Location-Based Alerts Explained, Plus How To Use Them

Life is busy. Whether remembering to go to the grocery store after work, call the doctor, or that your kid is at a friend’s house today, it can be quite the juggle to keep everything in mind. Location-based alerts can help lower this pressure and help you complete your to-do list.

Location-based alerts are alerts on your phone that pop up when you are in a specific location. They can be set up quickly and used to remind you to feed a pet, put gas in your car, or even remember a grocery item you don’t want to forget when you arrive at the store. 

Ready to learn more about location-based alerts? Let’s look at some of the ways they can help you make your life easier and how you can set them up. 

What are Location-Based Alerts?

Location-based alerts are an extra feature in smartphones that can help you accomplish your to-do list daily. They work by alerting you of a task you need to do when you are in a certain location.

For example, if you always forget to stop by the gas station on the way home from work, you can set a location-based alert to remind you to get gas right when you walk out of the office door. 

In the same way, you can set chore alerts, delivery alerts, or even a reminder for you to feed your pet the moment you walk in your door when you return home from work. No matter what you need to remember to do, location-based alerts can help you to remember them at the right time. 

How to Set Up Location-Based Alerts

When you are ready to set up location-based alerts on your iPhone, you will need to start by heading to your contacts app. While this may seem weird, you need to create cards for places you visit frequently.

Start by saving your gym or grocery store as a contact. Then add contacts for all the places you want to remind yourself to visit. This could be anything from the mall to a laundry mat or even your doctor’s office. 

As you make these cards, you will need to input an address for each one. This may require looking up your favorite grocery store on Google. Ensure the address is correct so that the location-based alerts can work as intended. 

Now you are ready to set up your location-based alerts by following the steps below. 

Step 1: Launch the App

Launch the Reminders app on your phone and click the + button labeled New Reminder.

Step 2: Type Your Task

Put the name of your task into the correct field. For example, it should read something like ”fill up with gas” or ”grab groceries.”

Step 3: Choose the Location

After you type the name, touch the location button. There are some quick options that you might be able to choose from depending on your task, or choose custom to pick one of the locations you put in above.

Then you must select whether you want the alert when arriving or leaving that location.

Step 4: Double Check and Complete

Double-check everything you have entered, and then press the Done button. Your location-based alert is ready to go! 

How to Set Up Location-Based Alerts with Siri

If you don’t want to set up location-based reminders manually, you can also use Siri to help you. Not only is this super convenient, but it is much quicker than the above steps. 

With Siri, all you have to do is ensure all the places you frequent are in contacts (as mentioned above), then the next time you need to remember to do something in a specific location, you tell Siri to remind you. Again, this can be done using clear and concise commands. 

Here are examples of things you can tell Siri to remind you of that are location-based alerts:

• “Remind me to buy eggs when I am at the store.”
  
• “Remind me to call the doctor when I get to work.”
  
• “Remind me to feed the dog when I get home.”

And just like that, you’ve got some location-based alerts set up with just that one sentence. 

Ideas for Using Location-Based Alerts

Once you figure out how to set up location-based alerts, you may be wondering just how you can use them to make your life easier. Below is a list of how you can use location-based alerts to clear your mind and your to-do list. 

1. Remember a Last Minute Grocery Item

Maybe you made your list the night before but then realized you had no eggs at breakfast. Add a location-based alert to remind you to get eggs when you arrive at the store. 

2. Reminders to Call and Make Appointments

It’s 10 pm, and you are lying in bed when you remember you need to call the dentist. You can’t do it now because the office is closed, but a location-based alert can remind you to do it first thing in the morning when you get to work. 

3. Picking Up Your Kids

Kids have busy schedules with different activities every day of the week. Set location-based alerts to remind you where you are picking up your kid that day so you don’t drive across town for no reason.

Final Thoughts on Location-Based Alerts

Overall, location-based alerts are a great way to simplify your life and get your to-do list done without putting a lot of effort into remembering small tasks. Take a few minutes to set them up manually or with Siri, and start using your location-based alerts immediately!