Tricker Tracker

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use Tricker Tracker instead of those other paid services? Paid services for GPS tracking can charge as much as $30 per month or more per tracking point. Our service is very efficient in terms of what we offer and how we run it. Still, Tricker Tracker works and we think you will be satisfied. Give us a try before wasting your money on monthly charges or expensive GPS tracking units.

Why do I need to install software on my smart phone? TrickerTracker, the application you install on the smart phone is needed so the phone will know how to gather and send the coordinates and where to send them to. The application will not affect your phone's current functionality and the application can be easily uninstalled. The application has no ads, spyware, or malware.

How large is the TrickerTracker application? The installer that is downloaded from the website is under 870KB for Windows Mobile and under 30KB for BlackBerry. Once installed, the application will take up about that much space.

I received a security warning during installation. Is the application safe? TrickerTracker will safely run on your device. Depending on the security level on your phone you may get different types of warnings during installation. If you have difficulties installing the application or your provider requires a security certificate, please contact our support team and mention the name of your provider and the city/country where they provide service to you. We may be able to add your provider's certificate to the installer. We are constantly improving our application and adding compatibility to different wireless providers.

Can I send the coordinates to another location? No. The software will only send the coordinates to the Tricker Tracker site. However, you can download your coordinates to your PC whenever you like so you can view them in other programs such as Google Earth.

Google Earth doesn't accept the downloaded coordinates. What's wrong? The downloaded coordinates file is a comma-delimited CSV file. The free version of Google Earth doesn't import comma-delimited CSV files. However there are programs that convert these files to KML, which Google Earth does read. Go to csv2kml for a free conversion utility.

Can I post my map to the public? Yes you can. Tricker Tracker now allows your map to be viewable to anyone. After activating your account, simply enable the Public Map view under Your Map. When enabled, you will receive a web address which you can share with anyone. This link will show your location without your friends having to create an account or log in. You can enable or disable Public Maps any time. If you later decide to disable Public Maps, the link will no longer show your coordinates.

How often are the coordinates sent? Coordinates are currently sent every 2 minutes or at whatever interval is set in the Tricker Tracker application.

Can the application be used to spy on my spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend etc. without him or her knowing? We get asked this question a lot. Although the application was not designed with stealth capabilites, it can be minimized after it is started (this is generally done by pressing the end button). This will allow the application to run in the background and for the smartphone to continue working as usual. Note that Tricker Tracker does not encourage marital spying. However, we are not in the marriage counseling business. Also note that certain states may have laws against tracking others without their knowledge.

How much data is transferred from the phone to the server? The information sent is very small (typcially under 1KB) and consumes very little bandwidth. Also, the values are sent only every 2 minutes or at the interval selected. Regardless of that, an unlimited data rate program from your cellular provider is recommended.

Can I use my mapping software (such as TeleNav or Google Maps) and the tracking application at the same time? If you are using a built-in GPS, then the answer is Yes. If you use external/bluetooth GPS, the application can still coexist with mapping software, but you have to use a Bluetooth utility to set the applications to use different COM ports.

Won't using my cell phone's built-in GPS drain the battery more quickly? Not with our application runnig. TrickerTracker for devices with built-in GPS includes a Power Save mode. This mode sends coordinates less often and turns the GPS device on and off automatically to conserve battery. Note that if you also open a mapping application at the same time (such as TeleNav), the other application may keep the internal GPS device on and will prevent this feature from working.

What if I go out of cellular range? The Windows Mobile application will buffer the coordinates until you return to cellular coverage range. The BlackBerry version currently does not support buffering.

What are Perimeter Alerts? Perimeter Alerts is a new feature which allows you to receive an email when your subject enters or leaves the perimeter (which you define). Note that the email used is the same email you defined when you registered. For example, you can be notified if your child has left his school (perimeter exit alert) or if your parents are almost home (perimeter entry alert). Simply click on the link under Your Map and define the center and size of the perimeter. Specify whether to send an email when the subject enters or leaves the perimeter. That's it. Remember that if the application only sends updates every 10 minutes, it can take that long to get the alert so if you want to be notified quickly you should shorten the update frequency on the phone.

Perimeter Alerts are designed to only send you one email per perimeter entry or exit so you don't have to worry if a subject triggers a perimeter and then stays there. For example, if the alert is defined as a perimeter entry alert and the subject enters the perimeter you will be sent an email alert. Even if the subject stays there for a while you will not be sent another email alert until the subject exits the perimeter and then re-enters.  You can always disable perimeter alerts to stop emails from being sent.

The speed shown appears to be lower than my actual speed? Download the latest version of TrickerTracker to correct this problem. If you still see a discrepancy, send us an email stating your given speed and the speed given by the device to see if we can correct it.

What if I can't see the coordinates on the website? Make sure you have put in the username and password correctly on your device and make sure you have cellular coverage with data access. Also after registering, your account needs to be confirmed by following the instructions sent via email. The application shows Coordinates Sent and Coordinates Buffered, either of which will increase every two minutes. If Coordinates Buffered is increasing, your device does not have data connectivity. If Coordinates Sent is increasing, then coordinates have been sent to the server. Allow at least 2 sets of coordinates to be sent before they appear on the website. If at that point they do not show up on the site, check that the username and password entered in the application under Setup matches the credentials you use to log into the website and make sure not to use any spaces.

How is the information stored/used on the server? The information is stored on a back-end database and it is accessible only by using your username and password or by enabling Public Maps. By default, Public Maps are disbled and in this mode, your coordinates are not accessible by anyone else without your account information. We currently do not share the information with any 3rd party but we reserve the right to use the information for targeted advertising. We will never distribute the tracking information with any personally identifiable information attached to it. Also, Tricker Tracker currently limits the amount of data stored per user.

The application is not working. What can I do? The application has been thoroughly tested. However, there are many different smartphones and GPS devices and we may have not tested your phone yet. If you have any problems send an email to support@trickertracker.com with a description of the problem, your phone type, and Windows version.

What if I don't want to be tracked anymore? We would hate to see you go. Remember that there is no tracking/uploading of data while the application is turned off or when you press the GPS OFF button. But our application can be easily uninstalled through your phone's uninstall utility. You can also send an email to the webmaster to have your account terminated - you must include your username and send the email from the email address you registered for confirmation.

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