A firmware update that doesn't finish looks alarming, but don't worry — nothing you've set up is lost, and retrying is safe. Here's how to tell a genuine failure from an update that's simply taking its time.
Jump to:
- "Update failed"
- Stuck on "Requesting"
- "Installing" that looks frozen
- Retry a Module (Bluetooth) update
- Retry a Main update
"Update failed"
The update screen comes back with the title Update failed and a Try again button. You'll usually get a notification too: "{Pet}'s tracker update failed" — "Please try the update again."
A failed attempt doesn't change the firmware on your tracker — it stays on the version it was already running. Your zones, alerts and settings are stored in your account, so they're untouched too.
Why Bluetooth (Module) updates fail most often
The transfer runs from your phone, so it needs the app on screen. If the app goes to the background or the phone locks part-way through, the transfer stops — iPhones in particular end Bluetooth transfers as soon as the app leaves the foreground.
Stuck on "Requesting"
If a Bluetooth update stopped without reporting a result, the card can sit on Requesting. Simply close and reopen the Tracker info screen: the app automatically tidies up an update that's been sitting there over a minute with no transfer actually running, and the card returns to a state you can act on.
"Installing" that looks frozen
Give it a few minutes. At the end of an install the tracker restarts, and while it does it can appear off or offline. The app says it plainly:
The tracker will restart to finish the update — this is normal. It may appear offline for a few minutes.
The tracker status screen shows "Updating tracker firmware" with the note: "Location reporting may pause while the update installs. The tracker comes back online by itself when it is done."
Retry a Module (Bluetooth) update
- Charge the tracker.
- Put the tracker right next to your phone.
- Turn Bluetooth on and make sure the Ask A Vet app has Bluetooth permission.
- Open Tracker info → Module firmware → Retry update.
- Stay on the screen until it finishes. If you try to leave, choose Stay on the "Update in progress" prompt.
Retry a Main update
- Make sure the tracker is powered on and connected to the mobile network — not just Bluetooth.
- Move it somewhere with decent coverage if the signal is weak.
- Tap Retry update and leave the tracker on and online.
If it still doesn't work
If it fails several times in a row despite the checklists above, email support@askavet.com. Include your Tracker ID, hardware version and both firmware versions from the Tracker info screen, plus the exact wording you saw.
[CONFIRM: what an owner should do if the tracker loses power part-way through an update, and whether any recovery step is needed].
Related articles - The firmware update won't start - How to update your tracker's firmware - How to check your tracker's firmware version and device details - When to contact Ask A Vet support about your tracker