Enable Location Services on the Fi App

02 November 2026 21:08
Updated

Fi only uses your phone’s location when you’re near your pet. Here’s why it matters.

GPS is most accurate outdoors with a clear view of the sky, and less reliable indoors. When the tracker can’t get a good GPS signal, Fi needs another way to know where your pet is, whether they’re safely at home, out with you, or on their own.

That’s where your phone comes in. When your phone is within Bluetooth range of your pet’s tracker, Fi uses your phone’s location to show where your pet is. For this to work in the background, without you opening the Fi App, your phone’s location needs to be set to “Always”.

As your pet moves around, the tracker switches between the connections available to it, and connects to your phone whenever you’re together. Each time it’s connected, the tracker can skip using its own GPS, which saves battery.

This gives you:

More accurate tracking, indoors and out
Fewer false escape alerts, because Fi knows when your pet is with you
Longer battery life, so your tracker has power when it matters most: if your pet ever gets lost

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Fi track my location when I’m not with my pet?

No. Fi only uses your phone’s location while it’s connected to your pet’s tracker, and only to report your pet’s location.

Why does it have to be “Always”?

Your tracker connects to your phone in the background, so you never need to open the Fi App. Apple and Google don’t offer an “only while connected to an accessory” option, so “Always” is the only setting that lets this work.

Why does Fi need precise location?

Without it, your phone only shares an approximate location. That means Fi can only show an approximate location for your pet when it’s with you.

Will this drain my phone’s battery?

Only a little. Most members see a few per cent of their phone’s battery go to Fi. How much depends on how often you’re with your pet away from a Fi Base. At home, your Fi Base does most of the work.

Does Fi sell my data?

No. Fi does not and will not share or sell your data with any third party. We understand that you are sharing a lot of information with us in order to keep your pet safe, and we take this responsibility seriously. No data is shared, directly or indirectly, with vendors, and Fi does not make any money from the data stored in our system. We sell you a membership to equip your pet with the best available technology, full stop.

Why am I seeing a location or Bluetooth prompt in the Fi App?

If location isn’t set to “Always”, or Bluetooth is turned off, the Fi App will remind you to turn it on. Tap the prompt to go straight to your settings.

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