• Annual Top-Up Required:
  As outlined in our user guides, the SIM card in your Petrek device must be topped up at least once every 12 months. If not topped up within 13 months, it will be permanently deactivated by One NZ.
  
  
• SIM Deactivation & Replacement:
  Once deactivated, the SIM cannot be reactivated. You’ll need to send the device back to us for a SIM replacement and setup. You can purchase a SIM + Setup Pack here.
  
  
• Google Map App Fee:
  After the first year of use, a Google Maps integration fee applies, as announced in 2020. More details available here.
  
  
• Reception Considerations:
  If you live in an area with limited coverage from Spark, Skinny, or 2degrees, let us know during checkout so we can supply a compatible SIM.
  
  
• SIM Card Specificity:
  You don’t need to match your phone’s provider with the tracker’s SIM.
  
  
• Do Not Replace SIM Yourself:
  Petrek devices are IP67-rated waterproof, and opening them can compromise the waterproof seal.
  
  Replacing the SIM requires special sealing and torqueing, so we recommend contacting us for support instead of replacing it yourself as you will void warranty.
  
  
• Recommended Plan:
  We suggest using One NZ Pay & Go plans for Petrek GPS trackers where coverage is sufficient. This ensures reliable service at the lowest long-term cost.

Note: If you have purchased or given a used unit please contact us first. As a used unit or a unit that has been left for more than 12 months after purchase may have an expired SIM and Google map app fee. The guide below is for brand new unit purchased directly from us and/or our retailers. 

If you have recently bought, received or got given a Petrek or PetFinder device you can find the full latest setup guides Here

If your device is not updating (whether new or old), please check the following:

• SIM card is topped up and still active. (Refer to the SIM Plans section in the FAQ)
  
• Google Map app license has not expired. (See the bottom of the “Info” menu in the app)
  
• Make sure the device is outdoors in an open area, powered on, and set to Urgent Mode (30-second updates) where One NZ/Vodafone signal is available.
  
• If it is updating every now and then, please keep reading below to troubleshoot.
  
  1. Why Isn’t My Tracker Updating frequently?
  
• Sometimes after setting your Petrek to 1 or 2 hour power saving reporting modes, the tracker may seem unresponsive—not because it's faulty, but because it's doing exactly what it was told: saving battery.
  
  
• If your tracker is in 2-hour mode, it only “wakes up” to update once every 2 hours to save battery. Vice versa if it's in 30min or 1 hour modes too.
  
  We do not recommend using these modes unless you have an older stay home dog/cat or going away for long periods where you require maximum battery efficiency.
  
  
• Think of it like texting someone who only checks their phone every 2 hours—they won’t see your message until the next time they check.
  
  
• When the device wakes up in longer interval modes (30 min, 1 hr, 2 hr), it will first check for known WiFi networks—especially your Homezone WiFi.
  
  
• If it detects that it’s still within range of home WiFi, it will often stay in sleep mode and not send an update, because it assumes the pet is still safely home.
  
  
• This helps preserve battery significantly by avoiding unnecessary location updates when the tracker hasn't moved far from its last known safe zone.
  
  
• If you request a 30-second update while the device is still asleep, it won’t respond until it wakes up again (possibly up to 2 hours later).
  
  
• However, pressing the power button once will immediately wake the device, allowing it to receive your new update frequency request right away.
  
  Tip: If you need faster tracking, switch the device to 30 sec, 5 min, or 10 min mode, then give the tracker a quick button press to apply the change instantly.
  

Choosing the Right Mode for Your Needs:

• 2-Hour Mode: Great for indoor pets or infrequent use.
• 10-Minute Mode: Ideal balance for mischievous pets—still efficient, but responsive.
• 5-Minute or 30-Second Mode: Best for active tracking or outdoor adventures. More frequent updates = shorter battery life.

Tip: If switching to a faster update mode, press the tracker’s button to wake it up and apply the new setting immediately.

2. Power & Signal

• Make sure the device is fully charged and powered on and taken outside to test.
  
• If the device is indoors or in an area with poor signal (e.g., rural areas or metal sheds), the device may struggle to update. Once it returns to a location with good reception, updates will resume—just like your phone needs signal to send a message.
  

3. New Units – Topping Up the SIM

• If your device is brand new, double-check that the SIM was topped up using the instructions provided.
  
• Important: If you accidentally enter a 021 (Non-One NZ) number in the second contact box, this may freeze your credit in the One NZ FastPay system.
  
  Call One NZ to confirm the credit has been added—but avoid mentioning it’s for a tracker, as it can confuse support staff.
  

4. Expired SIM?

• If your SIM hasn’t been topped up in over 12 months, that’s likely the issue—just like a phone without credit can’t send messages.
  
• If it’s been more than 13 months, the SIM has probably been deactivated. In that case, please don’t top it up—click here to order a replacement SIM.

5. Other Checks

• If your SIM and Google Map app fee are both current and the device still won’t update:
  
  -Restart your phone.
  -Fully close and reopen the app.
  - Make sure device is outside
  - Make sure there is 3G or 4G network.
  -Set to urgent / 30 second mode
  
• Still no luck? Take the unit for a short drive into town to help it reconnect.
  

6. Still Not Working?

• If you’ve tried everything above and it’s still not updating—especially if it’s a brand new unit—please contact us for further troubleshooting. It could be a hardware issue.

Both the iPet App (for Petrek GPS & Petrek 3G) and the SafeTrek App (for Petrek GPS-4) are compatible with iOS and Android devices. For the best performance, we recommend using a phone with at least a 2GHz dual-core processor and 6GB RAM.

While there are some minor layout differences between iOS and Android versions, the core features and operation remain the same.

Recommended Settings:

Settings Menu (three dots, top right corner):

LBS Location: Leave this disabled to avoid inaccurate updates caused by cellular tower-based positioning.

Map Mode: Set to Hybrid for the clearest tracking view.

Notification Settings: Enable to receive alerts for low battery and geo-fence breaches. Customise alerts via your
phone's notification settings.

iPhone users should enable alerts under Geo-fence Settings > Enable
Notification.

Geo-Fencing Setup:
Access via the side menu (Top left icon)
Tap finder and hold on the centre point of your Geofencing zone and adjust the zone/distance with the + / - buttons.

This allows alerts if your pet exits via common escape routes. Alerts depend on update mode which can vary between 30 seconds to 2 hours, we recommend 5min for naughty pets for bext battery and performance balance.

False alarms can occur with weak signals; enlarging the zone can help.

Location Update Modes:
Urgent Mode: 30 sec updates | Battery: 3-5 hrs | For emergencies.

Normal Mode: 5-10 min updates | Battery: 7-10 hrs | For daily roamers.

Power Saving Mode: 30min / 1hr / 2 hrs updates | Battery: 3-7 days | For routine pets/stay at home pets

Power Saving mode auto-switches to Normal when a geo-fence is breached.
If your pet goes missing in Power Saving mode:
1. Switch to Urgent Mode
2. Set a geo-fence alert
3. Wait for the next check-in (usually under 2 hrs)

Tip: If the tracker is near you, turn it off and on or quick press after changing modes for faster updates

Battery performance depends on update mode, GPS/GSM signal quality, your pet's activity level, and whether the tracker is indoors or outdoors.

🐶 Petrek 3G (Legacy Model)

No Homezone WiFi • Older GPS & Mobile Tech

Mode Update Frequency Estimated Battery Life:

• Urgent Mode: Every 30 seconds
  Battery life: 3–6 hours
  
• Normal Mode: 5–10 minutes
  Battery life:7–10 hours
  
• Power Saving Mode: Every 2 hours
  Battery life: 2–4 days

Best Use Recommendations:

• Urgent Mode is ideal for short bursts of real-time tracking during emergencies.
  
• Normal Mode works well for daily roamers like outdoor cats or dogs who might wander.
  
• Power saving Mode is best after observing your pet's habits and setting a geofence—if they leave that area, tracking automatically switches to more frequent updates.
  
  ⚠️ Battery Note:

Petrek 3G units use more power when:

• Indoors or under shelter (signal hunting)
• In areas with poor GPS or mobile coverage
• In low activity or strong reception zones, battery life improves.

🐕‍🦺 Petrek GPS-4 (Current Model)
Includes Homezone WiFi • More Efficient Power Management

• 30 second mode
  Battery life: 3–7 hours
  

• 5 minute mode
  Battery life: 1-2 days
  
• 10 minute mode:
  Battery life: 2–3 days
  
• 30 minute - 2 hour modes:
  Battery life: 3-7 days

Smart Features:
Homezone WiFi Detection:
If the GPS-4 wakes up and still detects your home WiFi network, it assumes your pet hasn’t moved far and stays in sleep mode—saving battery.

Best Use Recommendations:

• Urgent Mode is for finding your pet quickly in real time. (Click lightning button on the app for 1 second update bursts over 60 seconds)
  
• 5–10 Minute Modes are great for regular roamers with balanced battery life.
  
• 30 Min–2 Hr Modes suit pets with predictable routines. Homezone detection helps further extend battery life.

⚠️ Battery Note:
Even the GPS-4 will use more power if:

• It’s frequently indoors or under cover where Homezone Wifi is not available. (signal hunting)
  
• It’s outside of WiFi range and in low-signal areas
  
• In strong signal zones and when your pet is less active, battery performance improves.
  
  
  
  

• 
  Upon adding your Petrek unit's IMEI number, you will be prompted to enter the passcode, which is "12345678".
  
  
• After adding the IMEI to this account, it cannot be added to another account unless it is removed. You can share the tracker's location by clicking the "share" button, but the recipient will not have full control over the app.
  
  
• If the recipient or all family members wish to have full control, including the ability to access location history and adjust reporting settings, they just need to sign in to the SafeTrek account linked to the specified IMEI number of the Petrek unit. For instance, if you log into SafeTrek with abc123@abcmail.com and have linked IMEI 12345678910 to that account, that IMEI will be associated with that specific account.
  
  
• If you have logged back into SafeTrek and noticed that the IMEI is no longer associated with that account, it could be due to a prior login with a different email or account. Contact us with either the IMEI number or your order number, and we will assist in identifying the correct account and potentially removing the IMEI for re-addition to your new account.

ZZZ Icon:
The device last received a signal but did not detect any
movement. It will update when movement is detected if the signal is available,
and the battery has adequate power remaining.

Exclamation ! Icon: 
The app and your device have lost connection (offline) due to a lack of signal,
potentially caused by being in an area with poor GSM reception. Once the device
has sufficient GSM and GPS signal and adequate battery power, it will update
accordingly.

Cell Tower icon:
The device detects movement and has GSM reception but is likely indoor where GPS
signal may be obstructed. The device will update accordingly when placed
outdoors where both signals are accessible.

Satellite GPS icon:
The device detects movement and has access to both signals to provide an update. It is
important to check the strength of the GPS signal to ensure accuracy, as weak
GPS signals can be detected indoors as well from time to time.

Lightning icon:
With the necessary signals in place, the lightning mode will commence a continuous search and update of its location every second for a duration of 60 seconds. It is recommended to utilize this
function judiciously as it may lead to substantial battery consumption and is best suited for emergency scenarios. Will not work if device is offline.

Park "P" icon:
Alerts are triggered when motion is sensed and can be applied to either stationary
objects or to dogs or cats in situations where you wish to be notified upon their return to service i.e. emerging from areas of poor signal reception.

Bullseye icon: (Top right )
The map is reoriented to your phone's current or last known location, facilitating a
comparison of your position relative to the device's most recent update.

Important note:
If an icon remains inactive for extended
periods, particularly hours or days beyond the last update displayed on the
timestamp in the information menu, it indicates that your device may be
switched off, the battery might have depleted before an update could be
performed, or the SIM card or the App fee for Google Maps may have expired.
Refer to our FAQ section for additional details.

Troubleshooting Inaccurate Location Updates

Occasionally receiving inaccurate updates? Here’s what to know:

1. Understanding GPS & GSM Limitations

GPS trackers work best when outdoors with a clear view of the sky. Indoors, or when under shelter (like a fence or garage), the signal weakens or may bounce off structures — sometimes showing a location 300m–1km away from the actual spot.

Before using your Petrek tracker on your pet, we recommend doing a “road test.” Walk or drive with the tracker in Urgent Mode and observe the update behaviour to understand local GPS accuracy. Trackers usually require 3–4 updates to fully lock onto satellites after sleep mode or coming out from indoors.

2. Accuracy Can Vary Due to:

• GPS signal strength (under shelter or indoors)
  
• Google Map accuracy (can be 20–40m off in rural or new development areas)
  
• Environmental density (walls, hills, trees)
  
• Your pet’s behavior (lying against the ground or wall blocks signal)
  

Tip: When your pet is resting against a wall, GPS updates may appear off-target — this is normal. Trackers also tend to be more accurate when the pet is moving in the open.

3. GPS Signal Indicators:

Each update in the app includes GPS and GSM signal strength. To check, tap and bring up the bottom menu to see the status.

No GPS
➤ Tracker is under thick shelter, soil, or heavy cover.
➤ Accuracy: Unavailable
➤ Tip: Stay patient and wait for the device to regain signal.

Weak
➤ Usually indoors or under heavy obstruction.
➤ Accuracy: 30–60+ meters, sometimes up to 1km in rare cases.
➤ Tip: Signal may bounce from distant towers or buildings.

Normal
➤ Under light shelter or in areas with partial sky view.
➤ Accuracy: 15–35 meters

Excellent
➤ Outdoors with clear sky view and strong satellite connection.
➤ Accuracy: 0.5–30 meters
➤ Tip: This means movement is likely out in the open.

4. Recommended App Settings:

• Turn off LBS Mode in app settings (top right “...” menu). LBS uses cell tower signals when GPS is unavailable — but can show locations 1–3km off.
  
• Leave in 5 or 10 minute reporting modes for best balance of updates and battery life.
  

4. Still Inaccurate?

Even if your area has poor GPS or map data, you can still use the tracker effectively. Over time, you’ll learn where signal weak spots are — for example, if it always shows your pet 50m down the driveway each time the dog is in the garage, you’ll know they’re likely by the garage.

• If you bought or have been given a used unit, it is likely your SIM and/or Google map app fees  has expired, so please contact us if you are unsure so we can look into the history of the device for you to see what needs replacing/updating. 

• You will typically need to return the device for inspection, updates, and a new SIM card replacement to ensure that it functions properly, as this will be carried out by our technicians.
  
  
• If your device has been fully set up and previously operational, ensure it is charged and powered on before allowing your pet outside. In the event the device is in locations or structures without signal coverage, it may face difficulties in updating. Once the device enters an area with proper reception, updates will resume, similar to how a phone requires sufficient signal strength to send a message.
  
  
• If it has been more than 13 months since your last SIM top up, then do not top up as One NZ would have likely deactivated the SIM. Please follow this link to get a new SIM fitted into your device.
  
  
• If your SIM has been topped up every 12 months but your device still does not update, please check and make sure the Google map app fee has been renewed. 
  
  
• If both your SIM is up to date and your Google map app fee has been renewed and it still does not update, please restart your phone, and/or fully close the app before reloading it. Check the device is outside in the open, has One NZ has 3G/4Greception and is in urgent mode. If all fails take it for a drive to town and back. 
  

There is a few reasons as to why your tracker might be sending you some false alerts especially when you find your cat or dog just lazing round the living room or in the back yard. The most common cause is weak GPS signal, because as you'll read in the product page descriptions that when the tracker is under shelter, indoor or wedged between your pet's neck and the ground this can block direct GPS signal from above which is required for a more accurate location. 

When this happens,  inaccuracies of up to 200m or sometimes even up to 1km in extreme cases will occur.  Hence, false alerts will occur when direct GPS signal is blocked.

So the best way to reduce false alarms is simply move the Geo-fence out a little at a time until the false alarms becomes minimal. Unfortunately due to current technology limitations associated with small GPS tracking devices this is a common characteristic for small size GPS trackers. This is why in our online guide we stress that if Geo-fence is triggered always check the GPS signal strength, if it shows “Excellent” and you see a pattern of your cat or dog moving in one certain direction then you should switch to urgent mode and start walking towards the same direction.

If you find that there is still inaccuracies even when out in the open/on the move move please get in touch with us and our technicians will do a full inspection for you.

Ideally to make sure your tracker will work when it's needed the most, switch to urgent mode and put it in the car on your next grocery run to confirm that it tracks majority of the route you drive on. If it does not, contact us so we can get a full inspection and repair done for you.

Unfortunately not, a microchip does not have any sort of “location tracking” based technology in it. It is simply a hidden address tag that helps animal shelters, vets and RSPCA etc identify who the pet belongs to when found. A GPS Tracker requires too many components to be able to be made small enough to fit into a chip, on top of that it requires charging and we don't recommend plugging your cat into the wall for charging!

If you have a Petrek GPS or 3G unit, both these devices have clips and fitments made to come off under stress. This means if your cat or dog gets stuck on a fence, tree or in a rabbit hole the tracker will break off to prevent your pet from being strangulation. If your tracker falls off say on a fence, you will likely get good GPS signal and be able to get within 5-10 metres of the device. If you see no GPS or weak GPS signal on the last update, this means your tracker has broken off under a shelter, indoors, or inside a rabbit hole and could be anywhere within 50-100m of the area.Unfortunately this means the chances of salvaging your tracker becomes much lower. So we suggest looking into the location history and see where the last few updates are. Try and find a pattern to it, was it heading towards west? East? or South? Look around the area in that certain direction. As mentioned in our T&C if you have a lost tracker we will not be liable and will not be able to send you a replacement. However, contact us and we will provide a special discount for returning customers.If you have a PetFinder, Provided the transmitter tag on the collar is switched on and is still within range of the remote unit you will be able to start tracking down via signal strength. When within 10-20 metres you can switch to mute mode and zero in bybeeping soundscoming from the tag when required.If you are out of range, simply start walking in the areas where you normally take your dogs for a walk as dogs tend to wander in their own territory especially if they are taken out for walks often. If you have a cat start by walking in a 200 metre radius round your house. Chances are if your cat is is out and about it’s normally within the 200 metre boundary, simply keep walking until the remote unit gets an connection within it’s range.

In short, yes they do, but do they harm anything? Not one bit! All Lintek Radio frequency and GPS Trackers have been CE (Europe compliance) and FCC (American compliance) approved. Meaning we have had to send everything we make to their international testing labs and go through up to 150 pages of safety tests and checks.

This is simply to make sure that all of our products are 100% safe to be used on and by anything! The radiation levels given by our trackers are next to none compared to the average cellphone humans use today!

The batteries in the Wi-Leash and PetFinders use small CR2032 button batteries which are cheap to replace and can last up to 90 days depending on model and usage. If you leave it on every day and it is being triggered every day, it may only last a few weeks or less. Both The Wi-Leash, PetFinder LR and PetFinder Multi all come with a silicone splash case(s) for the transmitter tag(s), so are resistant against rain and water splashes but are not submersible, e.g not to be used for swimming.

Have more than one pets? Want to purchase more than one RF or GPS tracker to track them all? 

Lintek’s RF trackers have over 20000 unique IDs so the chances of you tracking the wrong pet is miniscule!

Indeed! The most common reason for this is radio frequency signals like to bounce off metal and concrete while normal human bodies can also absorb RF signals (not in any way harmful!)

Hence at times if your pet walks behind a wall or 2 that might give off a few chirps! Simply treat it as a reminder to keep an eye on your pet but do expect a chirp here and there at times because unfortunately this is the characteristics of a Radio frequency based tracker.