What To Do After Your Smartrack Is Fitted

The complete post-installation guide: What To Do After Your Smartrack Is Fitted

Knowing what to do after your Smartrack is fitted is essential for maximising your vehicle’s security.

The engineer has packed up and left. Your Smartrack tracker is installed, commissioned, and active. Job done, right?

Almost. There are four things you should complete in the first 24 hours after installation — and one of them, if you skip it, could leave your insurance cover in a weaker position than you realise. Most installers hand you a certificate and wave goodbye without walking you through what comes next. This guide does exactly that.

It also covers everything you need to know for the months and years ahead — how to get the most from the Global Telemetrics app, what to do when your ADR tag battery dies, how to add a second driver, and what to do at renewal time.

What happens immediately after installation

When your Safe & Sound Mobile engineer finishes the installation, two things happen before they leave.

First, the device is commissioned live with the Global Telemetrics Secure Control Centre. This means the engineer confirms with the control centre that the tracker is active, transmitting correctly, and linked to your account. You do not need to do anything during this step — it happens directly between the engineer and the control centre.

Second, you will receive your Thatcham installation certificate by email, usually within a few hours of the installation being completed. This certificate is your proof that a Thatcham-approved device has been professionally installed in your vehicle. Keep it somewhere you can find it — you will need it.

The four steps to complete in the first 24 hours

Step 1: Download the Global Telemetrics app

The Global Telemetrics app is available for free on both iOS and Android. Search for “GTE Track” in the App Store or Google Play and download it. This app is your window into everything your tracker is doing — live location, journey history, alerts, battery status, and account management.

Once downloaded, log in using the account credentials that were either set up during installation or sent to you by Global Telemetrics. If you have not received login details, contact Global Telemetrics directly on their customer service line — the number will be on your installation certificate.

Step 2: Register your ADR device

If your tracker is an S5 model, you need to register your driver recognition token before your first journey. Depending on which variant you have:

• D-iD app users — register your smartphone within the GTE Track app under the driver recognition section. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your phone.
• Fob users — the engineer should already register your fob. Open the app and confirm it shows as an active recognised device.
• Card users — as above. Confirm your card is showing as registered in the app before driving.

Do not skip this step. If your ADR token is not registered and you drive the vehicle, the movement will trigger an alert to the control centre. You will receive a call to verify the journey, which is a minor inconvenience—but doing so repeatedly because the setup was never completed is frustrating and unnecessary.

Step 3: Set up your first geofence

A geofence is a virtual boundary you draw around a location — typically your home address. If your vehicle crosses that boundary unexpectedly, you receive an instant alert on your phone.

To set one up, open the GTE Track app, navigate to the alerts or zones section, and draw a boundary around your home. A radius of roughly 200 to 300 metres is a sensible starting point for most residential properties. You can adjust the size once you have seen how the alerts behave.

A home geofence is one of the most practical features available on your tracker. For van owners and tradespeople who park on the street overnight, it provides an immediate notification the moment the vehicle moves — often before a thief has even reached the end of the road.

Step 4: Send your certificate to your insurer — today

This is the step most people delay, and it is the most important one on this list.

Your insurance policy — if it includes a condition requiring a Thatcham-approved tracker — is only fully satisfied once your insurer has been formally notified that the device has been installed. Simply having the tracker fitted is not enough. Your insurer needs to see the certificate and note it on your policy.

Forward your Thatcham installation certificate to your insurance broker or insurer by email the same day. If your policy has a deadline for installation — some specify that the tracker must be fitted within 14 or 30 days of the policy start date — confirm with your broker that the certificate has been received and the policy has been updated.

If you are mid-policy and have installed a tracker to reduce your premium, potentially send the certificate with a note asking your broker to review whether a mid-term adjustment is available.

Do not wait until renewal. Do it today.

Getting the most from the Global Telemetrics app

Once your account is set up and your ADR device is registered, the GTE Track app gives you a useful set of tools beyond basic theft alerts.

Live location — you can check your vehicle’s location at any time directly in the app. Useful for keeping tabs on a vehicle used by a partner, employee, or young driver.

Journey history — the app logs every journey your vehicle makes, including start time, end time, route, and distance. For business vehicle owners, this is useful for mileage records and expense claims.

Battery alerts — the app will notify you if your vehicle’s main battery drops below a safe voltage. This is particularly useful for vans, motorhomes, and vehicles that sit unused for extended periods.

Tamper alerts — if anyone attempts to interfere with the tracker unit or disconnects the vehicle battery, you will receive an immediate notification.

Multiple vehicles — if you have trackers on more than one vehicle, the app manages them all from a single login.

Managing your ADR tag or card battery

If your S5 tracker uses a physical Bluetooth fob or credit card for driver recognition, the battery in that device will eventually need to be replaced. Most fob and card batteries last between 12 and 18 months with daily use.

When the battery level drops, you will receive an alert through the GTE Track app. Do not ignore this notification. A dead ADR battery means your next journey will trigger a movement alert to the control centre — you will receive a verification call. If this happens repeatedly, it becomes genuinely disruptive.

Replacement batteries are standard CR2032 cells available in any supermarket, pharmacy, or online retailer. The replacement process is straightforward and takes under a minute. When you fit a new battery, check the app to confirm the device is showing as active again before driving.

Set a reminder in your phone calendar for 12 months after your installation date to proactively check the battery, rather than waiting for the low-battery alert.

Adding a second driver

If another person regularly drives your vehicle — a partner, family member, or employee — they need to be registered as an authorised driver on your account. Without registration, every journey they make will trigger a movement alert to the control centre.

How you add them depends on your ADR format:

D-iD app — ask them to download the GTE Track app and log in using your account credentials, or contact Global Telemetrics to set up a secondary user profile. Up to five smartphones can be registered simultaneously.

Fob — order an additional fob through Safe & Sound Mobile or Global Telemetrics and register it to your account. Each driver should have their own fob.

Card — as above. Order an additional card and register it. Do not share a single card between two drivers — if both need to use the vehicle independently, each needs their own registered card.

What to do at renewal time

Global Telemetrics will send you a renewal reminder before your subscription expires — typically 30 days in advance. When it arrives, take a moment to consider whether your current plan still makes sense.

If you took a monthly or annual plan when you first installed the tracker, but now know you are keeping the vehicle for the long term, switching to a 3-year plan or the duration-of-ownership plan at renewal will save you money. See our full breakdown of Smartrack subscription costs for a comparison of every plan.

If you miss the renewal reminder and your subscription lapses, contact Global Telemetrics as soon as you notice. There may be an administration fee to reactivate, and there will be a gap in your monitoring cover and insurance compliance during the lapsed period. The sooner you reactivate, the smaller that gap.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know my tracker is working correctly?

Open the GTE Track app and check that your vehicle is showing a live or recent location. If the device has been commissioned correctly, it will show an accurate position. If anything looks wrong — no location showing, no account access — contact Global Telemetrics customer support directly.

What do I do if I receive a false movement alert?

Answer the call from the Global Telemetrics control centre and confirm you are driving. They will note the exception, and no further action will be taken. If false alerts are happening repeatedly, check that your ADR device is properly registered and has an active battery.

Can I move my tracker to a new vehicle if I change cars?

Yes. Contact Safe & Sound Mobile to arrange a transfer installation. A Thatcham-approved engineer will remove the device from your current vehicle and refit it in your new one. Your subscription transfers with the device in most cases — check your plan terms for any conditions that apply.

What if I lose my ADR fob or card?

Contact Global Telemetrics immediately to deactivate the lost token. This prevents anyone who finds it from being registered as an authorised driver. Order a replacement fob or card through Safe & Sound Mobile and register the new one to your account before driving again.

Need help with your Smartrack setup?

If you have any questions about your installation or account setup, call Safe & Sound Mobile on 01245 921133. We are happy to walk you through app setup, ADR registration, or anything else you need to get the most out of your tracker.