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Live tracking and long battery life do not happen at the same time
Updated
A GPS pet tracker listing gives you two big numbers: how fast it updates and how long the battery lasts. They come from different modes. Tractive's 2 to 3 second updates are LIVE mode. Its day counts are normal mode, and the headline assumes a Power Saving Zone at home. When your pet is actually lost, you get the fast updates and the short battery.
How often it updates
| Tracker | Normal mode | Live or lost mode |
|---|---|---|
| Tractive DOG 6, CAT Mini, DOG 6 XL | About every 10 minutes on average while moving, as rarely as every 60 minutes when resting. No positions sent inside a Power Saving Zone | Every 2 to 3 seconds. Turns off after 5 minutes of non-use by default |
| Fi Series 3+ | The Fi help center page we read did not give an interval | Lost Mode: live tracking every few seconds |
| Halo Collar 5 | The listing claims updates 20 times per second. Halo's help center rates the battery at up to 48 hours and says to charge nightly | |
Tractive's help center says the normal interval depends on how active your pet is. A resting cat can go an hour between points. That is fine for a pet at home. It is why you switch to LIVE the moment your pet is missing.
How long the battery lasts
With a Power Saving Zone (the headline)Without a Power Saving Zone
- Tractive CAT Mini5 days2 days
- Tractive DOG 614 days6 days
- Tractive DOG 6 XL42 days20 days
| Tracker | Headline | Without a Power Saving Zone | Share of the headline |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAT Mini | Up to 5 days | 2 days | 40% |
| DOG 6 | Up to 14 days | Up to 6 days | 43% |
| DOG 6 XL | Up to 6 weeks | Up to 20 days | 48% |
A Power Saving Zone is an area you set up, usually home. Tractive says the tracker does not report positions inside it, to save battery. Tractive lists LIVE tracking, poor cell coverage and weak GPS signal as things that use more battery.
Fi gives ranges by lifestyle for the Series 3+: up to 3 months for a dog that is mostly home, 4 to 6 weeks for moderate activity, up to 2 weeks for a dog outside most of the day. In Lost Mode, Fi says about 2 days on a full battery, and it advises keeping that mode for emergencies.
What this means for you
- Plan around the low number. If your cat spends days outside, the CAT Mini is a 2 day tracker, not a 5 day one.
- Charge before a risky day. Fireworks, a hike, a move, a new sitter. Start with a full battery.
- Save live mode for the search. It is the fast one and the hungry one.
- Set up the home zone. It is what makes the headline number possible.
Compare all the battery ranges on the roundup page, or see which kind of tracker fits your pet with the checker.