Editor’s notice: Amazon Prime Day kicks off on July 8th; nonetheless, if you wish to get a head begin in your on-line buying, we’ve rounded up the very best early Prime Day deals you’ll be able to already get.
Some folks hardly ever lose issues. Wallets are all the time precisely the place they’re alleged to be, keys by no means go lacking, and remotes by no means slip between the sofa cushions. After which there’s the remainder of us — the parents who can’t ever appear to seek out the factor that was proper there just a few seconds in the past. For us, there are Bluetooth trackers.
Bluetooth trackers have been round for a very long time, and so they all usually work the identical method. You stick the tracker onto an object, pair it along with your cellphone, after which, if you lose stated object, you’ll be able to go into an app and ring the tracker. However today, Bluetooth trackers can do much more. Some have ultra-wideband chips that allow precision monitoring, so you’ll find precisely the place in a room your merchandise is. More and more, trackers additionally faucet into massive networks — like Apple’s and Google’s — making it simpler to find misplaced objects outdoors the house. Many will notify you in the event that they detect you’ve left the machine behind or include QR codes that hyperlink to your contact info so folks can simply return misplaced units.
What I’m on the lookout for
Bluetooth trackers are supposed to discover misplaced objects. To check that, we lose objects — each organically (a few of us actually do misplace wallets and keys day by day) and in additional managed check environments. For the latter, one instance is testing how these trackers carry out in workplace environments or in multi-story homes. Generally, we additionally enlist the assistance of household and buddies to “cover” objects to judge precision discovering options. We’ll additionally enlist assist to simulate and consider undesirable monitoring alerts. In our testing, we’re additionally seeking to assess components like Bluetooth and community (ie., FindMy, Tile, and so forth.) vary, battery life, and the way loud chimes / alerts are.
Are you restricted to Bluetooth vary, or are you able to make use of wider networks like Apple’s Discover My, Google’s Discover Hub community, or Amazon Sidewalk? Is it laborious to listen to the tracker if you ring it?
A know-how that allows you to observe small objects may be abused to trace folks with out their consent. Tracker firms know this, and an rising quantity now include anti-stalking options. These options might by no means forestall abuse one hundred pc of the time, however we examine whether or not these options had been crafted with care, how properly the corporate educates customers about them, and if the corporate is proactive about updating them in accordance with suggestions from specialists.
Do you could pay a subscription to get all out there options? If that’s the case, is it definitely worth the moolah?
Most Bluetooth trackers final at the very least a yr, however not all of them allow you to change the battery. Meaning you need to purchase an entire new tracker when the battery dies. I want the flexibility to switch batteries every time potential.
These options are extremely useful but additionally have the potential for misuse. Take AirTags. When Apple launched the trackers, it hadn’t anticipated they’d be used to trace folks or stolen objects — however that’s exactly what happened. It’s since beefed up its anti-stalking features, and corporations like Tile have additionally followed suit. Apple and Google have launched a typical that allows unwanted tracking alerts across both Android and iOS devices — and main gamers like Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo are on board. However till this customary is up and operating, it pays to concentrate on every tracker’s present method if you’re deciding the most suitable choice for you.
As a consummate Loser of Issues, I’ve examined my justifiable share of Bluetooth trackers on wallets, keys, and baggage. Right here’s what I’d suggest in the event you, too, have a tough time discovering issues.
The very best tracker for iPhone customers
$23
Apple’s AirTags can assist you discover your misplaced objects with their extremely wideband know-how. You’ll get the very best compatibility with an iPhone, although Apple launched an Android app that may detect an AirTag’s location and notify you if one appears to be following you.
When Apple launched AirTags in 2021, it actually did shake up the class. That’s as a result of AirTags are geared up with Apple’s Extremely Wideband (UWB) chip and faucet into Apple’s huge Discover My community. That’s a potent combo. And regardless that now you can get third-party accessories that work with the Find My network — together with the Pebblebee trackers featured later on this information — AirTags are nonetheless the very best, due to UWB.
Principally, UWB allows precision monitoring whereas Discover My compatibility expands vary far, far past Bluetooth’s limitations. With precision monitoring, all you need to do is open the Discover My app, faucet “Discover,” and you must see an arrow pointing you within the actual path you could go to seek out your merchandise. Utilizing the Discover My community additionally signifies that as long as there’s an Apple machine close by, a misplaced AirTag can ping its location to Apple’s iCloud servers with out notifying the house owners of these different units. And there are over a billion Apple merchandise on the market.
That accuracy is tremendous handy. My keys fell out of my pocket whereas operating as soon as, and I didn’t discover till my cellphone pinged me to say my keys had been not with me. Whereas I wasn’t ready to make use of the precision monitoring outside, I might see the final reported location within the Discover My app. Twenty minutes had already handed, however I nonetheless was capable of finding my keys. I haven’t had that diploma of success with another merchandise tracker.
Nevertheless, this accuracy is a double-edged sword. In 2022, I ran a check to see whether or not I might observe a pal and my partner (with their consent) in actual time. And I might, to a disturbing diploma. Whereas Apple’s undesirable monitoring prevention measures labored, there have been additionally inherent flaws. (You may examine our testing in full here.) Nevertheless, Apple has since improved unwanted tracking alerts by shortening the time earlier than you’re notified an unknown AirTag is in your neighborhood, making chimes louder, and creating a separate app that lets Android customers scan for unknown AirTags. Apple additionally now informs customers throughout setup that undesirable monitoring is a criminal offense and that AirTags are “meant solely to trace objects that belong to you.”
Apple has additionally added extra methods to share AirTag places with trusted folks. iOS 17 introduced AirTag sharing, which implies shared objects received’t set off undesirable monitoring alerts. As of iOS 18.2, you can too share the location of a lost AirTag with different folks by way of a short lived hyperlink. So if an airline loses your baggage, you’ll be able to ship them a hyperlink that exhibits them an interactive map of your merchandise’s final identified location. (Apple is partnering with greater than 15 airways for this specific use case.)
The one factor I actually don’t like about AirTags is that they aren’t really $29. They’re $29 plus the price of no matter accent is required to connect them to the merchandise you wish to observe. For instance, you’ll want a holder to connect it to your keys or baggage. Fortunately, there’s a sturdy third-party accent market, so that you don’t must pay Apple’s costs in the event you don’t wish to. The truth that you’ll be able to simply change the battery with an everyday CR2032 coin cell battery helps take the sting out, too. I simply did it for 2 of my AirTags, and it was a lot, a lot cheaper than having to purchase two new ones.
The very best Bluetooth tracker for Android customers
$35
The Tile Professional is the corporate’s loudest Bluetooth tracker and has the widest vary at 400 ft. It additionally has a user-replaceable battery, in contrast to different Tiles.
An increasing number of trackers now assist each Google’s and Apple’s Discover My networks, however Tile’s trackers — particularly the $34.99 Tile Pro — are nonetheless our prime suggestion for Android customers or blended iOS / Android households. Functionally, the platform-agnostic trackers can do absolutely anything an AirTag can. Like AirTags, Tile devices can tap into a larger network — on this case, the Tile Network and Amazon Sidewalk — that will help you discover your units outdoors of your cellphone’s Bluetooth vary. Whereas this community isn’t as expansive as Apple’s or Google’s, Amazon Sidewalk’s protection has improved significantly. In our April 2025 testing of Google’s Find Hub-compatible trackers — together with the Chipolo Pop, Pebblebee Clip Common, and the Moto Tag — we discovered that Tile nonetheless did higher at monitoring objects outdoors the house.
Sadly, Tile nonetheless can’t do true real-time monitoring, and it nonetheless doesn’t provide a tracker with UWB, so it lacks the AirTag’s precision monitoring. The corporate announced one again in 2021, however we’re nonetheless ready, partly as a result of Apple is effectively blocking UWB compatibility for third events in iOS and since Tile’s priorities shifted as soon as it was acquired by Life360.
A notice about Google’s Discover Hub community
Initially, the community lagged behind Apple’s, however it’s beginning to catch up. After several weeks of testing Find Hub-compatible trackers — particularly the Chipolo Pop, Pebblebee Clip Common, and Moto Tag — in April 2025, we discovered the community’s improved considerably over the previous yr, extra so in busy areas. Nonetheless, it’s clear Google prioritized privateness over precision.
That stability might shift, although. In Could 2025, Google added UWB support for extra correct monitoring with Motorola’s Moto Tag and, finally, different appropriate telephones and trackers. Google additionally plans to roll out satellite tv for pc connectivity later later in 2025, with the flexibility to share tracker locations with airline staff arriving in early 2026.
That stated, Life360’s acquisition has introduced some significant upgrades. Urgent a Tile button 3 times now sends an SOS alert to emergency contacts by means of Life360. It’s also possible to add others to your Circle to allow them to view and ring close by Tiles on a shared Life360 map. Extra lately, Tile trackers have become fully integrated into Life360, letting customers handle their trackers immediately throughout the Life360 app. This merger unlocked just a few premium options without spending a dime, together with push alerts for forgotten objects and two-day location historical past.
Nonetheless, many of the great things — like 30-day location historical past, limitless sharing with family and friends, free replacements for broken Tiles, and as much as $100 reimbursement for misplaced objects — sits behind a $29.99/yr subscription. Thankfully, Tile provides new members a one-year free trial, and one subscription covers all of your units. You additionally nonetheless get loads of core performance with out paying: you’ll find your Tile by way of Bluetooth, view its final identified location on a map, ring your cellphone from the Tile, and share entry with one different individual without spending a dime.
Tile additionally stands out for its versatility. Whereas AirTags are available in a single puck-like design, Tile provides 4 distinct kind components to swimsuit completely different wants. The cardboard-shaped Tile Slim ($29.99), for instance, is the most suitable choice in the event you’re always dropping your pockets. The sq. Tile Mate ($24.99) comes with a gap so you’ll be able to stick it on a key ring or carabiner, and might be essentially the most versatile. The $24.99 Tile Sticker, in the meantime, is a small disc that comes with a sticky backing so you’ll be able to put it on remotes, pet collars, and the rest you’ll be able to stick it on.
The very best Tile will rely upon what you’re seeking to observe. My private favourite, nonetheless, is the $34.99 Tile Pro, which is formed like a key fob, is bigger than the Mate, and can be hooked up to different objects. Of the 4, it has the longest Bluetooth vary at 500 ft and the loudest ring. It’s additionally the one one which has a replaceable one-year CR2032 battery.
Final however not least, Tile may very well be higher than AirTags for monitoring stolen objects. The corporate rolled out an anti-theft feature in 2023, which renders Tile units invisible to undesirable monitoring detection within the occasion somebody steals your merchandise. Simply know that to make use of it, Tile requires you to submit a authorities ID for verification, comply with Tile working with legislation enforcement and not using a subpoena, and consent to a $1 million fantastic in the event you misuse this function. For anti-stalking measures, Tile additionally has a “Scan and Secure” function, which lets you use the Tile app to scan for unknown Tile units in your neighborhood. Whereas higher than nothing, it’s a flawed measure, because it requires the potential sufferer to proactively scan their environment.
The very best AirTag and Tile various
$28
The Pebblebee Clip Common helps Apple’s Discover My and Google’s Discover Hub networks, but additionally has a 500-foot Bluetooth vary, LEDs that flash that will help you find it, and a chargeable battery that lasts as much as 12 months on a single cost.
For those who’re on the lookout for an AirTag or Tile various, the Pebblebee Clip Common is a superb selection. It’s certainly one of a rising variety of trackers that assist each Apple’s Discover My and Google’s Discover Hub networks, a serious enchancment over its predecessor. This makes setup seamless for each iOS and Android customers, whereas additionally enabling extra correct and dependable monitoring than Pebblebee’s personal community might present.
The factor I like finest concerning the Pebblebee Clip Common is its rechargeable battery. A single cost lasts as much as one yr, up from six months — although it’s possible you’ll get longer than that relying in your utilization. It has a USB-C port, too, so that you don’t must sweat it in the event you lose the charger it comes with. You like to see it.
The Pebblebee Clip Common additionally has an LED strip on the backside that lights up if you ring the tracker. That’s helped me spot my automotive keys extra shortly after they’ve fallen underneath the automotive seat or different darkish areas. The ringtone can be fairly loud, and the 500-foot Bluetooth vary is definitely about 100 ft greater than the Tile Professional, our decide for Android customers. And whereas bigger than an AirTag, the Pebblebee Clip Common additionally comes with a snap-on key ring so that you don’t have to purchase one other accent to connect it. It’s additionally IPX6-rated for water resistance.
Clip Common house owners can nonetheless use Pebblebee’s app to set voice tags and ask Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to assist discover their machine. It’s also possible to use the “Discover Cellphone” function, which helps you to double-tap to ring your cellphone.
That stated, Clip Common house owners can’t use the Pebblebee app for monitoring, and so solely last-gen Clip house owners can benefit from the Pebblebee app’s intensive customizable geofencing options. Meaning, as an example, Clip Common house owners can not arrange customized areas on a map and be notified every time a tool enters or leaves the world. Additionally they can’t use the app to designate protected zones, which was helpful to keep away from pointless “left behind” notifications in acquainted locations like residence or work. The latter may be accomplished in Apple’s Discover My app, although Google’s Discover Hub doesn’t but have an equal function.
The very best AirTag alternate options for wallets
$28
The Pebblebee Card has a chargeable battery that lasts for as much as 18 months. It helps Apple’s Discover My and Google’s Discover Hub, however you can too use the Pebblebee app for voice tagging.
You would be like my partner, who stuffs an AirTag of their bifold pockets after which makes a shocked Pikachu face each time it falls out. Or, you could possibly go for a Discover My-compatible various particularly designed for wallets, just like the $34.99 Pebblebee Card Universal. It performs good with each Apple’s Discover My and Google’s Discover Hub networks, supplying you with cross-platform flexibility and the advantages of every — all with an excellent loud ringtone. It doesn’t include precision monitoring as a result of it lacks UWB, however it makes up for it with these loud ringtones. As a part of the Discover My community, it additionally supports unwanted tracking alerts.
The Pebblebee Card Common additionally stands out due to its rechargeable battery, which lasts as much as 18 months on a single cost. Just like the Pebblebee Clip Common, it really works with the Pebblebee app to assist voice tagging and even has a button you’ll be able to press to find your cellphone.
Different Bluetooth trackers to contemplate
- The $16.88
$29.99Eufy Security SmartTrack Card is one other good possibility designed for wallets. It comes with a bit of clip attachment so it doesn’t have to be stuffed in your pockets; you could possibly clip it onto a laptop computer case, for instance. This additionally has the identical advantages when used with the Discover My community because the Pebblebee Card Common. On the again, there’s additionally a QR code — much like those Tile makes use of — that helps good samaritans return your merchandise to you. Just like the Pebblebee Card Common, you’ll be able to share it with a number of folks in the event you set it up by way of the Eufy Safety app. The bummer right here is it doesn’t work with Android, lacks UWB and a replaceable battery, and isn’t rechargeable like its successor, Eufy’s $29.9934.99SmartTrack Card E30. That stated, although, the built-in battery ought to purportedly final you three years. - The $29
$35Chipolo Card Spot or $24$35Card Point can be an excellent possibility for wallets if you would like one thing a bit less complicated, although it lacks the QR code, and its battery solely lasts two years. For those who do go for Chipolo, double-check that the precise tracker you’re shopping for works on the network you want to use. For instance, the Chipolo Card and Chipolo Card Spot can each be used with iPhones, however the Chipolo Card solely works with the Chipolo app, whereas the Card Spot solely works with Discover My. The Chipolo Card Level is for Android customers and works with Google’s Discover Hub community. Read my full Chipolo Card Spot review. - For those who’re a Samsung Galaxy cellphone consumer, the $29.99 Samsung SmartTag2 will get you UWB monitoring and might faucet into the Galaxy Discover community, which operates equally to Apple’s Discover My community. It’s an important AirTag various however isn’t our total decide for Android as a result of it’s restricted to Samsung Galaxy customers. However for Samsung customers, the announcements SmartTag2 contains an improved Compass View, longer battery life, and a greater app expertise. It’s additionally bought a more moderen rectangular design with a bigger key ring than the unique SmartTag.
- Motorola’s $29 Moto Tag is the primary tracker on Google’s Discover Hub community to supply UWB for finding misplaced objects, which is performance Google lately enabled by way of a firmware replace. Much more conveniently, it’s appropriate with Apple’s Discover My community, too, and is designed to slot in equipment made for AirTags. The Moto Tag additionally carries an IP67 score for mud and water resistance and comes with a replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery that ought to last as long as a yr. Like Pebblebee’s trackers, it will probably ring your cellphone in the event you’ve misplaced it. As a bonus, it doubles as a distant shutter for Motorola cellphone cameras.
- Chipolo has announced the Chipolo Pop, a $29 Bluetooth tracker supplied in six vibrant colours. It really works with both Apple’s Discover My or Google’s Discover Hub networks — although solely separately — and boasts a 300-foot Bluetooth vary, exceeding that of the corporate’s different trackers. The tracker additionally provides a extra strong IP55 score for water and dirt resistance and features a user-replaceable battery that may last as long as a yr. I’m nonetheless within the early phases of testing, however to this point I’m a fan. In comparison with the Tile Professional and Apple’s AirTag, the Chipolo Pop is each louder and lighter, with a built-in gap that makes it straightforward to connect to a keyring — no further equipment required. Setup by means of Apple’s Discover My was additionally fast and seamless. I haven’t examined it with Google’s Discover Hub simply but, however I’ll replace as soon as I do. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Author
Replace, July third: Added particulars concerning the announcements Tile and Pebblebee trackers in addition to Google Discover Hub community updates. Additionally added “what’s coming subsequent” and “different Bluetooth trackers to contemplate” sections and up to date pricing and availability info. Sheena Vasani additionally contributed to this information.