The Best Bluetooth Trackers For 2025

1 month ago

Most group deliberation of AirTags erstwhile they image a Bluetooth tracker. And indeed, Apple’s small achromatic discs utilized to beryllium nan astir tin option, relying connected a immense uncovering web of adjacent iPhones to pinpoint mislaid tags. But now, some Google and Samsung person implemented uncovering networks of their own. And different Bluetooth locator companies, for illustration Chipolo and Pebblebee, now person trackers that brace pinch either Google aliases Apple’s web too. In short, you’ve sewage a batch of options for tagging and search your keys, backpacks, luggage and more. So we tested each nan awesome brands retired location to spot really they activity and put together a guideline to thief you get nan astir retired of your chosen tracker. Here are nan champion Bluetooth trackers you tin buy.

The champion Bluetooth trackers for 2025
What to look for successful a Bluetooth search device
How we tested Bluetooth trackers
Other Bluetooth trackers we tested
Bluetooth locator FAQs

Best Bluetooth trackers for 2025

Chipolo’s erstwhile fob, nan Chipolo ONE, was our apical prime for a mates years. The merchandise of Samsung’s latest tag, caller Tile trackers and different tags compatible pinch Google’s uncovering web didn’t negociate to nudge it from its throne. The Chipolo Pop came retired successful early 2025 and it not only retains each nan features we loved astir nan original tracker, but it besides solved our 1 title astir nan erstwhile model: Chipolo’s constricted uncovering network.

The Pop locator taps into either Google’s Find Hub aliases Apple’s Find My network, calling connected each adjacent Android aliases iPhone, respectively, to anonymously ping a mislaid locator for meticulous finding. Not only does it person immoderate sizeable lost-in-the chaotic chops, it’s besides louder than an AirTag, tin make your telephone ring, has 12 different ringing tones, comes successful tiny colors and, notably, has a dang spread dissimilar Apple’s slippery, accessory-requiring pebble.

It only useful pinch 1 web astatine a time, but it’s easy to region a instrumentality that’s connected to, say, an iPhone and past brace it up pinch a Galaxy handset. Setup was dormant elemental and fast. For some nan iOS and Android tests, conscionable bringing nan Pop adjacent to nan telephone triggered a punctual to brace it. Chipolo’s tag is nary longer nan loudest locator we tested (Pebblebee’s Clip Universal holds that honor), but you won’t struggle to perceive it — and it has 12 optional ringtones, including 3 that are holiday-themed.

Neither Apple AirTags nor third-party trackers moving pinch Google’s Find Hub will fto you ringing your telephone by squeezing nan fob, but Chipolo Pop will. You’ll person to instal nan Chipolo app and springiness it support to tally successful nan inheritance (doing truthful didn’t drastically drain either my iPhone aliases Android telephone battery). The characteristic worked reliably successful my tests and was highly appreciated, arsenic my keys thin to enactment put erstwhile I’m home, but my iPhone likes to roam astir nan location for illustration a saturated housecat.

iPhone users who locomotion distant from an point tagged pinch nan Find My web will get an alert earlier they get excessively acold distant (usually a mates blocks), but Google’s uncovering web has nary akin ability. The Chipolo app enables left-behind (separation) alerts erstwhile utilizing an Android phone. In my tests I sewage astir 400 feet distant from my worldly earlier getting a notification I’d forgotten something. That’s really faster than AirTags’ notification and acold quicker than Tile’s. Alerts were accordant whether I was forgetting an point astatine home, astatine a java shop aliases wrong my car.

As acold arsenic losing worldly retired successful nan wild, nan Pop paired pinch Apple’s Find My web possesses nan aforesaid spooky accuracy arsenic an AirTag. In my iPhone test, I had a friend hide nan tag astir 4 blocks distant from maine adjacent to a comparatively engaged java shop. Once they told maine nan tag had been stashed, I went to nan Find My app to move connected nan mislaid point characteristic — but nary need, nan uncovering web had already located it. I tapped to travel directions successful Apple Maps and was taken wrong astir 2 feet from nan bush wherever it was hidden. Like my AirTags tests, I was some impressed pinch and somewhat unnerved by nan accuracy.

The uncovering skills that trust connected nan Android web were besides impressive. Once nan Pop was hidden, I marked it arsenic mislaid and sewage a ping that it had been spotted astir six minutes later. Again, nan directions led maine adjacent capable to ringing nan locator that I could find it.

Most group won’t request to trust connected nan uncovering web connected a regular basis, which is why it’s important that Chipolo’s mundane locating abilities activity well, too. Tapping nan Play Sound usability connected either an Android aliases iPhone made nan tag chirp almost instantly, and it was capable to link to adjacent tags from further distant than models from different brands.

Pros

Louder than an AirTag
Uses either aliases Apple aliases Google's uncovering networks
Chipolo app adds useful features
Colorful disc pinch a hole
Enables left-behind alerts for Android phones

Cons

Same value arsenic an AirTag

$29 astatine Amazon

AirTags activity pinch iOS' Find My app and are registered to your Apple ID, truthful they don’t require immoderate further downloads. If you’ve utilized nan Find My app before, you’ll apt understand really this works. These are nan quietest of nan trackers we tested and each clip you property nan Play Sound button, nan tags only ringing for 7 seconds. You’ll request to support pressing if you don’t find your point correct distant and AirTags can’t beryllium utilized to ringing your phone.

As for separation alerts, AirTags were consistent, ever delivering a “left behind” alert erstwhile I traveled astir 1,200 feet away, aliases astir 3 quadrate blocks, without an item. You tin move disconnected separation alerts for immoderate fixed tracker, arsenic good arsenic designate definite locations, specified arsenic your location aliases workplace, arsenic exceptions for nan notifications.

One characteristic that AirTags person that nary different tag offers is nan expertise to pat into nan ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless protocol. This allows you to play a nosy crippled of basking and acold pinch an point erstwhile it’s wrong astir 25 feet of your iPhone. Directional arrows and a diminishing region metre connected your iPhone’s surface constituent you to an point without having to ringing it. This worked reliably astir 75 percent of nan clip successful my tests; sometimes it was conscionable easier to ringing nan point erstwhile nan directional uncovering couldn’t support a fastener connected nan tracker.

UWB is supported by iPhone models 11 and later and while newer Galaxy and Pixel phones besides support UWB, nary Android-compatible locator has yet been released. In 2021, Tile announced 1 that would, but has since missed its promised merchandise model of “early 2022.”

AirTag’s expertise to find a mislaid point retired successful nan metropolis is almost eerie. I had personification (who was not carrying an iPhone) return my motorcycle pinch a locator hidden nether nan spot to a location a small complete a half mile away. I group retired a fewer minutes later and toggled connected Notify When Found successful nan Find My app. Within 3 minutes, I received a notification that nan motorcycle had been “seen” adjacent an address. Tapping connected Directions navigates to Apple Maps, which took maine to a spot astir 30 feet from nan bike. Had it been obscured from view, I could person past utilized nan Find Nearby fastener to activate nan UWB locating features. Ringing nan tag was excessively quiet to perceive connected nan sidewalk.

Both nan Chipolo Pop and nan Pebblebee Clip Universal will activity pinch Apple’s Find My network, giving you nan aforesaid eerily meticulous uncovering capabilities. The Pop goes for nan aforesaid $29 arsenic nan AirTag and nan Clip Universal goes for $35, but nan erstwhile is rechargeable and adds lights to nan mix. Both person built-in holes for easier attachment and some ringing louder than nan AirTags. That said, AirTags are still nan golden modular for iPhone users and stay our apical prime for iOS devotees.

Pros

Vast uncovering network
Accurate UWB for adjacent locating

Cons

iPhone only
Only rings for 7 seconds astatine a time
No attachment point

$24 astatine Amazon

Pebblebee whitethorn person landed connected nan champion creation of each trackers retired there. The Clip Universal feels nan sturdiest, pinch a beardown metallic ringing encircling nan fob. Built-in lights thief you find mislaid items successful nan acheronian and it’s 1 of nan fewer fobs that tin beryllium recharged, successful this case, utilizing a modular USB-C port. I for illustration that nan packaging is wholly integrative free, though I wish it didn’t travel pinch a cable, because really, who among america doesn’t person a surfeit of USB-C cords astatine this point? But nan included metallic carabiner cardinal ringing is simply a invited addition.

Like our apical pick, nan Chipolo Pop, nan Clip Universal is simply a cosmopolitan option, moving pinch either Google aliases Apple’s uncovering networks and, successful nan tests wherever I hid nan fob retired successful nan city, nan respective apps accurately led maine adjacent capable to nan locator to ringing it. In tests astir nan location and successful my garage, my tester phones didn’t link to nan Clip rather arsenic quickly arsenic they did to nan Chipolo Pop.

In 1 iPhone test, my helper planted nan Clip adjacent a moderately trafficked bakery and I didn’t get a ping for complete a half hour, which is acold longer than immoderate different Find My web trial I’d conducted. Tests utilizing an Android telephone produced a relationship to nan Find Hub web astatine astir nan aforesaid velocity arsenic different fobs I tried, but I wasn’t ever sent a notification. Instead I had to cheque nan Find Hub app to spot it had been spotted.

One communal title astir AirTags is that they aren’t large enough. If you want a locator that’s ear-shatteringly loud, nan Clip delivers. My phone’s decibel metre app clocked it astatine 91dB — a level that tin origin proceeding harm if you’re exposed to it for excessively long. Paired pinch nan flashing lights, it’s 1 of nan easiest trackers to find.

Setup wasn’t arsenic automatic arsenic it was pinch nan Chipolo Pop, I had to manually adhd nan Clip, which wasn’t terribly difficult, though having nan aged Pebblebee app (Pebblebee Tracking) connected my iPhone triggered a punctual to download nan caller app (simply called Pebblebee). The institution recommends downloading its proprietary app successful bid to support nan tracker’s firmware updated and to “unlock its afloat potential.” But different than nan expertise to rename nan fob aliases region it, I didn’t spot immoderate further features.

The app does support 1 unsocial feature, however, pinch Link Labels. These are stickers pinch a unsocial QR codification that you tin declare and sanction successful nan app, past instrumentality to immoderate you’d like: a h2o bottle, hat, sunglasses lawsuit and truthful on. If personification finds nan branded point and scans nan code, you’ll instantly get a notification from nan Pebblebee app that it was scanned. The personification who finds it is taken to a website wherever they tin take to nonstop you nan location of nan item, a connection and/or a picture. No interaction specifications are shared to support things much secure. I didn’t trial nan characteristic extensively, arsenic it’s a small extracurricular nan purview of this guide, but it could beryllium a elemental and clever measurement to support way of worldly you don’t want to instrumentality a locator on.

A mates of relationship blips during testing and nan deficiency of other features (like ringing my telephone and nan deficiency of Android left-behind alerts) put it down nan Chipolo Pop, but if you for illustration nan thought of recharging your locator complete throwing distant batteries and want a compatible (and loud) locator pinch a sturdy design, nan Chip Universal is simply a bully option.

It's worthy noting that successful June, nan Pebblebee added individual information features to nan Universal fob. It’s a free characteristic you tin usage aft a package update and useful pinch nan Clip Universal. When you compression nan tag 5 times, it triggers a large siren, agleam flashes from nan LED ray and sends a notification to nan group you designate wrong nan Pebblebee app.

Pros

Loudest locator we tested
Taps into either Google aliases Apple's uncovering networks
Rechargeable

Cons

The Pebblebee devices doesn't connection further features
Occasional relationship blips
Not arsenic easy to group up arsenic different trackers

$35 astatine Amazon

Nothing tin hit nan vastness of Apple’s Find My network, since it relies connected each adjacent iPhone to thief find AirTags. The number of Samsung phones successful nan US whitethorn beryllium smaller than nan number of Apple handsets retired there, but it’s still significant. The caller SmartTag 2 relies connected those phones to connection a uncovering web that whitethorn not champion Apple’s, but it was nan first tag to connection thing adjacent to Apple's network.

Of course, now that Google has it's ain expanded Find Hub network, Samsung's web falls to 3rd spot successful position of size.

The SmartTag 2 only useful pinch Samsung devices and aft testing 1 retired pinch a Galaxy S23, I was impressed really quickly it was capable to find tagged items retired successful nan wild, though nan precision didn’t rather lucifer that of Apple. Of each nan trackers I’ve tried, I for illustration nan creation of nan SmartTag nan best. It’s an oblong fob pinch a large spread for attaching straight to your keys, aliases you tin bargain nan optional silicone lawsuit and ringing Samsung offers. Its measurement is louder than nan AirTag and nan Tile Pro, but not arsenic large arsenic either nan Chipolo One aliases nan Pebblebee Clip. You tin besides alteration nan tag’s ringtone aliases double compression it to ringing your handset, some things that you can’t do pinch AirTags.

Setup is elemental arsenic well: erstwhile you region nan integrative propulsion tab, your telephone senses nan locator and walks you done nan modular permissions (location services, notifications) and warnings (don’t usage nan locator connected people). The companion app, SmartThings Find, tracks your Samsung devices and nan SmartTag pinch an intuitive and cleanable Google Maps-based interface.

As for really nan tag useful successful practice, I recovered nan near down alerts triggered reliably erstwhile I sewage astir 3 blocks (1,200 feet aliases so) distant erstwhile stepping and astir 8 blocks distant erstwhile driving. That’s acold longer than Chipolo’s alerts, a small longer than Apple’s notifications and astir connected par pinch Tile’s left-behind feature.

When nan tag is retired of scope and you alteration Lost Mode, you’ll get an alert erstwhile it’s spotted by different Samsung phone. The tag besides uses NFC to show your interaction info and a civilization statement to anyone who finds nan tracker, sloppy of nan marque of smartphone they carry. Of course, whoever finds it would request to cognize to clasp it to nan backmost of their telephone to get nan message, and it was harder to trigger pinch my iPhone erstwhile nan tag was successful nan silicone holder.

To trial nan uncovering network, I asked a friend (without a telephone successful their pocket) to rotation a half mile distant pinch nan tag. About 12 minutes aft turning connected Lost Mode, I sewage a connection that nan SmartTag was “spotted by a adjacent device” pinch a dropped pin. I tapped Navigate successful nan app, which opened Google Maps and led maine to a constituent straight crossed a moderately engaged thoroughfare from wherever my friend was standing. If I’d near nan tag down location I’d precocious been, conscionable seeing nan location connected nan representation would person been capable to jog my representation arsenic to wherever I mightiness person dropped my stuff. But if personification had stolen nan tagged point and I was wandering nan streets trying to get it back, vigilante style, it whitethorn not person been precise capable to help. It whitethorn not beryllium arsenic meticulous arsenic nan iPhone-and-AirTag combo, but nan SmartTag 2 is simply a coagulated introduction successful nan Bluetooth locator marketplace and a bully action if you person a Samsung phone.

Pros

Finding web is large
Attractive and useful design

Cons

Only useful pinch Samsung phones

$22 astatine Amazon

What to look for successful a Bluetooth search device

Bluetooth trackers are mini discs aliases cards that trust connected short-range, low-energy wireless signals to pass pinch your smartphone. Attach 1 of these gadgets your worldly and, if it’s successful range, your telephone tin “ring” nan spot truthful you tin find it. These search devices connection different features for illustration separation alerts to show you erstwhile you’ve near a tagged point behind, aliases wherever a mislaid point was past detected. Some tin moreover pat into a larger web of smartphones to way down your instrumentality erstwhile you’re retired of range. Depending connected what you want nan locator to do, location are a fewer specs to look for erstwhile deciding which to get.

Device compatibility

Like astir things from nan folks successful Cupertino, AirTags only activity pinch products successful nan Apple ecosystem. Both Apple and Google person opened up entree to nan Find My and Find Hub networks to third-party manufacturers, including Chipolo and Pebblebee. Those 2 companies make device-agnostic models that will activity pinch nan larger search web from either brand, truthful iPhone and Android users tin bargain nan aforesaid tag. Tile trackers activity pinch either Android aliases Apple devices, but usage Tile’s ain Life 360 uncovering network. Samsung’s latest fob, nan Galaxy SmartTag2, only useful pinch Samsung phones and taps into a uncovering strategy that relies connected different Samsung devices to find mislaid tags.

Finding network

Crowd-sourced uncovering capabilities are what make headlines, pinch stories astir recovering stolen equipment aliases search mislaid luggage across nan globe. Using anonymous signals that ping different people’s devices, these Bluetooth search devices tin perchance show you wherever a tagged point is, moreover if your smartphone is retired of Bluetooth range.

Apple’s Find My web is nan largest, pinch complete a billion iPhones and iPads successful work each moving Apple’s Find My app by default. So unless an iPhone personification opts out, their telephone silently acts arsenic a location detector for immoderate adjacent AirTags. Apple precocious accrued nan AirTag’s uncovering powerfulness by enabling you to share nan location of a mislaid tag pinch a 3rd party, party, for illustration an airline. Chipolo fobs that activity connected Apple’s web person nan aforesaid ability. Google launched its Find My Device web successful 2024 and has since renamed it Find Hub, which, for illustration Apple's fining app, combines devices and group uncovering successful 1 place. That web is now a adjacent 2nd for nan largest successful nan US

Now that Google’s Find Hub web is up and running, it’s a adjacent 2nd for nan largest successful nan US. Like Apple, Android users are automatically portion of nan network, but tin opt-out by selecting nan Google services action successful their phone’s Settings app and toggling nan action successful nan Find Hub menu. Samsung’s SmartTag 2 and related web besides defaults to an opt-in position for uncovering tags and different devices.

Tile offers a ample uncovering grid that includes Tile users, Amazon Sidewalk customers and group moving nan Life360 network. Life360 acquired Tile successful 2021, and, according to nan company, nan Life360 web has much than 70 cardinal monthly progressive users.

In our tests, AirTags and third-party tags utilizing its network, for illustration nan Chipolo Pop and Pebblebee Clip Universal, were nan fastest to way down mislaid items. They offered astir real-time location information successful moderately to heavy trafficked spots astir Albuquerque, including a bar, bookstore and java shops successful Nob Hill, on pinch various outdoor hangouts connected UNM’s campus.

Samsung's SmartTags were capable to find our mislaid items astir of nan time, though not pinch nan aforesaid precision uncovering accuracy arsenic AirTags. When we tested Google’s Find Hub (then called Find My Device) network correct aft launch, it was noticeably slower than Apple’s web erstwhile utilizing nan organization uncovering feature. Testing it again successful 2025, nan clip it took to find a mislaid point was considerably improved, taking conscionable a mates minutes for nan organization to way a fob. In our tests, Tile’s uncovering web wasn’t capable to consistently find its mislaid fobs.

An assortment of bluetooth trackers arranged successful a grid connected a woody background. Trackers see achromatic Tile trackers successful various shapes, 2 metallic and achromatic AirTag trackers and a information bluish Chipolo locator attached to a group of keys pinch a multitool cardinal chain.

Separation alerts

Here’s wherever a tracker’s day-to-day inferior really shines. A separation alert lets you cognize erstwhile you’ve traveled excessively acold from your tagged items, which is useful if you want to make judge your laptop bag, aliases overgarment aliases umbrella ever comes pinch you erstwhile you time off nan house.

These notifications activity erstwhile you’re retired and astir too. If you’ve sewage a Bluetooth search instrumentality successful your wallet and locomotion retired of a edifice without it, nan separation alert should footwear in, resulting successful less mislaid items. This characteristic besides tells you wherever your tagged point and telephone were past paired, allowing you to retrace your steps if you hap to miss nan alert.

Each locator handles left-behind items differently. AirTags and third-party fobs utilizing its web (such arsenic from Chipolo aliases Pebblebee) see nan characteristic by default. Tile trackers require a yearly subscription to alteration nan alerts (currently $30 annually). Tags moving pinch nan Google's Find Hub web don’t connection nan characteristic astatine all, but Chipolo Pop tags tin rumor left-behind alerts utilizing its ain Android app. Both AirTags and Tiles let you to move disconnected separation alerts astatine definite locations, meaning you tin group your location arsenic a “safe” spot wherever items tin beryllium near behind, but alerts will still trigger elsewhere.

In our tests, AirTags and others utilizing nan Find My web alerted america betwixt nan 600- and 1,400-foot mark. Tiles sent a notification aft astir an mean of 1,500 feet and were much accordant erstwhile utilizing an Android telephone than an iPhone. Chipolo Pop tags paired pinch an Android telephone and utilizing its ain app sent an alert erstwhile we sewage astir 450 feet distant from our tagged item.

Connectivity, measurement and design

The characteristic you whitethorn usage astir often is nan cardinal finder function, which makes nan locator ringing erstwhile you deed a fastener successful nan app. With Apple's AirTags, you tin opportunity "Hey Siri, wherever are my keys?" and nan adjunct will ringing nan tag (assuming it doesn't mistakenly deliberation you're asking for directions to nan Floridian archipelago). You tin besides usage nan Find Item app successful your Apple Watch to ringing your fob. Asking smart home/personal assistants for illustration Alexa aliases nan Google Assistant to find your keys will activity pinch Chipolo, Tile and Pebblebee trackers linked to your Android device.

If you person your tag but can’t find your phone, immoderate trackers will fto you ringing them to find your handset. SmartTag2 fobs reliably rang our Galaxy telephone erstwhile we double-pressed it. Tile trackers person nan aforesaid feature. Chipolo Pop trackers tin ringing your phone, but uses nan Chipolo app to do so, which tin tally concurrently pinch nan Find My aliases Find Hub connection. AirTags and immoderate third-party tags utilizing only Apple aliases Google’s networks don’t connection this feature.

The measurement of nan Bluetooth search instrumentality whitethorn find whether you tin find an point buried successful your sofa cushions aliases successful a noisy room. AirTags person a estimation for being connected nan quiet side, and that aligned pinch what we saw (measuring astir 65 decibels). Chipolo’s Pop tags and Tile’s Pro exemplary measurement betwixt 83 and 86 decibels connected average. Pebblebee’s caller Clip Universal was nan loudest of immoderate tag we’ve tested, clocking successful astatine 91 ear-splitting decibels.

Design will find what you tin connect nan locator to. AirTags are small, soft discs that can’t beryllium secured to thing without accessories, which are numerous, but that is an further costs to consider. Chipolo, Pebblebee and Tile connection trackers pinch holes that easy connect to your cardinal ring, and each 3 companies besides connection card-shaped versions designed to fresh successful your wallet. Pebblebee Clip Universal tags travel pinch a useful carabiner-style cardinal ring.

Batteries are replaceable for AirTag, Tile Pro, SmartTag2 and Chipolo Pop fobs and each should spell for astatine slightest a twelvemonth earlier needing to beryllium swapped. Tile Mate and card-shaped trackers don’t person replaceable batteries, which intends you’ll person to switch nan full portion whenever it dies. Pebblebee trackers are rechargeable successful some nan disc and wallet variety. They’re besides nan only tags equipped pinch onboard LEDs.

Stalking, theft and information privacy

AirTags person gotten a batch of attraction and moreover prompted immoderate lawsuits for Apple owed to bad actors planting them connected group successful bid to stalk them. While this truth whitethorn not power your buying decision, immoderate chat of Bluetooth trackers should statement what steps Apple, Google and Tile person taken to reside nan issue. Last year, each nan awesome players successful nan Bluetooth locator business teamed up to combat misuse and standardize really unauthorized search discovery and alerts activity for iOS and Android.

Last year, Tile launched a characteristic called Anti-Theft Mode, which enables you to render 1 of its trackers undetectable by others. That intends if personification steals your tagged item, they won’t beryllium capable to usage nan anti-stalking features to find and disable nan tracker. That benignant of negates 1 of nan awesome ways imaginable stalking victims tin enactment safe, truthful Tile hopes ID verification and a $1 cardinal penalty will deter misuse. Separately, Tile was deed by a data breach, raising different privateness concerns. The institution issued a statement astir nan event, which it shared pinch Engadget:

Similar to galore different companies, Life360 precocious became nan unfortunate of a criminal extortion attempt. We received emails from an chartless character claiming to person Tile customer information. We promptly initiated an investigation into nan imaginable incident and detected unauthorized entree to a Tile customer support level (but not our Tile work platform). The perchance impacted information consists of accusation specified arsenic names, addresses, email addresses, telephone numbers, and Tile instrumentality recognition numbers. It does not see much delicate information, specified arsenic in installments paper numbers, passwords aliases log-in credentials, location data, aliases government-issued recognition numbers, because nan Tile customer support level did not incorporate these accusation types.

We judge this incident was constricted to nan circumstantial Tile customer support information described supra and is not much widespread. We return this arena and nan information of customer accusation seriously. We person taken and will proceed to return steps designed to further protect our systems from bad actors, and we person reported this arena and nan extortion effort to rule enforcement. We stay committed to keeping families safe online and successful nan existent world.

As a theft deterrent, a Bluetooth locator whitethorn aliases whitethorn not beryllium nan champion option. Anecdotal stories abound successful which group person recovered stolen equipment utilizing a locator — but different tales are more cautionary. Neither Apple nor Google promotes its trackers aliases uncovering networks arsenic a measurement to woody pinch theft. GPS trackers, connected nan different hand, are typically marketed for conscionable that purpose.

How we tested Bluetooth trackers

Before deciding connected which trackers to test, we researched nan field, looking astatine personification reviews connected Amazon, Best Buy and different retailers, on pinch discussions connected sites for illustration Reddit. We besides checked retired what different publications had to opportunity connected nan matter earlier narrowing down our options to Apple AirTag, Tile, and Chipolo trackers. When Samsung's SmartTag 2 came retired successful October of 2023, we added that to our testing, on pinch Pebblebee's rechargeable Clip tracker. After Google launched its uncovering web (now called Find Hub), some Chipolo and Pebblebee released trackers successful 2025 that activity pinch either web and we tested nan Pop and Universal cardinal fob models and updated our apical picks accordingly.

Here’s nan afloat database of each locator we tested:

Apple AirTag
Chipolo Card Spot
Chipolo One Spot
Chipolo One
Chipolo Card
Chipolo Pop
Pebblebe Clip Universal
Pebblebee Clip
Samsung SmartTag 2
Chipolo One Point
Pebblebee Clip for Android
Tile Pro (2024)
Tile Mate (2024)
Tile Mate (2022)
Tile Pro (2022)
Tile Slim (2022)

After acquiring nan trackers, I tested each 1 complete nan people of a fewer weeks utilizing some an iPhone 11 and a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I recreated apt personification experiences, specified arsenic losing and leaving items down astatine location and retired successful nan city. I planted trackers astatine different spots adjacent downtown Albuquerque, mostly concentrated successful and astir nan University of New Mexico and nan surrounding vicinity of Nob Hill. Later, I conducted tests successful nan Queen Anne vicinity of Seattle. Each trial was performed aggregate times, some while stepping and driving and I utilized nan measurement region characteristic connected Google Maps to way footage for alerts. I paid attraction to really easy nan app was to use, really reliable nan phone-to-tracker relationship was and immoderate different perks and drawbacks that came up during regular use.

As caller trackers travel to market, aliases arsenic we study of worthy models to try, I'll trial them and adhd nan results to this guide. I'm presently successful nan process of obtaining Motorola Moto tags and look guardant to seeing really they activity pinch an Android phone.

Other Bluetooth trackers we tested

Tile Pro and Tile Mate (2024)

Tile precocious came retired pinch a caller suite of trackers, replacing nan Tile Mate, Tile Pro, Tile Sticker and Tile Slim pinch updated models. In summation to nosy caller colors for nan Mate and Slim, Tile added an SOS characteristic that tin nonstop a notification to your Life360 Circle erstwhile you triple property nan fastener connected nan tracker. It’s a clever summation that turns your keys into a panic button, thing offered by individual information companies arsenic standalone devices.

There are a fewer caveats: You and nan group you want to notify successful an emergency will request nan Life360 app installed connected your phones. If you want your Tile to besides trigger a telephone to emergency services, you’ll request a $15-per-month Life360 subscription (that’s successful summation to a Tile membership, which starts astatine $3/month aliases $30 annually). And enabling nan SOS triple-press disables nan expertise to ringing your telephone pinch nan fob.

I tested nan SOS characteristic and it did so nonstop a matter connection to my Circle, pinch nan connection that I had triggered an SOS and a nexus to a website that showed my existent location. I thought it overseas that nan nexus didn’t unfastened nan Life360 app (which shows nan location of users' phones), but I wasn’t arsenic overmuch concerned pinch Tile’s individual information features arsenic I was pinch nan search capabilities, which turned retired to beryllium little than ideal.

For my tests, I planted Tile trackers successful a densely populated area of Seattle (about 15,000 group per quadrate mile). After mounting nan trackers to “lost” successful nan Tile app, I waited. After 4 hours, 1 of nan trackers was not discovered by nan uncovering community, truthful I went and retrieved it. Another fob I planted alerted maine that nan locator had been recovered by nan Tile organization aft 3 hours — but nan location it gave maine was disconnected by a 3rd of a mile. I past decided to works a locator successful nan astir populated spot I could deliberation of — nan dried consequence and nuts aisle of a Trader Joes connected a Friday evening earlier a awesome holiday. It still took complete a half an hr earlier different Tile personification anonymously pinged my mislaid tracker.

In my tests pinch Samsung’s trackers and nan fobs connected Google’s Find Hub network, it took astir 10 minutes for them to beryllium discovered. AirTags took half that clip and each were tested successful a acold little populated city. Four hours pinch nary ping and complete a half hr earlier getting a deed successful a crowded TJs were beautiful agelong stretches.

Our apical pick, nan classical Chipolo, has virtually nary uncovering network. But if you’re getting a locator for that characteristic alone, you should spell pinch AirTags if you person an iPhone aliases nan Google-enabled Chipolo aliases Pebblebee trackers if you usage an Android phone. We for illustration nan Chipolo because it useful pinch either iOS aliases Android devices, it rings loud, it’s speedy to show you erstwhile you’ve near it down and it connects astir instantly erstwhile you’re searching for a misplaced locator astir nan house.

Tile devices besides activity pinch some mobile operating systems and its latest models are so louder than they were before. But they aren’t arsenic speedy to link and you request to salary for a rank to activate left-behind alerts. And erstwhile you do, those notifications don’t footwear successful arsenic quickly arsenic they do pinch competing trackers.

Bluetooth locator FAQs

Which Bluetooth locator has nan longest range?

Both nan Tile Pro and nan Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 declare a maximum scope of astir 400 feet, which is longer than nan 300-foot declare for Chipolo’s Pop tags. The Pebblebee Clip Universal claims a 500-foot range, though different trackers pinch a shorter claimed scope performed amended successful our tests. Apple doesn’t make scope claims for AirTags. Any Bluetooth signal, of course, is limited connected a fewer factors. Obstacles for illustration walls and group tin artifact nan signal, truthful a clear statement of show is nan only measurement to execute nan maximum range. Other signals, for illustration Wi-Fi, tin besides interfere pinch Bluetooth connections. Even precocious humidity tin person an effect and lessen nan region astatine which your telephone will link to your tracker.

Remember, erstwhile considering nan scope of Bluetooth trackers, nan size of nan “finding network” besides comes into play. This is nan number of adjacent phones that tin beryllium utilized to anonymously ping your locator erstwhile your ain telephone is retired of Bluetooth range. As of now, Apple AirTags person nan largest network, followed by Google’s Find Hub, Samsung’s uncovering organization and Tile’s Life360 members.

What is nan champion Bluetooth locator for a car?

Bluetooth trackers are designed to way small, individual items for illustration keys, jackets, backpacks and nan like. All trackers person safeguards to prohibit nan tag from being utilized to stalk people, truthful astir will alert personification if a locator that does not beryllium to them is detected pursuing them. That intends a car thief whitethorn get tipped disconnected that there’s a locator successful nan car they’re trying to steal. That said, you’ll spot plentifulness of stories astir group uncovering their car acknowledgment to a Bluetooth tracker. Some police departments person moreover handed retired trackers to combat precocious rates of carjacking. In astir instances, nan locator of prime has been AirTags acknowledgment to their wide uncovering network. If you’re looking for a locator for your car, you whitethorn want to look into GPS trackers, immoderate of which are designed for conscionable that purpose.

How meticulous are Bluetooth trackers?

Accuracy for Bluetooth trackers tin beryllium looked astatine successful 2 ways: Finding items adjacent and uncovering items misplaced extracurricular your home. For adjacent items, you’ll astir often usage nan ringing usability connected nan instrumentality to hunt it down. Two tags, Apple’s AirTags and Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag2, besides usage ultra-wideband technology, which creates directional navigation connected your telephone to get you wrong a ft of nan tracker.

Accurately uncovering mislaid items extracurricular your location depends connected nan size of nan uncovering network. Since this relies connected nan serendipity of a random telephone passing wrong Bluetooth scope of your tracker, nan much phones connected a fixed network, nan better. And since Bluetooth ranges and region estimates are only precise wrong astir a metre aliases so, getting pings from much than 1 telephone will thief locating items. Here again, it’s worthy noting that Apple’s Find My web is nan largest, followed by Google, Samsung and Tile (both Chipolo and Pebblebee person fobs that activity pinch nan Apple and Google networks).

Recent Updates

August 2025: Updated nan sanction of Google's uncovering web to Find Hub, alternatively of Find My Device. Added specifications astir Pebblebee's caller Alert feature. Added a array of contents.