Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use your application to find my car?

Simply open your AutoAlert iPhone Groups application, send your location then access the Radar screen to see where you are in relation to your vehicle. Leave the application tracking and you can watch yourself home in on your cars position.

If you have not got an AutoAlert GPS Tracking Unit in your vehicle, you can still use the AutoAlert iPhone Tracking app to leave your location when you get out of your car then see your current position relative to that location when you are trying to find your car later on.

And if you do not have an iPhone, you can use any colour mobile telephone to check the last known position of your vehicle by pointing your phone at http://www.autoalert.me.uk/mobile/ then logging in with your account details.

How do I check a congestion zone?

If you have one of our congestion charge zone applications, then simply click on the main screen. The application will either start checking immediately or you can click to check zones.

This will send a message to the AutoAlert control system which will cross reference your phone's location with the the coordinates of the relevant congestion zone.

If a zone is found, this will be displayed on your phone.

Why do you need my details to register?

When you first set up your application it will ask for key details so that you can be registered on our system. This allows us to minimise the amount of location data sent from your device which improves battery life and reduces potential data costs. It also means that the data sent from your phone is completely anonymous until re-coded back on our system.

Providing your email also allows our system to send you a welcome message with your log in details and helps if you have any problems with any aspects of the service.

Is this service really free?

All AutoAlert iPhone applications are free to use without any further subscription costs. Depending on the application you can send your location, check whether you are in a congestion charging zone and view other devices and alerts.

However, if you want to access the additional features from our website, then this will incur a charge from £5 per month on a pay as you go basis. You will also be liable for any SMS messages sent from our system (message bundles can be purchased from our site) or date or messages sent from your phone.

What do you do with my tracking data?

Location data is stored securely in the AutoAlert system and backed up. AutoAlert has strict data protection and privacy policies.

How accurate is the location?

In order to work out the location, the iPhone uses a combination of WiFi data, Cell-Id and the Global Positioning System of (GPS) satellites. This can provide accuracy to within a few feet although this is dependant on the visibility of location data to the phone.

Note: Often the first location will be inaccurate as the phone searches for satellites. The more satellites the phone can see then the greater the accuracy will become.

Are there any data charges?

AutoAlert is a UK based company and the service has been designed for UK customers primarily on O2. Their tariffs include unlimited data and therefore no data costs are incurred. However, if you are on an unlocked phone, a PAYG phone or on a non UK phone then you should check your data tariff.

AutoAlert's award winning infrastructure ensures that data is minimised, however if you are worried about the cost, the amount of data sent can be reduced by increasing the time period or distance filter in the settings screen.

Will my existing phone work?

The phone tracking system has been developed initially for the iPhone. However, it is expected that new phones will be added over time.

I already have a dedicated tracking device. Will it work with AutoAlert?

AutoAlert has been developed to work with different modules and phones. Contact us to find out whether your phone or tracking unit is supported by AutoAlert Tracking.

Is my phone being tracked all the time?

Your phone sends tracking data only when the AutoAlert tracking application is running even when the phone enters sleep mode. On the iPhone, the application must stay in the foreground therefore if you access another application the AutoAlert application will stop tracking until it is reloaded.

What information does my phone transmit to AutoAlert?

The data sent to AutoAlert includes location, speed, a timestamp, and a randomly assigned id. Your phone number or other personal details are not transmitted.

How frequently do you update my phone's location on the web site?

You can set how often the location is updated on the site through the settings screen. Filter by time period or distance travelled.

Can tracking devices be installed in vehicles?

Yes. AutoAlert's background is in vehicle tracking. Check out our AutoAlert Tracking Products Page for more details of the innovative solutions that we offer. Your iPhone can be used as an alternative to an installed device, however this would not be advisable due to the risk of theft.

How much historical data do you store?

AutoAlert stores data indefinitely. Three months of data is instantly accessible via the myAutoAlert website. Longer periods can be requested although a charge may be incurred.

How do I install the AutoAlert Tracker on my iPhone?

Check out our AutoAlert iPhone Installation Guide.

Can I share my location?

Yes. Once logged in, your activity report includes an embedded URL link which can be copied and pasted into your browser, an email or your own web page. You can also create your own website and show your location on a google map using iframes. Go to the help pages within your myAutoAlert account to find out more.

You can now also add additional users to your account and then set what they can see from your location, reports or even settings if you so wish.

I really like your service. What can I do to support it?

AutoAlert is a young company with lots of energy and ambition. We are keen to develop our products and services and welcome any comments or suggestions of how this can be done. We also have an AutoAlert Referral Scheme in place where you can be remunerated for telling friends and colleagues. Distributors and agents for AutoAlert Tracking Products are also welcome.

What is the username and password to log on to the myAutoAlert site?

The username is the email you entered on registration (please note this is case sensitive). The password is the unique key which was returned when you submitted your details. Check here for additional iPhone support information.

If you have forgotten your account details, or still cannot log in, then you can request your account details

What do I do if I cannot logon to the myAutoAlert site?

This is generally due to incorrect capitalisation of the email address which also serves as the username. When you register the email, the iPhone will often capitalise the first letters. The username is case sensitive and it is therefore important to ensure the email is entered exactly as it was input by the iPhone. Check here for iPhone setup help.

If you have forgotten your account details, or still cannot log in, then you can request your account details

What if I've lost the unique key?

The unique key is shown in the settings screen on the AutoAlert Tracker application. When the application is running on your phone, press the settings button to show the settings screen. The unique key is shown in the top field of the settings screen. Check here for iPhone setup help.

If you have entered your unique incorrectly, or the system doesn't appear to be receiving data, then you can request your account details including your unique key

Can I get delete your application?

If for some reason you don't want to keep the application on your phone, then simply press and hold the application until a message pops up asking to delete it. Then click yes.

However, before doing this, we would be grateful if you could send us any comments or suggestions as to what we could do better next time.

The application quite unexpectedly?

We are restricted in terms of how much memory our application can use. If you have a number of applications installed, or if you have not rebooted your phone for a while then it may be that your phone's memory is running low. If you're applications quite unexpectedly, try rebooting your phone.

If you have downloaded the latest iOS with multitasking, then most application will remain open in the background even if you're not using them. To free memory, and reduce crashes close some of these applications by double clicking on the home button, selecting an app and keeping your finger pressed until the red minus sign is displayed then pressing it to close that application.

Can the application run in the background?

Unfortunately, Apple does not allow third party applications to run in the background. If this situation changes then we will update the application.

I keep getting an error saying the iPhone has no internet connectivity or cannot connect to server?

This is often caused when WiFi is turned on and the phone has connected to an open WiFi connection which is not public or which has a weak signal. The iPhone will connect to the network and show that it is connected but won't be able to transmit data.

Unfortunately the only cure for this is to turn off WiFi when out so that the iPhone uses it GSM connection.

The C-Zones application just keeps checking zones but doesn't do anything?

Check that your network settings are correct and reset if necessary. If the application cannot send the location either via WiFi or across the GSM network then it won't be able to work out whether it is in one of the Congestion Zones.

How do I upgrade applications?

If the application is installed on your phone and a new upgrade is released, you will be notified by a number on the App Store icon on your phone. To upgrade, go to iTunes and select Upgrade or Upgrade All.

Note: Sometimes a simple upgrade will not update the settings of the application. To do a full upgrade, delete the application, reset the phone and then download and install it again. (there should be no charge for the new download).

What do I do if my question isn't answered here?

Please don't hesitate to contact us we're always happy to help.

What other applications do you have?

Check here for more AutoAlert iPhone applications or here for information about our portable GPS tracking units for individuals or comprehensive GPS tracking units for fleets.

Further technical support is available once logged into the myAutoAlert website. Alternatively drop us a line and we will try and answer any questions.