How to improve location accuracy
When you are connected over Bluetooth
When the Pebblebee devices are connected over BLE they are using the phone's GPS to update the location. The blue dot that shows on the map is the current location of the phone. The best way of improving the GPS location is by changing the GPS accuracy of your phone:
On iOS:
- Go to your phone Settings > Privacy > Location Services.
If you are using the Pebblebee app:
- Make sure the Pebblebee app Location permission is set to 'Always'.
- Check 'Precise Location' toggle is ON.
- Keep the app always open in the background.
If you are using the Find My app:
- Make sure the Pebblebee app Location permission is set to 'While Using the App'.
- Check 'Precise Location' toggle is ON.
- More detailed steps: https://support.apple.com/en-gb/HT203033
On Android:
(These steps may vary for different phone models)
- Go to your phone 'Settings'.
- Search for 'Location'.
- Tap on 'Improve accuracy".
- Turn on Wi-Fi scanning.
- Turn on Bluetooth scanning.
When you are connected over cellular
[Found only - does not apply for other Pebblebee devices]
For the Pebblebee Found you can receive location updates when you are out of Bluetooth range using GPS if you are outdoors and have an active subscription.
The accuracy of the location points will depend on the following factors:
- The version of your FoundOS
- We continuously work on improvements for the Found firmware. We recommend always keeping your Found up to date to get bug fixes and improvements.
- Environment conditions
- The way the device is positioned can interfere with the GPS signal reception.
- GPS technology is meant to work outdoors when it has a clear view of the sky. If your device can't get satellite information it won't be able to provide a location.
- For the best possible accuracy, we recommend placement that will effect in the top side of the device having a clear sky view (on the top side of the dog collar, next to a windshield in a car, etc.).
- If you have your device inside a building and very far from a window (e.g. a parking garage) your device might have trouble updating the location. For indoor use, we recommend using the Found with Bluetooth connection.
- The LTE-M network quality
- The Found uses the LTE-M network to connect to the cloud. The quality of this network can interfere with the information provided to Pebblebee to locate your device, as well as lower your battery life. As this technology continues to improve and expand, the location reports will also get more accurate.
If you are seeing location points that are too off of the actual place (miles or kilometers away), please contact us at support@pebblebee.com.
