Testing Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode

While we hope this never happens, there may be a time when your dog is away from you, and you'll need to rely on the Fi App to locate them.

If your dog is lost, you should activate Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode. Once activated, the collar will attempt to look for either a live signal for Live Tracking or will attempt to look for a signal every minute for Original Lost Dog Mode. See: How Do I Turn ON/OFF Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode?

GPS & LTE coverage can vary depending on location, and we recommend testing and becoming familiar with coverage in your area before you need to rely on this feature. 

If multiple dogs are lost simultaneously, you will not see both dogs' location on the same Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode live map. You will need to toggle between each dog's profile to see their location. See: How Do I Switch Between Multiple Dogs in the Fi App?

For further information regarding the differences between Live Tracking vs. Original Lost Dog Mode, see: What Is the Difference Between Live Tracking and Original Lost Dog Mode?

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There are two ways to test Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode. Please note that the test must be done as a walk, not a car ride.

1. Testing Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode by Toggle Bluetooth Off (Advanced)
2. Testing Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode with a Friend (Simple)
   

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Steps for Testing Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode by Toggling Bluetooth Off (Advanced):

Time: 30 minutes

Before starting the test:

1. This test will require knowledge of how to turn Bluetooth OFF on your smart device.
2. Notify any other owners or dog walkers on your account that you are running a Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode test. They will receive notifications that the dog is "Lost" during testing, and they should be aware that you are testing.
3. The Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode test will mimic what would happen if your dog were actually lost. For this reason, if your dog 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. 

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Start the test:

1. Open the Fi App on your mobile device. 
2. Tap Live in the lower left hand corner:
   
   
3. Tap your dog's profile photo on the top left:  
   
   
4. This will open a map showing your dog's latest known location. Tap LOST:
   
   
   • Depending on your Fi Series Collar:
     • Series 3 - Once you click Lost, Live Tracking in Lost Dog mode is activated. Your dog's GPS/LTE location is updated in real time, with live location updates shown in the Fi App.
       
       
     • Series 2 - Once you click Lost, the original Lost Dog Mode is activated. Your dog's GPS/LTE location attempts increase to once per minute, and will show your dog's most recently reported location in the Fi App.
       
       
5. Your dog's Fi Collar will begin to flash red to signify Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode is active.
   • Please note, it can take a few minutes for the Fi Light to activate - do not toggle lost dog mode ON and OFF.
   • The LED light will drain your dog's Fi Collar battery faster - so keep an eye on the battery level:
     • Series 3:
       
       
     • Series 2:
       
       
     • You can switch the light OFF if your dog's Fi Collar battery starts to run low while you're still trying to track them down.
       • While in Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode, tap on the red light (shown on the live map) to turn it OFF, or see: How Do I Turn My Fi Light On or Off On My Fi Collar? (you'll need to tap the arrow in the lower left hand corner to exit the live map, to turn the light ON/OFF outside the live map). 
         
6. Next, go to your phone's Bluetooth settings and toggle Bluetooth OFF. 
   • The Fi Collar relies on a Bluetooth connection to "see" your mobile device. Turning Bluetooth off will force the collar to solely rely on GPS, and bypass any connection to your phone’s location. During the test, you will not be able to open the Fi App, which requires Bluetooth to be turned on. 

7. Take your dog for a 20-30 minute walk outside the safe zone. 

8. During your walk, you may receive notifications with GPS location reports:
   
   
9. After a 20-30 minute walk & once back in your safe zone, turn Bluetooth back ON. 
10. Open the Fi App and turn off Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode by tapping the X on the top right. 
    Series 3:
    
    Series 2:
    
    
11. Tap I was just testing:
    
    
12. Tap on the arrow in the lower left hand corner to return to the Live page:
    
    
13. On the Live page, you may have a walk card with a general idea of updates and known GPS locations received from the collar:
    
    
    • If you tap on the walk card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk:
      
      

14. The test is complete. If your test generated a walk card, you can verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the collar in the app.

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Steps for Testing Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode with a Friend (Simple):

To test Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode, the Fi Collar needs to power on the GPS/LTE chips and cannot be in range of the Fi App. To simulate an escape and test, you'll want to arrange for a friend to walk your dog.

Time: 30 minutes

Before starting the test:

1. Arrange for a friend/walker to take your dog on a 30 minute walk without you. 
2. Notify any other owners or dog walkers on your account that you are running a Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode test. They will receive notifications that the dog is "Lost" during your testing, and they should be aware that this is just a test.
3. The Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode test will mimic what would happen if your dog were actually lost. For this reason, if your dog 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 on your mobile device. 
2. Tap Live in the lower left hand corner:
   
   
3. Tap your dog's profile photo on the top left:  
   
   
4. This will open a map showing your dog's latest known location. Tap LOST:
   
   
   • Depending on your Fi Series Collar:
     • Series 3 - Once you click Lost, Live Tracking in Lost Dog mode is activated. Your dog's GPS/LTE location is updated in real time, with live location updates shown in the Fi App.
       
       
     • Series 2 - Once you click Lost, the original Lost Dog Mode is activated. Your dog's GPS/LTE location attempts increase to once per minute, and will show your dog's most recently reported location in the Fi App.
       
       
5. Your dog's Fi Collar will begin to flash red to signify Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode is active. 
   • Please note, it can take a few minutes for the Fi Light to activate - do not toggle lost dog mode ON and OFF.
   • The LED light will drain your dog's Fi Collar battery faster - so keep an eye on the battery level:
     • Series 3:
       
       
     • Series 2:
       
     • You can switch the light OFF if your dog's Fi Collar battery starts to run low while you're still trying to track them down.
       • While in Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode, tap on the red light (shown on the live map) to turn it OFF, or see: How Do I Turn My Fi Light On or Off On My Fi Collar? (you'll need to tap the arrow in the lower left hand corner to exit the live map, to turn the light ON/OFF outside the live map). 
         
6. Have the person walking the dog begin their 30 minute walk outside the safe zone. Ensure the person walking the dog not have the Fi App open and running in the background. It should be closed (so the collar cannot connect to their mobile device).
7. During their walk, you may receive notifications with GPS location reports.
   
   
   • We suggest talking to the person on the phone while they walk your dog. That way you can let them know the location the notification is showing, to see if it's accurate.
8. Once they return home from the 30 minute walk, turn off Live Tracking/Lost Dog Mode by tapping the X on the top right.
   
   • Series 3:
     
     
   • Series 2:
     
     
9. Tap I was just testing:
   
10. Tap on the arrow in the lower left hand corner to return to the Live page:
    
    
11. On the Live page, you may have a walk card with a general idea of updates and known GPS locations received from the collar:
    
    
    • If you tap on the walk card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk:
      
12. The test is complete. If your test generated a walk card, you can verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the collar in the app.