# Updates
May 4, 2026
#### Reliability, Battery, and Image Improvements
> **Release date:** 4 May 2026
*Quieter LEDs, no more lost capture photos, faster image uploads, low-battery alerts you won't miss, and live photos while an animal is in the trap during Scouting Mode.*
***
**How the update installs**
This version is delivered **over-the-air (OTA)**. It downloads and installs automatically the next time the trap reboots or powers up. No manual action required.
> **Check the version**\
> \&#xNAN;*Settings → Trap Info → Firmware* should show **v706** or newer.
***
**📷 Image capture**
* **No more lost approach photos.** If the animal moved closer while your trap was still sending the previous photo, the next photo used to be silently dropped. The trap now holds onto the most recent approach moment and sends it as soon as the camera is free — so you see the most useful frame.
* **Faster image uploads on cellular.** Photos finish transferring noticeably faster, especially when the trap is sending many in a row.
* **Live photos while you scout.** During Scouting Mode, the trap now sends a rapid burst of photos when an animal first enters (about every 5 seconds for the first minute) and then a steady photo about every 15 seconds for as long as the animal stays in the detection zone — so you can watch activity unfold instead of seeing only the entry shot.
**🔋 Battery life**
* **No more red LED during sleep.** The status LED used to stay solid red while the trap was in deep sleep, slowly draining the battery. It's now off — quieter trap, longer life.
* **Low-battery alerts you won't miss.** If your trap loses cell service when it tries to alert you about low battery, the alert now waits and delivers as soon as the trap reconnects. No silent dead-trap surprises.
**🛠️ Reliability**
* **Sleep retries instead of staying awake.** If the trap can't go to sleep cleanly, it now retries — instead of staying awake and burning battery. Cellular connections also recover automatically after sleep-related stalls.
* **More reliable boot after power events.** Removed an old recovery routine that occasionally caused mysterious hangs after a power glitch. The trap now comes back up cleanly.
***
**Scouting Mode is now documented**
Full customer documentation for **Scouting Mode** — observe trap activity without closing the door — is now live in the docs at **Getting Started → App → Scouting Mode**. It covers how to start scouting, what alerts and photos to expect, when to use it instead of Armed mode, and troubleshooting.
***
**Version note**
If you're checking with support, the firmware version for this release is **v706**.
***
April 3, 2026
#### Scouting Mode Beta
> **Release date:** 3 Apr 2026
>
> *This feature shipped publicly with the v706 release on May 4 — see the entry above.*
*Scouting Mode lets you observe the trap without closing the door.*
***
**What's new**
* Added **Scouting Mode** for watching trap activity without capturing
* The door must be **fully open** before scouting can start
* You'll get an alert when an animal reaches the **pre-capture distance**
* You'll get another alert if the animal reaches the **trigger distance**
* The door **does not close** while in Scouting Mode
* After the animal leaves, scouting resets and waits about **5 minutes** before sending a new round of alerts
***
**Version note**
If you're checking with support, the firmware version for this release is **v632**.
***
April 21, 2024
#### Firmware v1.12.7‑250 — Release Notes
> **Release date:** 21 Apr 2025
*New toggle for keeping the trap awake while unarmed, plus faster GPS, clearer battery readings, and assorted fixes.*
***
**How the update installs**
This version is delivered **over‑the‑air (OTA)**. It downloads and installs automatically the next time the trap reboots or powers up (for example, after a battery swap). No manual action is required.
> **Check the version**\
> \&#xNAN;*Settings → Device Info → Firmware* should show `v1.12.7‑250`.
***
**🎛️ New — Unarmed Hibernation Control**
| Setting | Behaviour | Default |
| ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| **Unarmed Sleep Mode** | After 2 h unarmed & idle, the trap enters full hibernation (power‑off) to save battery | **Yes** |
**Change it:**\
`Settings → More Settings → Unarmed Sleep Mode` → toggle **No** to keep the trap fully powered while unarmed.
> **Heads‑up:** Disabling sleep increases battery usage.
***
**🔧 General improvements**
* Faster location fixes & steadier GPS reporting
* Smoother, more accurate battery percentages and voltage readings
* Sharper, better‑timed images in all lighting conditions
* Overall stability and performance enhancements
***
Jan 8, 2023
**New Update: Dark Mode and UI Improvements on OcuTrap**
1. **Dark Mode Added:** A new Dark Mode option is now available, reducing screen glare and making the website comfortable to use in various lighting conditions.
2. **UI Enhancements:** The user interface has been improved for better navigation and responsiveness across devices.
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