Why is the Pawfit App showing that my pet is half a mile away when my pet is at home with me?

Symptoms

Why is the Pawfit App showing that my pet is half a mile away when my pet is at home with me?

Resolution

[Why indoor accuracy can be less accurate]

The Pawfit tracker uses GPS to track locations and sends over the tracking data via mobile phone network. However, GPS signal is only available when in open space with clear view of the sky. If the tracker is indoors then it may not be able to receive the GPS signal. When GPS signal is not available, Pawfit uses the less accurate assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology by combining nearby WiFi and cell tower information to approximate your pet’s location. Depending on where your area is, the accuracy of it can range from a few metres to several kilometres. For more information, please visit: What location tracking technologies does Pawfit use?

Our optimisation algorithm updates the A-GPS locations regularly by comparing them with GPS readings. Therefore, the more frequently that you use Pawfit in your area, the more indoor location accuracy you will get.

[Other ways to help improve indoor accuracy]

To improve the indoor tracking accuracy, we provide the home WiFi feature. By using that it should give you more accurate locations when the tracker is within the range of the home WiFi. Before setting or updating the home WiFi, please make sure that the tracker is within the WiFi range, and your phone is connected to the selected WiFi. To set up or update the home WiFi of your tracker, please visit How do I create or edit my home WiFi?

[Enable live tracking to correct it]

You may also enable the live tracking mode to correct the less accurate location. The live tracking mode forces the GPS module to stay on for 10 minutes, maximising the chance of getting a GPS fix in challenging situations. To learn how to turn on live tracking, please visit What is live tracking and how do I enable it?

[Change location accuracy threshold]

If you are still facing issues, the last resort is to set the Location Accuracy Threshold to 10m, by doing that it will remove all A-GPS locations, even the potentially good ones. What is the Location Accuracy Threshold? Does it improve location accuracy?

[Provide Device ID]

If the problem still persists, please contact support for further help by quoting your device ID. To learn how to locate your device ID, please refer to the following link: Where can I find my device ID?

Causes

1. Location not updated due to poor network connection;
2. Inaccurate A-GPS location received;
3. Possible device fault;