1. Location: Allow all the time
On your child’s phone open Settings, then Location, then App permissions. Find the child app (Geopapa Kids or Funfriend) and choose Allow all the time, not Allow only while using the app. Turn on Use precise location. Back in Location, keep Location services such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanning on; they improve accuracy indoors.
2. Battery: Unrestricted
Open Settings, then Apps, choose the child app and tap Battery. Select Unrestricted. Optimised is the default and lets One UI pause the app in the background, which is the most common reason the map stops updating overnight or during a school day.
3. Never sleeping apps
Open Settings, then Battery (on some versions Battery and device care, then Battery), then Background usage limits. Turn off Put unused apps to sleep. Open Never sleeping apps and add the child app. Check the Sleeping apps and Deep sleeping apps lists and remove the child app if it is there.
4. Power saving and adaptive battery
If your child uses Power saving mode, One UI can limit background activity for every app. Either keep it off or, in Power saving settings, make sure app and background limits are not enabled. Under More battery settings, turning off Adaptive battery removes another layer that can pause the app.
5. Background data
Open Settings, then Apps, choose the child app and tap Mobile data. Turn on Allow background data usage and Allow data usage while Data saver is on. Without these, the phone has GPS but no way to send the position when your child is away from Wi-Fi.
6. Notifications and Recents
Keep notifications enabled for the child app so the loud signal and the persistent status can work. Ask your child not to swipe the app away in Recents or use Close all; on One UI, open Recents, tap the app icon above its card and choose Lock this app to keep it running.
7. Older Samsung phones
On Android 9 to 11 the path is Settings, then Apps, the child app, then Battery, then Optimise battery usage. Switch the list to All apps and turn optimisation off for the child app. Under Mobile data, turn on background data and Data saver usage as in step 5.
Check that it worked
Reopen the child app once, then look at the parent map. A fresh time on the location card means updates are flowing. Leave the phone on the table for ten minutes with the screen off and check again; if the time still advances, the settings are right.
Device setup instructions