While we hope this never happens, there may be a time when your pet is away from you, and you'll need to rely on the Fi App to locate them.
If your pet is lost, you should activate Lost Mode. Once activated, your device will attempt to look for either a live signal for Live Tracking.
GPS & LTE-M coverage can vary depending on location, and we recommend testing to become familiar with coverage in your area before you need to rely on this feature.
There are two ways to test Lost Mode. Please note that these tests must be done as a walk, not a car ride.
Testing Lost Mode by Toggling Bluetooth Off (Advanced):
Time: 30 minutes
Before starting the test:
- This test will require knowledge of how to turn Bluetooth OFF on your smartphone.
- Notify any other members in your Fi pack that you are running a Lost Mode test. They will receive notifications that your pet is "Lost" during testing, and should be aware that you are testing.
- The Lost Mode test will mimic what would happen if your pet were actually lost. For this reason, if your pet is a known escape artist who likes to visit a particular area, you should plan to test in this area. If you want to understand coverage near a particular Safe Zone, plan to test around the Safe Zone.
Start the test:
1. Open the Fi App, and tap the Live Tab in the bottom left-hand corner of your screen:
2. Tap the Map Preview:
3. This will open a map showing your pet's latest known location. Tap Start Lost Mode
Once you tap Lost Mode, Live Tracking in Lost Mode is activated. Your pet's GPS & LTE-M location is updated in real-time, with live location updates shown in the Fi App
Be aware that the Cancel button does not appear during Live Tracking Activation unless the device has been in this state for at least 5 minutes.
Also, your pet's device light will not be activated in Lost Mode. If you have a Series device, you can switch the light on by tapping the light switch (shown on the live map) to turn the light on to aid in finding the device. This will make your pet easier to spot at night or in low-visibility conditions.
Please note, it can take a few minutes for the device light to activate:
The LED light will drain your pet's Fi device battery faster - so keep an eye on the battery level.
4. Go to your phone's Bluetooth settings and toggle Bluetooth OFF.
- Your Fi Device relies on a Bluetooth connection to "see" your mobile device. Turning Bluetooth off will force your device to rely solely on GPS and bypass any connection to your phone’s location.
5. Take your pet for a 20-30 minute walk outside the Safe Zone.
- During your walk, you likely won't see notifications because the phone's Bluetooth will be off, but you or another member of your Fi pack may receive notifications with GPS location reports:
6. After a 20-30 minute walk, and once you're back in your Safe Zone, turn Bluetooth back on.
7. Open the Fi App and turn off Lost Mode by tapping End Lost Mode
8. Tap I was just testing
9. Tap on the arrow in the upper-left corner to return to the Live Tab
10. In your Timeline section, you may have a walk card with a general idea of updates and known GPS locations received from the device:
If you tap on the Walk Card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk.
10. The test is complete. If your test generated a Walk Card, you can verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the device in the app.
Steps for Testing Lost Mode with a Friend (Simple):
To test Lost Mode, the Fi Device needs to power on the GPS/LTE-M chips and cannot be in the range of the Fi App. To simulate an escape and test, you'll want to arrange for a friend to walk your pet.
Time: 30 minutes
Before starting the test:
- Arrange for a walker to take your pet on a 30-minute walk without you.
- Notify any other members in your Fi pack that you are running a Lost Mode test. They will receive notifications that your pet is "Lost" during your testing, and they should be aware that this is just a test.
- The Lost Mode test will mimic what would happen if your pet were lost. For this reason, if your pet is a known escape artist who likes to visit a particular area, you should plan to test in this area. If you want to understand coverage near a particular Safe Zone, plan to test around it.
Start the test:
1. Open the Fi App, and tap Live Tab in the bottom-left corner of your screen:
2. Tap the Map Preview:
3. This will open a map showing your pet's latest known location. Tap Start Lost Mode:
Once you tap Lost mode, Live Tracking in Lost mode is activated. Your pet's GPS & LTE-M location is updated in real-time, with live location updates shown in the Fi App:
Be aware that the Cancel button does not appear during Live Tracking Activation unless the device has been in this state for at least 5 minutes.
Also, your pet's device light will not be activated in Lost Mode. If you have a Series device, you can switch the light on by tapping the light switch (shown on the live map) to turn the light on to aid in finding the device. This will make your pet easier to spot at night or in low-visibility conditions.
The LED light will drain your pet's Fi Device battery faster - so keep an eye on the battery level.
4. Have the person walking your pet begin their 30-minute walk outside the Safe Zone:
- Ensure the person walking your pet does not have the Fi App open and running in the background. It should be closed (so the device cannot connect to their mobile device).
5. During their walk, you may receive notifications with GPS location reports:
We suggest talking to the person on the phone while they walk your pet. That way, you can let them know the location the notification is showing to confirm accuracy.
6. Once they return home from the 30-minute walk, turn off Lost Mode by tapping End Lost Mode
7. Tap I was testing
8. Tap on the arrow in the upper-left corner to return to the Live Tab
9. In the Timeline section, you may have a walk card with a general idea of updates and known GPS locations received from the device:
If you tap on the Walk Card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk.
10. The test is complete. If your test generated a Walk Card, you can verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the device in the app.