Tag: Buying Guide

Some people rarely lose things. Wallets are always exactly where they’re supposed to be, keys never go missing, and remotes never slip between the couch cushions. And then there’s the rest of us — the folks who can’t ever seem to find the thing that was right there a few seconds ago. For us, there are Bluetooth trackers.

Bluetooth trackers have been around for a long time, and they all generally work the same way. You stick the tracker onto an object, pair it with your phone, and then, when you lose said object, you can go into an app and ring the tracker. But these days, Bluetooth trackers can do a lot more. Some have ultra-wideband chips that enable precision tracking, so you can find exactly where in a room your item is. Others tap into large networks that make it easier to find lost items outside the home. Many will notify you if they detect you’ve left the device behind or come with QR codes that link to your contact information so people can easily return lost devices.

These features are incredibly handy but also have the potential for misuse. Take AirTags. When Apple launched the trackers, it hadn’t anticipated they’d be used to track people or stolen items — but that’s exactly what happened. It’s since beefed up its anti-stalking features, and companies like Tile have also followed suit. The good news is that Apple and Google announced that they’re working together to create a standard that enables unwanted tracking alerts across both Android and iOS devices — and major players like Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo are on board. But until this standard is up and running, it pays to be aware of each tracker’s current approach when you’re deciding the best option for you.

As a consummate Loser of Things, I’ve tested my fair share of Bluetooth trackers on wallets, keys, and luggage. Here’s what I’d recommend if you, too, have a hard time finding things.

AirTags: best tracker for iPhone users

When Apple launched AirTags in 2021, it really did shake up the category. That’s because AirTags are equipped with Apple’s Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip and tap into Apple’s vast Find My network. That’s a potent combo.

Basically, UWB enables precision tracking while Find My compatibility expands range far, far beyond Bluetooth’s limitations. With precision tracking, all you have to do is open the Find My app, tap “Find,” and you should see an arrow pointing you in the exact direction you need to go to find your item. Using the Find My network also means that so long as there’s an Apple device nearby, a lost AirTag can ping its location to Apple’s iCloud servers without notifying the owners of those other devices. And there are over a billion Apple products out there.

That accuracy is super convenient. My keys fell out of my pocket while running once, and I didn’t notice until my phone pinged me to say my keys were no longer with me. While I wasn’t able to use the precision tracking outdoors, I could see the last reported location in the Find My app. Twenty minutes had already passed, but I still was able to find my keys. I haven’t had that degree of success with any other item tracker.

However, this accuracy is a double-edged sword. In 2022, I ran a test to see whether I could track a friend and my spouse (with their consent) in real time. And I could, to a disturbing degree. While Apple’s unwanted tracking prevention measures worked, there were also inherent flaws. (You can read about our testing in full here.) However, Apple has since improved unwanted tracking alerts by shortening the time before you’re notified an unknown AirTag is in your vicinity, making chimes louder, and creating a separate app that lets Android users scan for unknown AirTags. Apple also now informs users during setup that unwanted tracking is a crime and that AirTags are “intended solely to track items that belong to you.”

Apple has also added more ways to share AirTag locations with trusted people. iOS 17 introduced AirTag sharing, which means shared items won’t trigger unwanted tracking alerts. As of iOS 18.2, you can also share the location of a lost AirTag with other people via a temporary link. So if an airline loses your luggage, you can send them a link that shows them an interactive map of your item’s last known location. (Apple is partnering with more than 15 airlines for this particular use case.)

The only thing I really don’t like about AirTags is they aren’t truly $29. They’re $29 plus the cost of whatever accessory is needed to attach them to the item you want to track. For example, you’ll need a holder to attach it to your keys or luggage. Thankfully, there’s a robust third-party accessory market, so you don’t have to pay Apple’s prices if you don’t want to. The fact that you can easily replace the battery with a regular CR2032 coin cell battery helps take the sting out, too. I just did it for two of my AirTags, and it was much, much cheaper than having to buy two new ones.

Tile: best Bluetooth tracker for Android users

For Android users (or households with both iOS and Android), a Tile tracker is your best bet. Not only are they platform-agnostic but they’re also much more versatile than AirTags because you can choose from four different shapes. The $24.99 Tile Mate is the OG and is a square tracker with a hole so you can stick it on a key ring or carabiner. The $34.99 Tile Pro is a bit larger and shaped like a key fob; it can also be attached to other items in the same way as the Mate. The $34.99 Tile Slim is card-shaped, so it can fit in your wallet, and the $29.99 Tile Sticker is a small disc that comes with a sticky backing so you can put it on remotes, pet collars, and anything else you can stick it on. Like AirTags, Tile devices can tap into a larger network — in this case, Amazon Sidewalk — to help you find your devices outside of your phone’s Bluetooth range.

The best Tile will depend on what you’re looking to track. The Slim, for example, is the best option if you’re constantly losing your wallet, while the Mate is probably the most versatile. My personal pick, however, is the Tile Pro. Of the four, it has the longest Bluetooth range at 500 feet and the loudest ring. It’s also the only one that has a replaceable one-year CR2032 battery. The Mate and Slim have a 350-foot range, while the Sticker has a 250-foot range. All three have a three-year built-in battery. That means after three years, you’ll most likely have to buy a whole new device.

Functionally, Tile trackers can do just about anything an AirTag can — minus precision tracking, as there still isn’t a Tile with UWB capability yet. The company announced one back in 2021, but we’re still waiting, partly because Apple is effectively blocking UWB compatibility for third parties in iOS and because Tile’s priorities shifted once it was acquired by Life360.

Since Life360 took over, Tile trackers have gotten a bit of a refresh. They now integrate with Life360’s SOS services. When you press them three times, it triggers an alert that gets sent to your emergency contacts. You can also designate people as being in your Circle. Those folks then have permission to see where Tile items are on a Life360 map, as well as ring nearby items like remotes.

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone user, the $29.99 Samsung SmartTag2 does get you UWB tracking and can tap into the Galaxy Find network, which operates similarly to Apple’s Find My network. It’s a great alternative but isn’t our overall pick for Android because it’s limited to Samsung Galaxy users. But for Samsung users, the latest SmartTag2 includes an improved Compass View, longer battery life, and a better app experience. It’s also got a newer oblong design with a larger key ring than the original SmartTag.

All Tile trackers can tap into both the Tile Network — all phones with the Tile app installed — and Amazon Sidewalk. It’s not as extensive a network as Apple’s, but Sidewalk’s reach has improved significantly. It’s much easier now to view a Tile tracker’s location history, though you still can’t really track an item in real time.

For anti-stalking measures, Tile has a “Scan and Secure” feature, which allows you to use the Tile app to scan for unknown Tile devices in your vicinity. While better than nothing, it’s a flawed measure, as it requires the potential victim to proactively scan their surroundings. Tiles may be the better pick, however, if you want to track a stolen item. The company rolled out a new anti-theft feature last year, which renders Tile devices invisible to unwanted tracking detection in the event someone steals your item. Just know that to use it, Tile requires you to submit a government ID for verification, agree to Tile working with law enforcement without a subpoena, and consent to a $1 million fine if you misuse this feature.

My gripe with Tile is it puts its best features behind a $29.99 annual fee — though new members get a one-year free trial. Those features include alerts for when you leave a Tile behind, 30-day location history, unlimited sharing with friends and family, free replacements for damaged Tiles, and a $100 reimbursement if any of your Tile devices can’t be found. The plus side is you only have to pay one subscription for all your Tile devices. Without a subscription, you can still find your Tile within Bluetooth range, see its last known location on a map if outside Bluetooth range, ring your phone from the Tile, and share Tiles with one other person.

If you’re not keen on either Tile or Samsung, there’s good news. Last year, Google finally launched its Find My Device network. It works similarly to Apple’s Find My network: you’ll be able to share trackers with family members, and there are also unwanted tracking alerts. Third-party makers like Chipolo and Pebblebee have since put out compatible trackers, and more are expected. We’re still in the process of testing how well the Find My Device network works, so stay tuned.

Best AirTag and Tile alternative

If you’re looking for an AirTag or Tile alternative, the Pebblebee Clip is an excellent choice. It’s compatible with Apple’s Find My network, but it can also work with the Pebblebee app so Android users aren’t left out. The company has a version compatible with Google’s Find My Device network.

The thing I like best about the Pebblebee Clip is its rechargeable battery. A single charge lasts up to six months — though you may get longer than that depending on your usage. I’ve been using mine for about three months as of this writing, and I’m only down to 85 percent. It has a USB-C port so you don’t have to sweat it if you lose the charger it comes with. You love to see it.

The Pebblebee Clip also has an LED strip at the bottom that lights up when you ring the tracker. That’s helped me spot my car keys more quickly when they’ve fallen under the car seat or other dark areas. The ringtone is also quite loud, and the 500-foot Bluetooth range is actually about 100 feet more than the Tile Pro, our pick for Android users. Unlike AirTags, the Pebblebee Clip also comes with a snap-on key ring so you don’t have to buy another accessory to attach it. It’s also IPX6-rated for water resistance.

For iOS users, setup with Find My is easy as pie. However, it’s not hard to set up with the Pebblebee app, either — and there are good reasons why you might want to opt for that instead of Find My. (You can’t use both at the same time.) For example, if you want to share the tracker between family members on different platforms, you’ll have to use the Pebblebee app since Find My is limited to iOS.

The Pebblebee app has more customizable geofencing features than Find My. You can set up custom areas on a map and be notified whenever a device enters or leaves the area — which may be useful if you want to use this as a pet tracker. You can also designate safe zones so you don’t get unnecessary alerts that something’s been left behind when you’re in a known location like your home or office. Pebblebee also allows you to set voice tags so you can ask Alexa or Google Assistant to help find your device. It doesn’t have precision finding, though there is a similar window that pops up that lets you know whether you’re distant, nearby, or very close to the item you’re looking for.

If you lose a Pebblebee, you can mark it as lost. The Pebblebee app also has a Crowd GPS network, which functions similarly to the Tile Network. It’s not going to be as robust as Apple’s Find My network, however, simply because there aren’t as many Pebblebee users in the world.

It’s not a perfect tracker. It’s bigger than an AirTag, and I had an easier time ringing the tracker when using it with Find My than with the Pebblebee app. As for unwanted tracking, Pebblebee isn’t the best on its own. You can only get alerts for unwanted tracking if you’re using it with Find My (or Find My Device whenever it launches), not if you’re using it with the Pebblebee app. Pebblebee’s site says you can, at the very least, disable the tracker without resetting it if you find one on you — meaning it’s still possible to figure out who put it on you if you choose to go to the authorities. Still, that’s not the most comforting.

Best AirTag alternatives for wallets

You could be like my spouse, who stuffs an AirTag in their bifold wallet and then makes a surprised Pikachu face every time it falls out. Or, you could opt for a Find My-compatible alternative specifically designed for wallets like the $35 Chipolo Card Spot, the $29.88 Eufy Security SmartTrack Card, or the $34.99 Pebblebee Card. None come with precision tracking because they lack UWB, but they make up for it with super loud ringtones. As part of the Find My network, they also support unwanted tracking alerts. You could also opt for the Tile Slim, though that won’t leverage the Find My network.

The Pebblebee Card is the one I’d recommend for most people. First off, it has a rechargeable battery and lasts up to 12 months on a single charge. Like the Pebblebee Clip, the Pebblebee app supports geofencing, sharing, left-behind alerts, and voice tagging. You could also choose to use it with Find My alone and get the benefits of that network plus a louder ringtone. You can also press it to help find your phone. The only thing I don’t love is that it uses a proprietary charger — so you’ll have to keep it in a safe place.

The Chipolo Card Spot or Card Point is also a good option if you want something a bit simpler, though it lacks the QR code, and its battery only lasts two years. If you do opt for Chipolo, double-check that the specific tracker you’re buying works on the network you want to use. For example, the Chipolo Card and Chipolo Card Spot can both be used with iPhones, but the Chipolo Card only works with the Chipolo app, while the Card Spot only works with Find My. The Chipolo Card Point is for Android users, and works with Google’s newly launched Find My Device network.

Update, February 11th: Adjusted pricing and availability.