Petcube Play User manual
MEET YOUR
Petcube Play
PETCUBE PLAY SPECS
AND SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Petcube Play features:
• 138° wide angle view
• 1080p HD video
• 3R class laser built-in laser toy
• 2-way audio
• Night vision
• 3x digital zoom
• Sound and motion alerts
Petcube Play requires:
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, 2.4GHz, password protected
• Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
• iOS 8.4 and higher or Android 4.0 and higher
• Wi-Fi internet connection
• Min 1 Mbps Upload speed on the Petcube
(recommended 2Mbps)
• Min 1 Mbps Download speed on the mobile device
(recommended 2Mbps)
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SAFETY AND HANDLING
To avoid injuries or causing harm, read all safety information and operating
instructions prior to using Petcube.
• Don’t drop, hit, shake, or tumble your Petcube Play camera.
• Don’t stain, scratch, or otherwise damage the front panel.
• Avoid prolonged direct eye contact with Petcube Play laser.
• Don’t use Petcube Play laser in combination with optical instruments. Note
that glasses and some watches have magnifying properties as well.
• Don’t point Petcube Play laser at people. Do not use the laser to guide your
pet in any direction that may cause harm to the pet, which includes windows,
stoves, etc. Beware that pointing Petcube Play laser at valuable objects may
cause your pet to damage or break them.
• Petcube Play is not to be used by minors unless under direct supervision
of an adult.
• Don’t expose to liquid, moisture, dust, excessive heat, or naked flame.
• Don’t leave in direct sunlight.
• Prevent the power cord from being walked on or pinched.
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HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
• Petcube features a 3R class laser which is used in laser pointers and
computer mice and is safe for human and animal eyes. However, it is strongly
recommended to avoid prolonged direct eye contact with Petcube Play laser.
Do not point Petcube Play laser at your pet’s eyes.
• Your pet needs some physical feedback to feel accomplished in catching
the prey. It is strongly recommended to use various physical toys apart
from the Petcube Play laser toy.
• There were occasional reports of dogs becoming obsessed with sources
of light like sun or laser beams. If you are in doubt, consult your vet doctor
and test a conventional laser pointer with your pet.
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GETTING STARTED
1. Setting up your Petcube Play camera on iOS device
To set up your Petcube, download Petcube application to your iOS device.
The Petcube app requires iOS 8.4 or greater and can be downloaded in the App
Store or at the link below:
www.petcu.be/ios-app-download
Connect your Petcube to a power source and wait up to a minute until the LED
light starts pulsing green. Open the Petcube app on your iOS device, log in
or sign up for a Petcube account using your email or Facebook account. Go
to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘connect your device’ and pick your Petcube from the list
of options. Keep in mind that you may be asked to turn on Bluetooth.
When the LED light on the camera is pulsing green, hit Next. To identify
the device, press ‘Select’ below the image of Petcube and hit ‘Next’ again when
the LED starts pulsing green rapidly. Wait for the app to exchange data with
the Petcube and scan for available Wi-Fi networks, then select your home Wi-Fi
network from the list, put in your network password and hit ‘Join’. If you don’t
see your home network on the list or if you’re using a hidden network, connect
to your home Wi-Fi by entering the name of your network and password
manually and then hit ‘Join’ (keep in mind that it is case sensitive).
Once the LED light on your Petcube changes to solid white, you are ready to play
with your Petcube.
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2. Setting up your Petcube Play camera on Android device
To set up your Petcube, please download the Petcube App to your Android
device. The Petcube App requires Android 4.3 or greater and can be downloaded
in the Google Play Store or at the link below:
www.petcu.be/android-app-download
Connect your Petcube to a power source and wait up to a minute until the LED
light starts pulsing green. Open Petcube App on your Android device, log in or
sign up for a Petcube account using your email or Facebook account. Go to the
‘Home’ menu in the top left corner of the app, select ‘Add Camera’, and pick your
Petcube from the list of options. Keep in mind that you may be asked to turn on
Bluetooth.
When the LED light on the camera is pulsing green, hit Next. To identify
the device, press ‘Select’ below the image of Petcube and hit ‘Next’ again when
the LED starts pulsing green rapidly. Wait for the app to exchange data with
the Petcube and scan for available Wi-Fi networks, then select your home Wi-Fi
network from the list, put in your network password and hit ‘Join’. If you don’t
see your home network on the list or if you’re using a hidden network, connect
to your home Wi-Fi by entering the name of your network and password
manually and then hit ‘Join’ (keep in mind that it is case sensitive).
Once the LED light on your Petcube changes to solid white, you are ready to play
with your Petcube.
3. Playing with your Petcube Play
If you successfully registered your Petcube and the LED light on it glows white,
go to the ‘Home’ tab in the Petcube App and press the ‘Play’ icon at the top.
To enable laser and audio, select the ‘Settings’ icon in the top right corner
of the screen.
4. Where to place your Petcube Play
Consider placing Petcube in a location that allows for maximum coverage
through the camera’s 138° wide angle lens. It’s always a good idea to point
the Petcube in the direction where your pets tend to spend most of their time.
If you want to place Petcube on a table or shelf, we recommend you set it up
at least 3 feet above the floor. Petcube has a non-slip rubber bottom, which
provides a secure grip on flat surfaces. The camera should be placed closer
to the edge of the surface for better viewing angle.
5. Using laser auto-play
The Petcube can entertain your pet with a laser game even if you don’t have time
to play yourself by activating the laser autoplay mode. To enable this feature
open the Petcube App, go to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings’ in the upper right
corner and switch the ‘Autoplay’ option on.
6. Taking screenshots and recording video
In order to take a snapshot of the live stream from your Petcube, you need
to tap the Photo Camera icon on the bottom left while in play mode. You’ll get
two options: ‘Share’ and ‘Done’. When selecting ‘Done,’ the screenshot will be
automatically saved to your phone’s storage. By selecting ‘Share,’ you will have
the option of sharing it via Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
To start recording a live stream, tap the Video Camera icon at the bottom right
while in play mode. To stop recording, tap the ‘Stop’ icon and the video will
automatically be saved to your phone’s storage. Sound recording is currently
unavailable.
7. Using Zoom feature
Petcube app now comes with the 3x digital zoom feature. Just connect to your
Petcube in the app, pinch-to-zoom in the image during the game, and pan
around to see the whole scene.
8. Using Night Vision
Petcube comes with the infrared sensor capable of streaming clear black and
white video in pitch dark. When the sensor detects a low level of ambient light,
your Petcube camera will automatically activate the Night Vision mode.
9. Volume control
To configure the volume level on your Petcube, open the Petcube App on your
device, go to the camera ‘Settings’ in the upper right corner, and adjust the
volume level under ‘Camera Volume’.
Keep in mind that in order to be able to change the settings on your Petcube,
it needs to be in standby mode (steady white light).
10. Sound alert at the start of a call
To attract your pet’s attention and be aware of when someone connects to your
Petcube in accordance with your sharing settings, at the start of every call your
Petcube will play a sound alert. This can be easily switched off in the ‘Settings’
menu in the Petcube App.
11. Sharing access to your Petcube Play
By default, only you can access your Petcube video stream, but you can share
access to your Petcube with your family, friends and anyone who installs
the Petcube App on their smartphone.
While family members will have full control of your camera, friends can only see
it as a publicly shared Petcube on the ‘Play’ tab at specifically scheduled times
and days. You can also configure whether the laser and 2-way audio are available
to your friends.
To share access to family members or friends, open the Petcube App, go
to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Sharing’ in the upper right corner, select the sharing
option you want and add the user you want to either ‘Family’ or ‘Friend.’
To delete a user from your ‘Family’ or ‘Friends’ list, go to ‘Sharing’ settings again,
find their username and swipe it left to ‘Delete’ or ‘Unfriend’.
You can also share your Petcube with any Petcube app user by choosing
the ‘Public’ sharing option. Configure treat controls and sound availability
and schedule sharing time according to your needs.
12. Using motion and sound detection
If you are not using Petcube Care cloud-based video storage service, the Petcube
App can send push notifications to your smartphone whenever motion or sound
is detected on your Petcube. To enable push notifications, open the Petcube App,
go to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings’ in the upper right corner and turn ‘Motion
Detection’ and ‘Sound Detection’ options on.
Keep in mind that in order to be able to change the settings on your Petcube,
it needs to be in standby mode (steady white light).
If you are using Petcube Care, the Petcube App will record videos triggered
by motion and sound detection and you can configure push notifications
to be sent as soon as new video recordings are available.
13. Setting up multiple Petcube cameras to one account
To register multiple cameras in a single account, launch the Petcube app
and swipe left at the top of the ‘Home’ tab. Then, press the ‘Tap to connect
your device’ icon. Select your Petcube in the list and follow the instructions.
To register each additional device, repeat this process.
14. Registering Petcube to a different account
Be aware that a Petcube can only be registered to one user. You cannot register
it under multiple accounts, but you can share access to it with other users using
various sharing options.
If you need to register a Petcube to a different account, simply delete the camera
from the account it is currently registered to, open the Petcube App, go
to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings’ and tap ‘Disconnect camera’.
15. Deleting the Petcube device
To delete the Petcube from your account, open the Petcube App, go
to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings,’ and tap ‘Disconnect camera.’
Confirm by choosing ‘Delete’.
16. Resetting user account password
If you forgot your password, open the Petcube App on your mobile device, tap
‘Log In,’ enter your email address, and tap on ‘Forgot password’ at the bottom
of the screen. Check your email and follow the instructions to reset your
password.
17. Changing your account name, username or password
To change your account details such as your name, username or password, open
the Petcube App, go to the ‘Profile’ tab, then ‘Settings’, and tap the values you
want to change.
18. Connecting Petcube without using Wi-Fi
The Petcube has no Internet access and can be connected to the Internet only
through a Wi-Fi network.
Minimum Internet speed requirements are:
• 1 Mbps Upload speed on the Petcube
• 1 Mbps Download speed on the mobile device
Recommended:
• 2 Mbps Upload speed on the Petcube
• 2 Mbps Download speed on the mobile device
19. Moving your Petcube to a different location
As long as the Petcube Play is within range of your wireless network, you can
reposition it according to your needs.
However, if you’re trying to use it in a different Wi-Fi environment or want
to connect the camera to a different wireless network, you need to change
the Wi-Fi settings in the Petcube App.
To do that, open the Petcube App, go to the ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings’, then
‘Wi-Fi’. Power up your Petcube Play, wait 1 minute until it starts up, take
a reset pin that came with your Petcube, find a small hole on the bottom of your
Petcube Play, insert the reset pin into it, hold it down for 3 seconds until the light
changes to pulsing green and follow the steps on your screen.
20. Changing Wi-Fi settings or connecting Petcube to a different network
If you need to either change the Wi-Fi settings on your Petcube Play or connect
it to a different network, open the Petcube App, go to the ‘Home’ tab, select
‘Settings’, then ‘Wi-Fi’. Power up your Petcube Play, wait 1 minute until it starts
up, take a reset pin that came with your Petcube, find a small hole on the bottom
of your Petcube Play, insert the reset pin into it, hold it down for 3 seconds until
the light changes to pulsing green and follow the steps on your screen.
21. Turning your Petcube off remotely
Currently, there is no option to turn off the camera remotely from the Petcube
App. But if you’re sharing access to it, you can disable it in the ‘Settings’ menu.
To disable sharing, go to the ‘Home’ tab, then tap the ‘Settings’ icon in the upper
right corner, and select ‘Sharing’. To disable sharing for friends, simply switch
it off. To stop public sharing, just tap ‘Stop sharing’. To disable family sharing,
just remove users from your family list by swiping their usernames to the left.
22. What is Facebook Live
Facebook Live is a feature available to iOS Petcube app users that allows them
to live stream video from a Petcube camera device directly to their personal
or business Facebook feed.
Petcube is the first HD pet camera to broadcast live on Facebook.
23. How does Facebook Live work
To enable live streaming to Facebook, connect to your or a shared Petcube
camera device’s live video feed in the Petcube App, hit the Facebook icon in
the bottom right corner and follow the prompts. You can choose to stream
to your personal or business Facebook feed.
Once the ‘Live’ red icon appears in the bottom right corner, your live stream
is on. To stop live streaming, tap the ‘Stop’ icon and the video will be saved
to the Facebook profile you are streaming to.
Keep in mind, if you have a shared access to your Petcube camera device, other
members of the Petcube community can stream videos from your camera
directly to their Facebook pages.
24. Can I take photos and save videos to my phone during Facebook live
streaming
You can take a photo snapshot of your Petcube camera device’s video feed
during live streaming to Facebook. In order to do that, you need to tap the Photo
Camera icon on the bottom left of the screen.
While you are live streaming to Facebook, video recording to your own device
is disabled.
25. I don’t see an option for Facebook Live
The Facebook Live feature is currently available for iOS Petcube users only.
To use Facebook Live, you need to have the most recent version of the Petcube
App and the most recent firmware version on your Petcube camera device.
If your app’s version is current, please contact our support team to request
a firmware update.
WHAT IS AMAZON ALEXA AND HOW
DOES IT WORK WITH PETCUBE PLAY
1. What is Amazon Alexa
Alexa is a smart voice-enabled personal assistant developed by Amazon. It was
first used in Amazon’s Echo and Echo Dot devices, but is now available in a range
of other smart home gadgets. Alexa can be used to control other compatible
smart devices such as Petcube’s pet cameras Petcube Bites, Petcube Play
and Petcube Camera.
For more information on how to setup the Petcube skill for Alexa, please search
for ‘Petcube’ in ‘Alexa Skills’ department on Amazon.com.
2. How do I setup Amazon Alexa to work with Petcube Play
1. Sign into your Amazon Alexa account using Alexa app on your phone.
2. Search for and download the Petcube Skill for Alexa.
3. Link your Petcube account using your Petcube username through your Alexa
App or Amazon account.
4. Start using Alexa to give voice commands to Petcube cameras.
Setting up the Petcube Skill for Amazon Alexa is a one-time process. No changes
are necessary from within the Petcube App or your Petcube account.
If you are unable to set up Amazon Alexa integration, a firmware update may
for assistance.
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3. How do Amazon Alexa voice commands for Petcube cameras work?
After you’ve downloaded and installed the skill, use the following voice
commands with Alexa on your Petcube Play camera:
• Alexa, ask Petcube to play with [your pet’s name]
• Alexa, ask Petcube to play with my pet
• Alexa, ask Petcube to play for [2] minutes
Note: After you say an Alexa skill phrase (above), Alexa will respond with
a phrase like “Play time!”
Note that using the Petcube Skill for Amazon Alexa is completely optional
and your Petcube cameras will work without Alexa via the Petcube App.
Amazon, Kindle, Echo, Alexa, Dash, Fire and all related logos are trademarks
of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.
1. What is Petcube Care
Petcube Care is our cloud based video storage service that gives owners peace
of mind when it comes to their pets and their property. Customers can use
the benefits of a free 4-hour subscription or subscribe monthly or annually
to get access to 10 or 30 days of video history, depending on the subscription
option, advanced motion and sound detection capabilities and notification alerts.
Petcube Care extends security benefits to pet owners, as we have tailored
the service to their needs.
2. How much does Petcube Care cost
Petcube Care offers five different subscriptions to fit the needs of pet owners
of all stripes:
4-Hour Video History: FREE FOREVER
10-Day Video History: $10/month
10-Day Video History: $100/year (save $20 with an annual plan)
30-Day Video History: $30/month
30-Day Video History: $300/year (save $60 with an annual plan)
For multiple cameras, save 50% on each additional subscription:
10-Day Video History: $5/month
10-Day Video History: $50/year (save $10 with an annual plan)
30-Day Video History: $15/month
30-Day Video History: $150/year (save $30 with an annual plan)
PETCUBE CARE™
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3. How does Petcube Care work
Whenever motion or sound is detected by the Petcube camera, Petcube Care
will automatically start recording a video, which will be available for playback
later from the Petcube App. Camera owners will also get a push notification once
recording stops. User interactions will be recorded too and will have an orange
‘play’ icon (triangle).
4. How to activate Petcube Care
To start using Petcube Care, you need to have a Petcube camera and a Petcube
Care subscription. New Petcube camera owners receive a free 7-day trial with 7
days of video history.
To subscribe, go to https://petcube.com/, sign in with your Petcube account or
go to the Petcube Care product page and select the most suitable subscription
option for you. You will also be able to subscribe from the ‘Home’ page
in the Petcube App on both iOS and Android devices.
If you are not a Petcube camera owner yet but wish to buy one, you will also
be able to subscribe for Petcube Care when you make your purchase.
5. How to Turn Off Petcube Care Video History
Petcube Care’s video history feature is turned on by default. You can easily
deactivate it by launching the Petcube App, tapping on ‘Care awake’ in the
camera menu in the lower right, then after the Care screen launches, moving
the slider to the far right to ‘Sleep’ mode.
In Sleep mode, Petcube Care is disabled. It will not detect and record events.
In Sleep mode, Petcube Care is disabled. It will not detect and record events.
Use Awake mode, when you are not around and want Petcube Care to be active.
You will get noise & motion notifications. These moments will be stored on your
timeline.
Quiet mode is for when you do not want to be disturbed. Moments will
be stored on your timeline if triggered by noise & motion, but you will not
receive notifications.
If you turned on Sleep mode, but later purchase a Petcube Care subscription,
Awake mode will be turned on automatically and your video timeline will begin
to populate.
6. What is the Petcube Care free trial and how it works
A free 7-day Petcube Care trial with 7 days of video history is included when
you purchase a Petcube camera. The trial starts when your Petcube camera is
activated and will end after 7 days. You’ll need to subscribe to Petcube Care
to retain access to the subscription features.
After your trial period ends, you will have a 4-hour video snapshot available
to you, but you will lose access to the rest of your video history.
If you purchase a Petcube Care subscription at the same time as you buy a
camera, your free trial will start when you activate the camera and your billing
cycle will begin when your trial ends.
You can view your subscription settings at any time by launching the Petcube
App, go to ‘Home’ tab, select ‘Settings’ in the upper right corner and look
for ‘Manage Subscription’ under Care settings.
If you do not wish to use the free trial of Petcube Care, all you have to do is open
the Petcube App, tap on ‘Care Awake’ in the camera menu in the lower right and
move the slider to the far right to ‘Sleep’ mode.
7. Petcube Care modes explained
There are three modes in Petcube Care: Awake, Quiet and Sleep.
• Use Awake mode when you are not around and want Petcube Care to be
active. You will get noise & motion notifications. These moments will be
stored on your timeline.
• Use Quiet mode when you do not want to be disturbed. Moments will be
stored on your timeline if triggered by motion or sound, but you will not
receive notifications.
• Sleep mode disables Petcube Care. It will not detect and record events.
Nothing will be added to your timeline.
Keep in mind that your Petcube camera needs to be online to record the videos.
If you don’t wish to use Petcube Care video recording service but would like
to receive motion and sound detection notifications, you can easily switch them
on in the App’s Settings menu.
8. How to view your video history in Petcube Care
It’s very easy to access your video history with Petcube Care! Launch the Petcube
App on your phone. Today’s videos will populate automatically on your home
screen. You can scroll down to get earlier videos.
Tap on the date to move back or forward in time.
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