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 Lost Dog Mode , which will power on the Fi Collar's GPS & LTE chips. 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.
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There are a few ways to test lost dog mode, and we provide instructions for two ways to set up a test below:
- Testing Lost Dog Mode by Toggle Bluetooth Off (Advanced)
- Testing Lost Dog Mode with a Friend (Simple)
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Steps for Testing Lost Dog Mode by Toggle Bluetooth Off (Advanced):
Time: 30 minutes
Before starting the test:
- This test will require knowledge of how to turn Bluetooth OFF your smart device.
- Notify any other owners or dog walkers on your account that you are running a Lost Dog Mode test. They will receive notifications that the dog is "Lost" during testing and they should be aware that this is a test.
- The Lost Dog Mode test will look to mimic what would happen if your dog were actually lost, for this reason if your dog is a known escape artist that likes to visit a particular area, you'll want to plan your test in this area. If you want to understand coverage near a particular safe zone, you'll want to plan your test around this area.
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Start the test:
- Open the Fi App on your mobile device.
- Tap Live in the lower left hand corner:
- Tap your dog's profile photo on the top left:
- This will open a map showing your dog's latest known location. Tap LOST on the top right to turn on Lost Dog Mode:
- Once activated, the collar will also begin to flash red to signify Lost Dog Mode is active. Please note, this can take a few minutes, the switch from normal mode to lost dog mode will take the longest amount of time to toggle on the first time - do not toggle lost dog mode on and off.
- You'll see a banner on the top of the Fi Map indicating Lost Dog Mode is turned on and that your Fi Light is now red:
- 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.
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Take your dog for a 20-30 minute walk outside of the safe zone.
- During your walk, you may receive notifications with known GPS location reports:
- Once back in your safe zone, turn Bluetooth back ON.
- Open the Fi App and turn off Lost Dog Mode by tapping on the red X in the top right hand corner:
- Once you turn lost dog mode off, you'll need to verify your dog is found. Tap "I found (your dog), disable lost dog":
- Tap on the arrow in the lower left hand corner to get back to the Live page:
- 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:
- If you tap on the walk card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk:
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The test is complete. If your test generates a walk card, you will be able to verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the collar in the app. Additionally, you can Contact Fi Customer Success for a more in depth report.
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Steps for Testing Lost Dog Mode with a Friend (Simple):
In order for you to be able to test 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:
- Arrange for a friend/walker to take your dog on a 30 minute walk without you.
- Notify any other owners or dog walkers on your account that you are running a 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.
- The Lost Dog Mode test will look to mimic what would happen if your dog were actually lost, for this reason if your dog is a known escape artist that likes to visit a particular area, you'll want to plan your test in this area. If you want to understand coverage near a particular safe zone, you'll want to plan your test around this area.
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Start the test:
- Open the Fi App on your mobile device.
- Tap Live in the lower left hand corner:
- Tap your dog's profile photo on the top left:
- This will open a map showing your dog's latest known location. Tap LOST on the top right to turn on Lost Dog Mode:
- Once activated, the collar will also begin to flash red to signify Lost Dog Mode is active. Please note, this can take a few minutes, the switch from normal mode to lost dog mode will take the longest amount of time to toggle on the first time - do not toggle lost dog mode on and off.
- You'll see a banner on the top of the Fi Map indicating Lost Dog Mode is turned on and that your Fi Light is now red:
- Have the person walking the dog begin their 20-30 minute walk outside of the safe zone. Ensure that the person walking the dog has the Fi app closed (so the collar will not be able to connect to their mobile device).
- During their walk, you may receive notifications with known GPS location reports. Keep an eye on these notifications to see if they are accurate to their location during the walk.
- We suggest that you keep the person walking your dog on the phone and let them know where the notification is showing they are at to see if it's accurate.
- Once they return home, turn off Lost Dog Mode by tapping on the red X in the top right hand corner:
- Once you turn lost dog mode off, you'll need to verify your dog is found. Tap "I found (your dog), disable lost dog":
- Tap on the arrow in the lower left hand corner to get back to the Live page:
- 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:
- If you tap on the walk card, it will open a map view with more details of where your pet was during the walk:
- The test is complete. If your test generates a walk card, you will be able to verify the accuracy of the GPS locations received from the collar in the app. Additionally, you can Contact Fi Customer Success for a more in depth report.