and on sideloaded installs Android hides that behind an extra gate called restricted settings ("this setting is currently unavailable" or a "personal or financial risk" warning - again, shown for any app installed outside a store).

The unlock sequence:

Go to Android Settings > Apps > GigOdo and tap the ⋮ three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
Choose Allow restricted settings and confirm with your PIN or fingerprint.
Now open Display over other apps on the same page and switch it on.
Back in GigOdo, toggle Floating Bubble again.

6Optional: Home Zone

Home Zone draws a circle (150 m by default) around your home. Drive out of it and GigOdo starts recording; come back inside and it stops and files the trip for review. It is the lowest-effort way to catch every shift without thinking about the app at all.

While you are at home, open Settings > Home Zone and tap Set home location, then turn the toggle on. Setting it while away from home is fine too - it will not start a phantom trip; GigOdo only reacts to actually crossing the boundary.

7Dial in your numbers

Two settings make your take-home math accurate:

Vehicle cost - enter your car's average MPG and your local gas price. GigOdo uses them to estimate the real cost of each mile you drive.
Tax rate - used for the quarterly tax estimates in Reports. If you are not sure, the default is a sensible starting point; your CPA can refine it.

The mileage deduction rate is automatic: GigOdo applies the IRS rate for each trip's date (72.5 cents/mile for Jan-Jun 2026, 76 cents from July 1). Only touch the setting if you want a custom rate.

Updating GigOdo

Download the newest GigOdo.apk and install it right over the old one. Trips, settings, and your Pro subscription all carry over - it is an in-place update, not a reinstall. Your data also stays on your phone (and in cloud sync if you are on Pro), so even a full reinstall will not lose a backed-up log.

On the test crew?

If Corey asked you to help test GigOdo, thank you - here is your whole job in three links:

Install the app: download the APK and follow steps 1-4 above.
Create an account inside the app (Settings > Sync) - it doubles as your login for the feedback board.
Report what you find: post bugs, confusion, and ideas on the tester feedback board. Nothing is too small - "this button label confused me" is exactly what we want.

When GigOdo enters Google Play closed testing you will get an invite link by email - accepting it (and staying opted in) is what satisfies Google's testing requirement.

Still stuck?

First, open the app's Settings > Battery panel - since v1.18 it flags the most common problem (battery optimization) by itself. If it shows no warning, email support@gigodo.app with your phone model and Android version and we will get you sorted. The three usual suspects, in order: battery optimization re-enabled itself after a system update, location got knocked back to While using the app, or a manufacturer "cleaner" app force-stopped GigOdo.