How do I change the batteries in my Halo collar beacons?

The Halo smart collar system can be a boon for dog owners who want to be able to track and train their pets. Some elements though can become confusing, especially changing out batteries for the system’s beacons.

What are Halo beacons?

In addition to the GPS-defined perimeters that the system is designed around, the Halo system also includes “beacons,” tiny Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE)-based transmitters that interact with the collar and tell your dog to stay away from a certain location: particular rooms, furniture, or other spots where they’re not supposed to be.

Because they use Bluetooth Low Energy technology, these beacons can run for a long time without maintenance: the indoor beacons are estimated by the manufacturer to last five to six months on a single battery, and I can say from firsthand experience that that’s an accurate number.

How do I replace the battery on my Halo beacon?

But when the Halo app pops up a message for you that one of your beacons has a low battery, it can be confusing how to handle it. Unlike the collars themselves, the beacons aren’t rechargeable, and there’s no obvious battery compartment, just a small sealed shell.

However, the batteries are replaceable, and in fact it’s not too difficult. Each beacon runs on a standard CR2025 coin cell-type battery. You can find these in the electronics section at most big-box stores, although it’s often cheaper to buy them in quantity off Amazon.com.

To replace the battery, you’ll need some kind of small, sharp tool such as the tip of a knife, or a thin screwdriver of the type used to repair eyeglasses. Looking at the Halo beacon, you should see a small crevice in the shell, directly under the part of the outer ring that’s open.

Place your tool in this crevice, and by gently prying, you can remove the back cover. It’s held on by plastic catches, so don’t pry too hard. Go slowly, and you should be able to feel the catches pop off. Once you have two of them loosened, the back cover should release.

Make sure that you’re prying from the right direction; the silver outer ring stays with the front part of the cover, the part with the Halo logo on it, so trying to pry from that direction could damage the beacon.

The coin cell inside is held in place on the small circuit board by the pressure of the case, so it may fall out when you open the beacon. You can simply remove it, place a fresh coin cell in the battery holder with the negative side down, then snap the casing back together.

Once you’ve changed the battery, you may need to turn the beacon back on or off depending on what you want, as it’s easy to hit the power control while squeezing the case back into place.

For the record, this process is easiest when you don’t have a very excitable Husky mix (or more than one) attempting to lick your fingers as you handle the small parts, but sometimes that’s unavoidable.

The CR2025 batteries that the beacons run on will typically cost $2-3 each when bought in a store. While that’s not terrible for the estimated 6 month battery life of the beacons, it adds up if you use them a lot. Brand name batteries can be had on Amazon for under $1 each, and generics as cheap as $0.60 a piece when bought in quantity.

Conclusion

Changing the batteries in a Halo beacon can be a little tricky, but with a steady hand and the right tool, it’s not too difficult.