Why did my tracker show me an inaccurate position?

Your tracker should report positions that are accurate to around 8 meters when outside with a clear line of sight to the sky. We are committed to making sure all data you see in your app is as accurate as possible. If something doesn’t look right, please:

  1. Take a 10-minute test walk around the block with your tracker in your hand and LIVE tracking active to test the performance of the tracker when outdoors in LIVE mode.
     
  2. Use the Contact button at the bottom of this page and provide us with the time of the inaccurate position you saw in the app (please send us a screenshot if possible), and the time of your test walk in LIVE mode.

Here are the most common reasons for seeing a less accurate position:

  • GPS interference: When your tracker’s line of sight to the sky is blocked - such as by tall buildings, the roof of your home, or very thick forest - it doesn’t receive such clear data from GPS satellites, which leads to less accurate positions. However, we have algorithms in place that aim to exclude any very inaccurate data from the positions you see in the app. We also recommend setting up a Power Saving Zone to avoid inaccurate positions when your pet is safely at home.
     
  • Use of LIVE tracking when indoors: Your tracker tries to detect a new position every 2-3 seconds in LIVE mode. As mentioned above, GPS devices are unable to receive such clear data from satellites when indoors. Therefore, we don’t recommend using LIVE tracking when indoors as it can lead to less accurate or “jumping” positions. 

  • Default tracking mode: This isn’t actually an inaccurate position, but when you begin using the tracker, you might wonder why your pet’s movements don’t appear very detailed in normal tracking mode. This is simply due to the difference between Default and LIVE tracking mode - activate LIVE tracking on a walk to see every twist and turn!

  • Power Saving Zone in the wrong place: When you set up a Power Saving Zone to save battery life, you choose the location of the WiFi zone in the app. If you put the pin in the wrong place, your app will show this location every time your tracker detects your WiFi. To fix this, simply go to Profile > Tracker and tap on Edit next to Power Saving Zones. Select the Power Saving Zone in question, move it to the correct location and tap Save.

If you still see inaccuracies or would like us to check any positions or walk for you, we’ll be delighted to do so and you can reach us using the button below.

 

Contact Tractive

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