Guide
What Is Geofence and Selfie Attendance? How It Works
A plain explanation of location-verified attendance, its limits, and how to use it fairly.
Short answer: Geofence attendance checks that an employee is inside a set area around the workplace — the geofence — at the moment they check in or out. Selfie attendance adds a live photo taken at that moment as evidence of who checked in. Together they record where, who and when, without a biometric machine.
How a geofence check works
- The business sets the branch's location and a radius, for example 80 m.
- When the employee taps Check in, the phone reads its current location and reports how accurate the reading is.
- The distance to the branch is calculated on the phone and again on the server; the server's result is final.
- Inside the area: accepted. Clearly outside: rejected or sent for approval. Close to the edge or with poor accuracy: flagged for review, so a real employee is not turned away by a bad GPS reading.
What the selfie adds
Location proves the phone was at the branch, not who was holding it. A live photo, taken with the camera at that moment — not picked from the gallery — gives a manager something to look at when a day is disputed. In Preez the selfie is evidence for a person to review; there is no face recognition.
Limits to be honest about
- GPS indoors is approximate. Accuracy varies with buildings and phones, which is why a review band matters.
- Location can be spoofed on some phones. That is why location is combined with a live photo, server time, the app installation and impossible-travel checks rather than trusted alone.
- No signal is proof on its own. Good systems flag and let a person decide.
Attendance, not surveillance
Geofence attendance does not require tracking employees during the day. Preez reads location only when the employee checks in or out and never asks for background location permission. Employees can see in the app what is collected and that their employer can view it.
Data protection laws, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, generally expect employers to tell people what personal data is collected and why. This guide is not legal advice; see the Preez Privacy Policy for exactly what Preez collects.
Geofence vs biometric vs GPS-only
| Method | Proves who | Proves where | Live view across branches | Hardware per branch | Month-end work |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper register | No — anyone can sign | Only that it was signed at the register | No | None | Manual copying into Excel |
| WhatsApp or spreadsheet | No | No | Partly, by asking | None | Manual merging |
| Biometric machine | Yes | Yes, at the device | Only if machines are networked | A device at every site | Export and merge per device |
| GPS-only app | No — a colleague can tap for you | Yes, at check-in | Yes | None — staff phones | Report |
| Location + live selfie app (e.g. Preez) | Yes, photo evidence | Yes, at check-in | Yes | None — staff phones | Report and Excel/CSV export |
Frequently asked questions
What is geofence attendance?
Attendance that is accepted only when the employee’s phone is inside a set area around the workplace at the moment they check in or check out.
What is selfie attendance?
A check-in that includes a live photo taken with the phone camera at that moment, used as evidence of who checked in.
How accurate is GPS attendance indoors?
Accuracy varies by building and phone. Good systems show the accuracy of each reading and send doubtful check-ins for review instead of rejecting them automatically.
Does selfie attendance use face recognition?
Not in Preez. The selfie is a photo for a manager to look at if a day is disputed; no face recognition or biometric template is created.
Does geofence attendance track employees all day?
It does not need to. Preez reads location only at check-in and check-out and does not request background location access.