Frequently Asked Questions

Answers match the public user manuals. Source of truth: docs/manual/FAQ.md in git.

Product

• What is 3BO?

  3BO is a micromobility-focused Assure-Tech company based in Stellenbosch, South Africa. We build theft prevention and detection, live tracking, and coordinated recovery workflows for people and organisations that own or manage bikes and bike fleets.

• How is 3BO different from a regular GPS tracker or AirTag?

  AirTags and Find My rely on nearby phones in Apple’s network. 3BO is an active cellular bike tracker: when your bike moves, WhatsApp alerts you, you can start a live map session on demand, and you choose when to notify contacts with Share ride or Emergency. Live sessions report over the tracker’s LTE/GSM link – including quieter and rural roads where Bluetooth proximity networks are thin.

• Who is 3BO for?

  Cycling shops protecting floor stock and after-hours risk, professional teams safeguarding race bikes and spares, fleet operators across sites, and riders who want WhatsApp-first alerts with a live map they control.

• What does the 3BO device look like, and how is it fitted?

  Trackers are compact and designed for discreet frame or saddle-area mounts depending on the kit. Fitting is quick; removal uses the issued tool so the unit is hard to rip off casually, yet still removable for race day. See the user manuals and the shop for the current kit.

• How accurate and fast is the tracking?

  Movement wakes the WhatsApp alert path quickly so you can choose Track, Ignore, or Sleep. Once you Track, live sessions stream a browser map over cellular with frequent position updates for a clear path – including rural routes where phone-crowd networks are thin. On the ATC700, Teltonika allows location records as often as every 1 second; 3BO Bike Tracker production profiles typically save and send every 30 seconds while the bike is moving (hourly when stopped on the balanced profile).

• Is accident detection available?

  Crash / accident detection is available as an opt-in product add-on on supported devices. It is designed for rider safety escalation, not only theft. Ask us which hardware and plans include it for your fleet.

• Do I need to install an app?

  No for day-to-day alerts. Save the 3BO WhatsApp chat as a contact. Type Help or Menu anytime. Live tracking uses a browser map link – no separate tracking app required for the core flow.

WhatsApp alerts and escalation

• How does the escalation chain work?

  When a bike is moved, WhatsApp offers Track, Ignore, or Sleep. Track starts a live map session for you first – contacts are not notified yet. When you want help, use Share ride (calm) or Emergency (urgent) to notify accepted family/friends (messages include your name + the live link). On the live map, tap the tracker pin then Navigate to for turn-by-turn to the latest ping. After Share ride, tap Safe and sound to stop the live map and tell contacts they can stop watching – it also closes the current movement episode so the next theft/movement fires a fresh alert. Stop Tracking ends the map without messaging contacts and also closes the movement episode. Add contacts with Add contact (or typed Add contacts) in WhatsApp or on Profile; they must tap Accept. Remove contact (or typed Remove contacts) opens a list – tap a number to remove (no typing), or use Profile x. Report Lost in the portal, a device SOS / panic button, or crash Need help notifies accepted contacts automatically with Emergency – you get one owner message with the live link and Stop Tracking / Share ride / Safe and sound (no need to tap Emergency again). Ignore dismisses this movement; Sleep pauses motion alerts and ends live tracking until you Wake (battery alerts may still arrive). You stay in control.

• Can 3BO help with insurance claims?

  Yes. The platform can support incident documentation (timestamps and tracking context) for insurance conversations, and the Bike Registry / passport flow helps store ownership details such as make, model, and serial. Talk to us about what your insurer needs.

• How do I get set up?

  Choose how many bikes you want to protect, request pricing via the shop (Request a quote on each kit) or Contact, pair each unit on WhatsApp, add contacts in the portal, and run a test Track / Share cycle. Most single-bike setups are live quickly; fleets follow an agreed ops playbook.

• Is 3BO available outside South Africa?

  Yes. Hardware and platform are used internationally. Cellular behaviour depends on local SIM/roaming arrangements – we confirm coverage when you enquire or order.

• How long has 3BO been operating?

  3BO was founded in 2022 and has been live with shops, teams, and partners since then. Ask us for current deployment references relevant to your segment.

Device lights

• What do the device LED colours mean?

  Fleet source of truth is the ATC700 OEM light card (TCT only enables/disables fixed colours). TMT250 is aligned as closely as Red/Green/Blue allow.

  ATC700 (quiet profile): panic/SOS = red fade · battery low = red blink · charging = yellow fade · fully charged = green steady · sent without GPS = yellow brief · send failed = red brief · crash = WhatsApp only (no LED).

  TMT250 (target): panic = red + vibrate · battery low = red blink · charging = green flash (stand-in for ATC yellow) · fully charged = green steady · live densify = blue flash · crash = WhatsApp only.

  Some TMT units still use an older map until CFG refresh. FMC920 / TAT100: use WhatsApp Status and the live map.

  On WhatsApp, type LED. Device Help: app.3bo.mobi/manual.

More detail: user manuals | solution guides | shop.