Bluetooth tracker: the best options in 2023, from Apple AirTag to Tile

At some point, you’re going to misplace something important, like your beloved Nintendo Switch, or your Steam Deck. And sadly, it’s not possible to remotely track the location of either console, should you lose it. This is a bummer. But tethering inexpensive Bluetooth trackers, such as the Apple AirTag and a Tile Mate to items can make it easier for you to find them than mentally retracing steps. Once you go through the initial step of pairing a tracker to your smartphone or a tablet, you’ll be able to see where your items are hiding by opening an app.

Okay, it’s not always as simple as that. The trackers work best in the home or any other place where they can be used within range. The wireless range of these trackers is not as good as that of Bluetooth headsets or controllers.

Each of the below trackers has an innovative workaround that allows them to overcome their limitations. Bluetooth allows trackers to send anonymous pings to other trackers, phones and devices. This creates a network of connected devices which can help you find lost items. Each network can only be as powerful as how many units are sold. Therefore, our trackers represent both the top and most popular options available.

What is the best Bluetooth tracker?

Tile Mate

Tile Mate can be recommended to most people. It’s available for a reasonable $24.99 asking price (sometimes less), its non-replaceable battery can last for up to three years, and it has a water-resistant design. It can tap into Tile’s greater network of devices, giving you a fighting chance of getting your lost item back, even if you go outside of the Mate’s 250-foot Bluetooth range. Also, it can work just as well on Android as it can on iPhone — the same can’t be said about Apple’s AirTags.

Image: Life360

Coming back to the Tile network, the Mate’s Bluetooth capability allows it to anonymously and securely ping other Tile devices that may be nearby, as well as phones that have the Tile app installed. There’s no guarantee that you’ll find your lost item, but having this network to lean on increases the chances that you’ll be able to see where it either presently is on the map, or where it last came into contact with a compatible device. Plus, if you pay for one of Tile’s premium tiers, it’ll reimburse you a certain amount for your lost item if its network falls short of helping you find your possession.

Every Mate comes with a hole for a lanyard, so you can attach it to your keys, bag, pet collar, or carabiner clip. You can just as easily stow it in any bag, whether it’s a purse, or a zip-up case for your Nintendo Switch or Steam Deck.

The Tile Mate can also help you find a lost phone or tablet that it’s registered to, so long as it’s in range. You can press the Mate’s button twice, causing the paired device to ring. In case you lose the Tile Mate, it features a QR code on its back that people can scan with their smartphones, which will surface a message that’s configurable in the Tile app, like “if found, please e-mail me and I’ll meet you to pick it up.”

The free features that I’ve listed above should suit most people. There are several reasons you may choose Tile Premium ($2.99/month) as your subscription. For one, it’ll unlock smart alerts, so your phone can be alerted if you leave the Tile behind. You’ll also get a 30-day location history of the tracker, unlimited sharing with trusted contacts, and free battery replacements. It also grants you a warranty on the Tile, as well as a reimbursement of items up to $100 if your item is lost and the Tile network can’t find it. Tile’s $99.99 per year Premium Protect plan offers up to $1,000 in reimbursement.

Tile Mate

Price taken from the publication.

This is a great platform-agnostic option with a huge network.

In case you’d prefer other form factors — all of which have similar features— Tile also makes the $29.99 Sticker, a smaller option that can adhere to items (or slide into a cat collar), the $34.99 Pro that has almost twice the range of the Mate and a replaceable battery, and the $34.99 Slim, which is a card-shaped tracker that can fit into a wallet.

Apple AirTag

Apple AirTag, which costs $29.99, is identical in function to the Tile Mate. This gadget can keep you informed about your possessions and it’s water resistant. However, it can connect only to Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices running iOS 14.5 or newer software. This isn’t a tracker that Android users should have on their radar at all, unless they’re buying it for someone who has an iPhone.

Apple

One big perk of the AirTag is that it leans on Apple’s vast, accurate Find My app to help you keep tabs on the AirTag. If it is lost, you may find it again quickly. Like Tile’s network, the AirTag securely communicates with other devices to provide a reliable idea of where it might be located. Apple’s Find My network is huge, given that every Apple device from other iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers can serve as a beacon. Apple says it currently consists of “hundreds of millions” of devices, which is a feat that no other tracker can compete with.

To make finding the AirTag easier when you’re on-foot, the AirTags have a feature called Precision Finding that the iPhone 11 and newer phones can take advantage of. When you’re near the AirTag, your phone can communicate via ultra wideband (UWB) with it to essentially give you more accurate moment-to-moment instructions to find it.

Apple AirTag

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

Apple’s best tracker, with a larger network.

The AirTag’s notifications can be tuned to let you know if you’ve left without it, or not (notably, you don’t have to pay extra for this feature, unlike Tile’s Mate). And, if you unintentionally lose it, you’ll be notified if someone on the Find My network comes close enough to ping it. If you aren’t so lucky, it can be set to “Lost Mode” in the Find My app. If someone uses NFC to tap the AirTag, then you can send them your information so they can coordinate its return. Android users aren’t completely left out of the AirTag equation; Apple’s Tracker Detect app is meant to tell you if there are nearby trackers that are, perhaps, being used for malicious purposes. However, you cannot track the exact location of an AirTag with anything but the Apple device it’s connected to. Apple and Google both announced that they were working together on a new technology that would be released by the year 2023. The standard will let iOS and Android users know when unwanted trackers are nearby.

The biggest downside about the AirTag is that you’ll need an additional accessory if you plan to connect it to your keys, or tether it generally. Apple’s own AirTag lanyard ranges in cost between $20 and $40, although numerous companies make more affordable options. AirTag can also be disguised with accessories. The AirTag is hidden in such a way as to not attract the attention of a potential thief.

Chipolo One Spot

Apple’s AirTag isn’t the only tracker that can utilize the expansive Find My network with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Chipolo, a brand of trackers from which the Chipolo one spot is $28, makes trackers with this capability.

Image: Chipolo

The biggest differences between Apple’s AirTags and these come down to design and convenience. Chipolo has simpler trackers, however, the One Spot also comes with a lanyard so that you can attach it to your keys, bag, or whatever. Like the AirTag tracker, the Chipolo One Spot also has an interchangeable battery.

Chipolo One Spot

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

An Apple-exclusive tracker that’s similar in functionality to the AirTag, but with a lanyard hole.

What are the best Bluetooth tracking cases?

The Tile Mate and the Chipolo One Spot can be added to your keychain with ease, but as previously mentioned, Apple’s AirTag needs an extra accessory to achieve the same utility. We’ve listed a few accessories below, some of which are exclusive to the AirTag, while others will work with any tracker.

Spigen Rugged Armor Pro case for Nintendo Switch

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

This case features a strap that can fit an AirTag, so you won’t as easily lose track of your beloved Switch. It’s compatible with the Switch OLED and the regular Switch, but not the Switch Lite.

Case for steam Deck – Spigen Rugged Armor PRO

The prices are taken at the time of publication.

Unlike Spigen’s Switch model, this case lacks the same AirTag-specific pocket. You can slide in a Bluetooth tracking device into the small pocket on its zipper to monitor your console.