Safe Trip alerts

Last Update:Nov 3 2023 2:33pm • Est. Read Time:Est. Read Time: 6 MIN

Learn more about Safe Trip alerts

Safe Trip alerts give you more peace of mind that your pet is out safely with a family member. When your pet leaves their Safe Place with a family member, WHISTLE™ will connect to your family member’s phone, and let the whole family know who your pet has left with. 

Safe Trip alerts also improve your Whistle device's battery life, and gives you more choice over your Location notifications.

Safe Trips is available for Whistle Switch (Health & GPS+) and Whistle Go Explore (Health & GPS) devices only

Included in this section:


How Safe Trip alerts work 

You can invite family members and other caretakers to the Whistle app to be notified when they leave with your pet.

Add Family members in the app by opening the Settings screen and tapping "Manage Family"


Once they’ve joined your pet’s Family on Whistle, Safe Trips will work like it does with your phone. If multiple family members leave a Safe Place with your pet, Whistle device will recognize the family member's phone closest to your pet when they leave. 

If they have an iPhone / iOS device, they will also need to enable Safe Trip Notifications.


How we use location services

The Whistle app uses the location services setting built into iOS and Android phones. The Whistle app uses location services to connect to your Whistle device via Bluetooth, even when you are not using the app. We do not use location services to track your location, ever.

 

How to enable Safe Trips

For iPhone/ iOS

You can enable Safe Trips from your notification settings. Safe Trips is available on app version 2.5 and above, and Whistle firmware update .29 and above.

How to enable:

  1. Go to the Pet tab
  2. In the top right corner of the screen, tap the gear icon to open Settings
  3. Scroll down to Notifications
  4. Tap the notification you want to adjust (push, email, text)
  5. Toggle the Safe Trip alert to active for each type of notification


I don’t see Safe Trip alerts in the Whistle app >

How to keep your Whistle device and Whistle app up to date >

How to change notification settings for Safe Trips >


For Android

Family Trips will automatically be enabled once you have updated your Whistle device and Whistle app. Family Trips is available on app version 2.5 and above, and Whistle firmware update .29 and above.

To check that you are on a version supporting Family Trips:

  1. Go to Human Stuff
  2. Tap Push Notifications
  3. Family Trips should be listed under Location notifications

If you see an orange alert icon, your Whistle devices do not have the latest update. 

How to keep your Whistle device and Whistle app up to date >

I don’t see Family Trips in the Whistle app >


How to change notification settings for Family Trips

When Family Trips is enabled, you can customize when you want to be notified. Only want to be notified when your pet is out alone? Turn off notifications for Family Trips. Want to keep track of who’s with your pet? Make sure you keep Family Trip notifications on.


On iOS


1. Go to Human Stuff
2. Tap the notification you want to adjust (push, email, text)
3. Toggle Family Trips on or off


! IMPORTANT: When you turn off a Family Trip notification, you are indicating that you don’t want to be notified when your pet is near your phone, or near a family members’ phone. 


On Android

Note: These options are available on Whistle app version 2.5.2 and above


1. Go to Human Stuff
2. Tap Family Trips
3. Tap the toggle for the notification you want to adjust (push, email, text)


! IMPORTANT: When you turn off a Family Trip notification, you are indicating that you don’t want to be notified notified when your pet is near your phone, or near a family members’ phone.

 

Android — How to disable / turn off notification in status bar

The notification is an Android system feature that lets you know that the Whistle app is running even when you don't have the app open. Whistle does this so we can look for your pet and connect to their device when you leave a Safe Place together. All apps that run in the background will use some of your phone's battery. 

You can hide this persistent notification from your phone's settings. Instructions will vary based on the Android version you are on. Learn how to check your Android version.

Android 8.0 and up.

Note: These options are available on Whistle app version 2.5.2 and above

  1. Pull down to expand your notifications
  2. Tap the “HIDE” option on the persistent notification

Android will then notify you that the Whistle app is using battery. To hide this notification:

  1. Swipe down to see your notifications 
  2. Press and hold on the "Using Battery" notification, and then turn it off. 
  3. Tap Done


Android_Persistent_Notification.jpg


To un-hide the persistent notification:

  1. Go to the Settings app on your phone
  2. Tap Notifications
  3. Tap the Whistle app
  4. Turn on the Family Trip Notification

 

Android 7.0 and below:

Unfortunately, your Android operating system doesn't have the option for you to hide this notification permanently. If you can, update your phone to Android 8, then follow the steps above.

If you can't update your phone, you can hide the notification temporarily, or if you're not interested in using Family Trips, can opt-out of the feature. 

To hide the notification temporarily (Family Trips will still work):

  1.  Press and hold the notification
  2. You should see a gear icon or info icon. Tap it to go to notifications for the Whistle app. (If you can't see this step, go to your phones settings > tap apps > tap Whistle > tap Notifications)
  3. Turn off Whistle notifications
  4. Turn on Whistle notifications

This will temporarily remove the notification until you restart your phone or open the Whistle app. 


Troubleshooting

Included in this section: 


Understanding how Family Trips works

  • Family Trips relies on the Bluetooth connection between your phone and the Whistle device
  • Bluetooth range can be up to 15 feet, but can be affected by interference from other devices and physical obstacles.
  • When your pet leaves their Safe Place, Whistle looks around to see if any recognized family member’s phones are nearby, and connects to the first family member it recognizes
  • Recognized family members are people who:
    • You have added to your pets family
    • Have enabled the Family Trips feature
    • Have Bluetooth turned on on their phone

 

I don’t see Family Trips in the Whistle app

Family Trips is listed under your location notification settings. If you do not see Family Trips in your notification settings, please update your Whistle app.

Android: How to automatically update apps >

iOS: How to automatically update apps >

 

I haven't gotten a Family Trip notification

For iPhone/ iOS

A quick look at your pet’s Battery & Device screen in the app will help guide you on why Family Trips might not be working.

  1. Go to the pet tab
  2. Tap Battery & Device
  3. Scroll down to Connectivity
  4. Check if anything is in red. This means one of your phone settings are not properly set up. 
  5. Tap on the red text to see how to fix the phone setting.

If Connectivity is not showing any errors (nothing is in red):

  • Check that your Whistle has the latest update. On the same Battery & Device screen, look at the FW version listed.
  • Check that your notification settings for Family Trips are on:
    • Go to Human Stuff
    • Tap the notification type you want to check: Push, Email, or Text
    • Check that Family Trips is on (the toggle should be green)

For Android

  • Check that your phone’s Bluetooth is on 
  • Check that Location Services is on
  • Check that your notification settings for Family Trips are on:
    • Go to Human Stuff
    • Tap the notification type you want to check: Push, Email, or Text
    • Check that Family Trips is on (the toggle should be green)
    • If you see an orange alert icon next to Family Trips, your Whistle devices do not have the latest update. 

How to keep your Whistle device and Whistle app up to date >

 

I’m not reliably getting Family Trip notifications 

Family Trips depends on the Bluetooth connection between your phone and your Whistle. If you are getting some Family Trip Notifications, but not every time you expect, here are some troubleshooting tips:

  • Check your Whistle’s Connectivity status:
  1. Go to the pet tab
  2. Tap Battery & Device
  3. Scroll down to Connectivity
  4. Check if anything is in red. This means one of your phone settings are not properly set up. 
  5. Tap on the red text to see how to fix the phone setting.

Other tips:

  • Verify that you are leaving your Safe Place with your phone.
  • Verify that you are within 15 feet of your pet when you leave the Safe Place together
  • If you are not getting notifications for a specific family member, make sure you have added them to your pet’s family in the Whistle app.
  • Consider expanding your Safe Place if your pet is running ahead of you (more than 15 feet) past the edge of their Safe Place when you're together.

 

How to turn on Location Services from Settings

For iPhone/ iOS

  1. Go to the Settings app
  2. Tap Privacy
  3. Tap Location Services
  4. Make sure the Location Services toggle in on (green)
  5. Scroll down and tap the Whistle app
  6. Tap “Always”

ios_location_always.gif

For Android

  1.   Go to Settings app
  2.  Tap Apps
  3.  Tap the Whistle app
  4.  Tap the Permissions section
  5.  Toggle “Location” ON

 

Family Trip notifications only include one family member

The family member's phone that Whistle connected to the fastest (usually closest to your pet when leaving the house), will be in the notification. We do this so we can notify your family as fast as possible that your pet is safely outside.

 

How to turn off the Family Trips feature

For Android

Note: These options are available on Whistle app version 2.5.2 and above

  1. Go to the Whistle app
  2. Tap Human Stuff
  3. Tap Family Trips
  4. Tap the toggle to disable

 

For iPhone/ iOS

  1. Go to the Settings app on your phone
  2. Scroll down to the Whistle app
  3. Tap Location Services
  4. Tap “While using the app”