How Device Tracking Works

Bolt uses devices to associate incoming position reports with your account. This page covers device registration, tokens, compatible clients, and the status labels shown on My Devices.

Register a tracker

1. Visit My Devices and select Register Device.
2. Give the tracker a clear label (for example, “WX Jeep” or “Tablet GPS”).
3. Bolt saves the device and issues a unique Device API Token for it.

The number of devices you can keep on your account depends on your plan.

Connect a client

Each device has its own token. Open the device card, choose Reveal or copy it directly, then paste it into your tracking client.

• BoltReporter — Windows app with high-rate reporting and serial GPS support.
• OSMAND-style apps — Android/iOS clients that use the same OSMAND ingest format.

What the device status means

• Fresh: Reporting within the last 2 minutes.
• Stale: 2–10 minutes since the last fix—verify power or cellular signal.
• Really Stale: 10–30 minutes old—Bolt will not start a chase with this device.
• Dead: No fix reported in over 30 minutes.

Battery, motion, and exclusions

Incoming telemetry can include speed, heading, battery state, charging state, motion, and whether the latest point is flagged as excluded.

Privacy and organizations

Visibility follows your account privacy setting. Public allows broader sharing, Organization limits exposure to eligible organization viewers and org placefiles, and Private hides your location from shared feeds.

Next steps

• Launch Start Outing from Bolt's Map and pick your preferred tracker.
• Enable the SpotterNetwork relay on the Account page if you want people on SpotterNetwork to see your location.
• Check the BoltReporter guide for tuning tips and troubleshooting.