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Troubleshooting

Below you will find all the essential troubleshooting steps for RIDER.
If you run into an issue not covered here, please let us know at support@dronetag.com.

Basic Operations​

tip

Many problems can be solved simply by updating your RIDER to the latest firmware. Always start here.

Firmware and software update

We keep improving RIDER all the time.
Make sure you are using the latest Dronetag App and device firmware for best performance.

Follow the guide here: Firmware Update

Hard reset

Use hard reset to force the device to restart.
This should be your first step if RIDER behaves unexpectedly.

How to do it:

  • Press and hold the Power Button for 15 seconds
  • LEDs will turn purple → reset is complete
Reset to Factory Defaults (buttons)

Resetting to factory defaults clears your configuration and restores RIDER to the default state.

How to do it:

  1. Hold Action + Power buttons for 20 seconds
  2. Keep holding when LEDs show purple
  3. Release when no LED is purple and the RGB animation starts
Reset to Factory Defaults (App)

You can also reset RIDER via the Dronetag App:

  1. Turn RIDER on and open the Dronetag App
  2. Go to Profile → My Devices → Dronetag RIDER
  3. Open Troubleshooting → Reset to factory defaults
warning

Reset via buttons is only available on firmware 1.4.1 or newer

Diagnostic logs

Sometimes our support team will ask you for diagnostic logs.
These help us understand what’s going on inside RIDER.

How to obtain logs:

  1. Turn on RIDER and open the Dronetag App
  2. Go to Profile → My Devices → Dronetag RIDER
  3. Open Troubleshooting → Obtain Diagnostic Logs

The logs will be downloaded and ready to share with our support.

Contacting Support​

When emailing support@dronetag.com, please include:

  • Your account email
  • Device name and 20-digit serial number
  • Phone OS (e.g. iOS 16, Android 14)
  • Problem description – what’s happening, what you expected
  • Steps to reproduce – if possible
  • Screenshots / screen recording – super helpful for us

This makes it much faster for our support team to help you.

Common Issues​

LINK LED stays red

If the LINK LED is red for more than 5 minutes, check:

  • RIDER is registered with your Dronetag account
  • Trial or Data Bundle is active
  • Firmware is up to date
  • LTE signal is strong

Try this:

  1. Register RIDER in the app
  2. Buy or activate a new Data Bundle, or switch to Drone Scanner (gen. 2) app to use it offline
  3. Move to an area with better LTE signal
  4. Set LTE band on "auto detect" and APL/PLMN is set on "Auto"
  5. Upload a new firmware verision.
  6. Factory reset your device.
  7. Wait for 24 hours while keep the device on (keep it connected to a charger).
  8. Update your firmware.
note

If the red LINK persists, contact support@dronetag.com

Waiting for GNSS

The yellow GNSS LED means RIDER can’t get a satellite fix.

  • Make sure you are outdoors with clear sky
  • Wait at least 2 minutes

Try this:

  1. If you are in an area with a poor GNSS signal, you can boost the reception by changing the GNSS configuration. If you have cellular enabled on the device, you can see the number of satellites in the device detail.
  2. Update firmware
  3. Hard reset (hold Power 15 s)
  4. Reset to factory defaults (hold Power + Action 20 s)
RIDER detects only at short range

Range can be affected by:

  • Buildings or natural obstacles
  • Strong Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interference
  • How the antenna is positioned

Try this:

  1. Move away from strong transmitters (Wi-Fi, radars, towers, Bluetooth devices with permanent communication like headphones,...)
  2. Keep antenna vertical, not touching other objects
  3. Don’t block RIDER with your body
RIDER does not detect anything

The most common cause: using the wrong antenna.

Check that you are using a 2.4 GHz antenna with SMA male connector.

Also:

  • Move to an area with less interference
  • Hard reset RIDER
  • Ensure the antenna is not in contact with any other object
  • Keep antenna vertical, not touching other objects
Device feels hot or inflates
  • It is normal for RIDER to feel warm during operation
  • If it gets too hot or the case starts inflating, turn it off immediately

Then:

All three LEDs are lit red

When all three LEDs stay red, RIDER is in error mode.
Most often this happens because of:

  • Wrong LTE band settings in the app
  • Expired subscription
  • Outdated firmware

Check first:

  • LTE bands are set correctly in the app
  • Your subscription is valid
  • Firmware is up to date

Try this:

  1. Hard reset RIDER
  2. Correct the LTE band setting
  3. Activate your subscription plan
  4. Update to the latest firmware
  5. Factory reset the device
note

If the LEDs stay red after these steps, contact your reseller or support@dronetag.com.

Battery is discharging too fast

Fast battery drain is usually caused by:

  • Using RIDER in freezing temperatures (< 0 °C)
  • Running outdated firmware
  • Device accidentally left turned on

Check first:

  • You are not using RIDER in freezing conditions for a long time
  • Latest firmware is installed
  • Device has not been switched on by accident

Try this:

  1. Avoid prolonged use in freezing conditions
  2. Accept that cold weather always shortens battery life
  3. Update to the latest firmware
  4. Prevent accidental power-on
note

If RIDER still discharges quickly after these checks, contact support@dronetag.com.

Battery is not charging

Charging may be disabled due to high temperature.
RIDER automatically stops charging when it gets too hot to protect the battery.

Try this:

  1. Place RIDER in a cool location
  2. Try charging again once the device has cooled down
Impossible to turn RIDER on

RIDER won’t turn on if:

  • The battery is completely discharged
  • Overheating protection has been triggered

Check first:

  • Battery is charged to at least 5%
  • Device is not overheating

Try this:

  1. Attempt to power on while charging
  2. If RIDER is hot, let it cool down first
  3. Perform a hard reset
note

If none of these steps work, contact support@dronetag.com.

Device only turns on when connected to a charger

This usually means USB mode was enabled accidentally.
In this setting, RIDER only powers on while charging.

Check first:

  • In the Dronetag App:
    Profile → My Devices → Dronetag RIDER → Configuration → USB mode → OFF

Try this:

  1. Disable USB mode
  2. Perform a factory reset
note

If the battery % in the Dronetag App stays at 0% even after charging, the problem is likely hardware-related. Contact your reseller or support@dronetag.com.

Button doesn’t work

This can be caused by dirt under the button or a manufacturing defect.

Try this:

Firmware update is crashing

Sometimes firmware updates fail if the conditions are not right.
Before starting, make sure:

  • Your phone has a stable internet connection
  • RIDER is charged to at least 50%
  • You are not using or moving the device during the update

Try this:

  1. Run the firmware update again
  2. Perform a hard reset
  3. If needed, perform a factory reset
  4. Retry the firmware update after the reset
note

If the update keeps failing, contact your reseller or support@dronetag.com.

Device is in a reset loop

If RIDER keeps restarting on its own:

Try this:

  1. Perform a hard reset
  2. Reset to factory defaults
  3. Let the battery fully discharge, then recharge completely and try powering on again
note

If the reset loop continues, contact your reseller or support@dronetag.com.

LTE signal is interrupted

Most LTE interruptions are caused by poor signal coverage from the provider.

Check first:

  • You are in an area with good LTE coverage

Try this:

  1. Hard reset the device
  2. If coverage remains weak, consider switching RIDER to offline mode

…and so on for the other cases (battery, charging, firmware update, LTE drops, button not working). Each issue should follow the same simple pattern:

What it means → What to check → How to fix → Note/Warning if needed