The best Bluetooth trackers for finding your stuff

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Some radical seldom suffer things. Wallets are ever precisely wherever they’re expected to be, keys ne'er spell missing, and remotes ne'er gaffe betwixt the sofa cushions. And past there’s the remainder of america — the folks who can’t ever look to find the happening that was right determination a fewer seconds ago. For us, determination are Bluetooth trackers.

Bluetooth trackers person been astir for a agelong time, and they each mostly enactment the aforesaid way. You instrumentality the tracker onto an object, brace it with your phone, and then, erstwhile you suffer said object, you tin spell into an app and ringing the tracker. But these days, Bluetooth trackers tin bash a batch more. Some person ultra-wideband chips that alteration precision tracking, truthful you tin find precisely wherever successful a country your point is. Others pat into ample networks that marque it easier to find mislaid items extracurricular the home. Many volition notify you if they observe you’ve near the instrumentality down oregon travel with QR codes that nexus to your interaction accusation truthful radical tin easy instrumentality mislaid devices.

These features are incredibly useful but besides person the potential for misuse. Take AirTags. When Apple launched the trackers, it hadn’t anticipated they’d beryllium utilized to way radical oregon stolen items — but that’s precisely what happened. It’s since beefed up its anti-stalking features, and companies similar Tile person besides followed suit. The bully quality is that Apple and Google precocious announced they’re moving unneurotic to make a modular that enables unwanted tracking alerts crossed some Android and iOS devices — and large players similar Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo are connected board. But until this modular is up and running, it pays to beryllium alert of each tracker’s existent attack erstwhile you’re deciding the champion enactment for you.

As a consummate Loser of Things, I’ve tested my just stock of Bluetooth trackers connected wallets, keys, and luggage. Here’s what I’d urge if you, too, person a hard clip uncovering things.

AirTags: champion tracker for iPhone users

When Apple launched AirTags successful 2021, it truly did shingle up the category. That’s due to the fact that AirTags are equipped with Apple’s Ultra Wideband (UWB) spot and pat into Apple’s immense Find My network. That’s a potent combo.

Basically, UWB enables precision tracking portion Find My compatibility expands scope far, acold beyond Bluetooth’s limitations. With precision tracking, each you person to bash is unfastened the Find My app, pat “Find,” and you should spot an arrow pointing you successful the nonstop absorption you request to spell to find your item. Using the Find My web besides means that truthful agelong arsenic there’s an Apple instrumentality nearby, a mislaid AirTag tin ping its determination to Apple’s iCloud servers without notifying the owners of those different devices. And determination are implicit a cardinal Apple products retired there.

That accuracy is ace convenient. My keys fell retired of my pouch portion moving once, and I didn’t announcement until my telephone pinged maine to accidental my keys were nary longer with me. While I wasn’t capable to usage the precision tracking outdoors, I could spot the past reported determination successful the Find My app. Twenty minutes had already passed, but I inactive was capable to find my keys. I haven’t had that grade of occurrence with immoderate different point tracker.

However, this accuracy is simply a double-edged sword. In 2022, I ran a trial to spot whether I could way a person and my spouse (with their consent) successful existent time. And I could, to a disturbing degree. While Apple’s unwanted tracking prevention measures worked, determination were besides inherent flaws. (You tin work astir our investigating successful afloat here.) However, Apple has since improved unwanted tracking alerts by shortening the clip earlier you’re notified an chartless AirTag is successful your vicinity, making chimes louder, and creating a abstracted app that lets Android users scan for chartless AirTags. Apple besides present informs users during setup that unwanted tracking is simply a transgression and that AirTags are “intended solely to way items that beryllium to you.”

Apple has besides added much ways to stock AirTag locations with trusted people. iOS 17 introduced AirTag sharing, which means shared items won’t trigger unwanted tracking alerts. In the iOS 18.2 nationalist beta, you tin present share the determination of a mislaid AirTag with different radical via a impermanent link. So if an hose loses your luggage, you tin nonstop them a nexus that shows them an interactive representation of your item’s past known location. (Apple is partnering with implicit 15 airlines for this peculiar usage case.)

The lone happening I truly don’t similar astir AirTags is they aren’t genuinely $29. They’re $29 positive the outgo of immoderate accessory is needed to connect them to the point you privation to track. For example, you’ll request a holder to connect it to your keys oregon luggage. Thankfully, there’s a robust third-party accessory market, truthful you don’t person to wage Apple’s prices if you don’t privation to. The information that you tin easy regenerate the artillery with a regular CR2032 coin compartment artillery helps instrumentality the sting out, too. I conscionable did it for 2 of my AirTags, and it was much, much cheaper than having to bargain 2 caller ones.

Tile: champion Bluetooth tracker for Android users

For Android users (or households with some iOS and Android), a Tile tracker is your champion bet. Not lone are they platform-agnostic but they’re besides overmuch much versatile than AirTags due to the fact that you tin take from 4 antithetic shapes. The $24.99 Tile Mate is the OG and is simply a quadrate tracker with a spread truthful you tin instrumentality it connected a cardinal ringing oregon carabiner. The $34.99 Tile Pro is simply a spot larger and shaped similar a cardinal fob; it tin besides beryllium attached to different items successful the aforesaid mode arsenic the Mate. The $34.99 Tile Slim is card-shaped, truthful it tin acceptable successful your wallet, and the $29.99 Tile Sticker is simply a tiny disc that comes with a sticky backing truthful you tin enactment it connected remotes, favored collars, and thing other you tin instrumentality it on. Like AirTags, Tile devices tin pat into a larger network — successful this case, Amazon Sidewalk — to assistance you find your devices extracurricular of your phone’s Bluetooth range.

The champion Tile volition beryllium connected what you’re looking to track. The Slim, for example, is the champion enactment if you’re perpetually losing your wallet, portion the Mate is astir apt the astir versatile. My idiosyncratic pick, however, is the Tile Pro. Of the four, it has the longest Bluetooth scope astatine 500 feet and the loudest ring. It’s besides the lone 1 that has a replaceable one-year CR2032 battery. The Mate and Slim person a 350 ft range, portion the Sticker has a 250 ft range. All 3 person a three-year built-in battery. That means aft 3 years, you’ll astir apt person to bargain a full caller device.

Functionally, Tile trackers tin bash conscionable astir thing an AirTag tin — minus precision tracking, arsenic determination inactive isn’t a Tile with UWB capableness yet. The institution announced 1 backmost successful 2021, but we’re inactive waiting, partially due to the fact that Apple is effectively blocking UWB compatibility for 3rd parties successful iOS and due to the fact that Tile’s priorities shifted erstwhile it was acquired by Life360.

Since Life360 took over, Tile trackers person gotten a spot of a refresh. They present integrate with Life360’s SOS services. When you property them 3 times, it triggers an alert that gets sent to your exigency contacts. You tin besides designate radical arsenic being successful your Circle. Those folks past person support to spot wherever Tile items are connected a Life360 map, arsenic good arsenic ringing adjacent items similar remotes.

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy telephone user, the $29.99 Samsung SmartTag2 does get you UWB tracking and tin pat into the Galaxy Find network, which operates likewise to Apple’s Find My network. It’s a large alternate but isn’t our wide prime for Android due to the fact that it’s constricted to Samsung Galaxy users. But for Samsung users, the latest SmartTag2 includes an improved Compass View, longer artillery life, and a amended app experience. It’s besides got a newer oblong plan with a larger cardinal ringing than the archetypal SmartTag.

All Tile trackers tin pat into some the Tile Network — each phones with the Tile app installed — and Amazon Sidewalk. It’s not arsenic extended a web arsenic Apple’s, but Sidewalk’s scope has improved significantly. It’s overmuch easier present to presumption a Tile tracker’s determination history, though you inactive can’t truly way an point successful existent time.

For anti-stalking measures, Tile has a “Scan and Secure” feature, which allows you to usage the Tile app to scan for chartless Tile devices successful your vicinity. While amended than nothing, it’s a flawed measure, arsenic it requires the imaginable unfortunate to proactively scan their surroundings. Tiles whitethorn beryllium the amended pick, however, if you privation to way a stolen item. The institution conscionable rolled retired a new anti-theft feature, which renders Tile devices invisible to unwanted tracking detection successful the lawsuit idiosyncratic steals your item. Just cognize that to usage it, Tile requires you to taxable a authorities ID for verification, hold to Tile moving with instrumentality enforcement without a subpoena, and consent to a $1 cardinal good if you misuse this feature.

My gripe with Tile is it puts its champion features down a $29.99 yearly interest — though caller members get a one-year escaped trial. Those features see alerts for erstwhile you permission a Tile behind, 30-day determination history, unlimited sharing with friends and family, escaped replacements for damaged Tiles, and a $100 reimbursement if immoderate of your Tile devices can’t beryllium found. The positive broadside is you lone person to wage 1 subscription for each your Tile devices. Without a subscription, you tin inactive find your Tile wrong Bluetooth range, spot its past known determination connected a representation if extracurricular Bluetooth range, ringing your telephone from the Tile, and stock Tiles with 1 different person.

If you’re not keen connected either Tile oregon Samsung, there’s bully news. Earlier this year, Google yet launched its Find My Device network. It works likewise to Apple’s Find My network: you’ll beryllium capable to stock trackers with household members, and determination are besides unwanted tracking alerts. Third-party makers similar Chipolo and Pebblebee person since enactment retired compatible trackers, and much are expected. We’re inactive successful the process of investigating however good the Find My Device web works, truthful enactment tuned.

Best AirTag and Tile alternative

If you’re looking for an AirTag oregon Tile alternative, the Pebblebee Clip is an fantabulous choice. It’s compatible with Apple’s Find My network, but it tin besides enactment with the Pebblebee app truthful Android users aren’t near out. The institution has a mentation compatible with Google’s Find My Device network.

The happening I similar champion astir the Pebblebee Clip is its rechargeable battery. A azygous complaint lasts up to six months — though you whitethorn get longer than that depending connected your usage. I’ve been utilizing excavation for astir 3 months arsenic of this writing, and I’m lone down to 85 percent. It has a USB-C larboard truthful you don’t person to sweat it if you suffer the charger it comes with. You emotion to spot it.

The Pebblebee Clip besides has an LED portion astatine the bottommost that lights up erstwhile you ringing the tracker. That’s helped maine spot my car keys much rapidly erstwhile they’ve fallen nether the car spot oregon different acheronian areas. The ringtone is besides rather loud, and the 500-foot Bluetooth scope is really astir 100 feet much than the Tile Pro, our prime for Android users. Unlike AirTags, the Pebblebee Clip besides comes with a snap-on cardinal ringing truthful you don’t person to bargain different accessory to connect it. It’s besides IPX6-rated for h2o resistance.

For iOS users, setup with Find My is casual arsenic pie. However, it’s not hard to acceptable up with the Pebblebee app, either — and determination are bully reasons wherefore you mightiness privation to opt for that alternatively of Find My. (You can’t usage some astatine the aforesaid time.) For example, if you privation to stock the tracker betwixt household members connected antithetic platforms, you’ll person to usage the Pebblebee app since Find My is constricted to iOS.

The Pebblebee app has much customizable geofencing features than Find My. You tin acceptable up customized areas connected a representation and beryllium notified whenever a instrumentality enters oregon leaves the country — which whitethorn beryllium utile if you privation to usage this arsenic a favored tracker. You tin besides designate harmless zones truthful you don’t get unnecessary alerts that something’s been near down erstwhile you’re successful a known determination similar your location oregon office. Pebblebee besides allows you to acceptable dependable tags truthful you tin inquire Alexa oregon Google Assistant to assistance find your device. It doesn’t person precision finding, though determination is simply a akin model that pops up that lets you cognize whether you’re distant, nearby, oregon precise adjacent to the point you’re looking for.

If you suffer a Pebblebee, you tin people it arsenic lost. The Pebblebee app besides has a Crowd GPS network, which functions likewise to the Tile Network. It’s not going to beryllium arsenic robust arsenic Apple’s Find My network, however, simply due to the fact that determination aren’t arsenic galore Pebblebee users successful the world.

It’s not a cleanable tracker. It’s bigger than an AirTag, and I had an easier clip ringing the tracker erstwhile utilizing it with Find My than with the Pebblebee app. As for unwanted tracking, Pebblebee isn’t the champion connected its own. You tin lone get alerts for unwanted tracking if you’re utilizing it with Find My (or Find My Device whenever it launches), not if you’re utilizing it with the Pebblebee app. Pebblebee’s tract says you can, astatine the very least, disable the tracker without resetting it if you find 1 connected you — meaning it’s inactive imaginable to fig retired who enactment it connected you if you take to spell to the authorities. Still, that’s not the astir comforting.

Best AirTag alternatives for wallets

You could beryllium similar my spouse, who stuffs an AirTag successful their bifold wallet and past makes a amazed Pikachu look each clip it falls out. Or, you could opt for a Find My-compatible alternate specifically designed for wallets similar the $35 Chipolo Card Spot, the $29.99 Eufy Security SmartTrack Card, oregon the $29.99 Pebblebee Card. None travel with precision tracking due to the fact that they deficiency UWB, but they marque up for it with ace large ringtones. As portion of the Find My network, they besides support unwanted tracking alerts. You could besides opt for the Tile Slim, though that won’t leverage the Find My network.

The Pebblebee Card is the 1 I’d urge for astir people. First off, it has a rechargeable artillery and lasts up to 12 months connected a azygous charge. Like the Pebblebee Clip, the Pebblebee app supports geofencing, sharing, left-behind alerts, and dependable tagging. You could besides take to usage it with Find My unsocial and get the benefits of that web plus a louder ringtone. You tin besides property it to assistance find your phone. The lone happening I don’t emotion is that it uses a proprietary charger — truthful you’ll person to support it successful a harmless place.

The Eufy SmartTrack Card is different versatile pick. It comes with a small clip attachment truthful it doesn’t have to beryllium stuffed successful your wallet. You could clip it onto a laptop case, for example. This besides has the aforesaid benefits erstwhile utilized with the Find My web arsenic the Pebblebee Card. On the back, there’s besides a QR codification — akin to the ones Tile uses — that helps bully samaritans instrumentality your point to you. Like the Pebblebee Card, you tin stock it with aggregate radical if you acceptable it up via the Eufy Security app. The bummer present is it doesn’t enactment with Android, and it doesn’t person a replaceable battery. (Though the built-in 1 volition purportedly past you 3 years.)

The Chipolo Card Spot oregon Card Point is besides a bully enactment if you privation thing a spot simpler, though it lacks the QR code, and its artillery lone lasts 2 years. If you bash opt for Chipolo, double-check that the circumstantial tracker you’re buying works connected the web you privation to use. For example, the Chipolo Card and Chipolo Card Spot tin some beryllium utilized with iPhones, but the Chipolo Card lone works with the Chipolo app, portion the Card Spot lone works with Find My. The Chipolo Card Point is for Android users, and works with Google’s recently launched Find My Device network.

Update, November 27th: Added updated accusation astir Tile trackers and Google’s Find My Device network. Updated prices.