# Pre-Capture Notification

### What It Does

**When enabled and the trap is in Armed Mode**, Pre-Capture Notification alerts you when an animal is detected approaching the trigger point. This early warning system sends a notification and a photo (if applicable), helping you stay ahead of trap activity.

### How It Works

OcuTrap uses a distance sensor to detect animals before they reach the capture zone. It monitors two key areas:

* **Detection Zone (300–450 mm from sensor)**: The trap starts tracking an object and may send a pre-capture alert.
* **Capture Zone (0–250 mm from sensor)**: The door closes when the object is confirmed inside this zone.

**Default capture distance** is **250 mm (about 10 inches)**. Pre-capture alerts can fire while an animal is still in the detection zone, before the door closes.

#### Example

With the default **250 mm** capture distance:

* At **\~350 mm**, you may receive an **"Early pre-capture"** alert with a photo.
* At **\~250 mm or closer**, the trap confirms capture and the door closes.

Alert text looks like:

* "Pre-capture: 10.0 in detected"
* "Early pre-capture: 13.8 in detected"

> Units (inches or millimeters) depend on your trap's **Units** setting. For the full sensor model, see [Technical Specifications](/getting-started/technical-specifications.md).

### How to Enable or Disable

This setting is configured per trap:

1. Open the OcuTrap app or [base.ocutrap.com](https://base.ocutrap.com)
2. Tap on the trap you want to edit
3. Go to **Settings → More Settings**
4. Find the **Pre-Capture Notification** option
5. Toggle to **On** or **Off**

> Default setting: **On**

### Why Use This Feature?

* See what’s approaching your trap before it’s too late
* Detect non-target animals early (like pets or skunks)
* Monitor animal behavior without needing a capture
* Improve trap placement and setup based on activity patterns

### Need to Turn It Off?

If you prefer to only be notified after a capture, you can disable **Pre-Capture Notification** in settings at any time. It will not affect the actual capture or release functions.


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