The best Bluetooth trackers of 2025

Some folks hardly ever lose issues. Wallets are all the time precisely the place they’re imagined 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 search out the factor that was proper there a couple of seconds in the past. For us, there are Bluetooth trackers.

Bluetooth trackers have been round for a very long time, they usually all usually work the identical approach. You stick the tracker onto an object, pair it along with your cellphone, after which, once you lose mentioned object, you may go into an app and ring the tracker. However lately, Bluetooth trackers can do much more. Some have ultra-wideband chips that allow precision monitoring, so you will discover precisely the place in a room your merchandise is. Others faucet into giant networks that make it simpler to search out misplaced objects exterior the house. Many will notify you in the event that they detect you’ve left the gadget behind or include QR codes that hyperlink to your contact info so folks can simply return misplaced units.

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 precisely what occurred. It’s since beefed up its anti-stalking options, and firms like Tile have additionally adopted go well with. Apple and Google have launched a normal that allows undesirable monitoring alerts throughout each Android and iOS units — and main gamers like Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo are on board. However till this customary is up and working, it pays to pay attention to every tracker’s present strategy once you’re deciding the best choice for you.

As a consummate Loser of Issues, I’ve examined my fair proportion of Bluetooth trackers on wallets, keys, and baggage. Right here’s what I’d advocate in the event you, too, have a tough time discovering issues.

One of the best tracker for iPhone customers

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.

Principally, UWB allows precision monitoring whereas Discover My compatibility expands vary far, far past Bluetooth’s limitations. With precision monitoring, all it’s a must to do is open the Discover My app, faucet “Discover,” and you need to see an arrow pointing you within the actual path it’s worthwhile to go to search out your merchandise. Utilizing the Discover My community additionally implies that as long as there’s an Apple gadget close by, a misplaced AirTag can ping its location to Apple’s iCloud servers with out notifying the homeowners 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 working as soon as, and I didn’t discover till my cellphone pinged me to say my keys have been now not with me. Whereas I wasn’t in a position to make use of the precision monitoring outdoor, I may 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 some other merchandise tracker.

Nevertheless, this accuracy is a double-edged sword. In 2022, I ran a take a look at to see whether or not I may observe a pal and my partner (with their consent) in actual time. And I may, to a disturbing diploma. Whereas Apple’s undesirable monitoring prevention measures labored, there have been additionally inherent flaws. (You’ll be able to examine our testing in full right here.) Nevertheless, Apple has since improved undesirable monitoring alerts by shortening the time earlier than you’re notified an unknown AirTag is in your neighborhood, making chimes louder, and making a separate app that lets Android customers scan for unknown AirTags. Apple additionally now informs customers throughout setup that undesirable monitoring is against the law and that AirTags are “meant solely to trace objects that belong to you.”

Apple has additionally added extra methods to share AirTag areas with trusted folks. iOS 17 launched AirTag sharing, which suggests shared objects gained’t set off undesirable monitoring alerts. As of iOS 18.2, you too can share the placement of a misplaced AirTag with different folks by way of a brief hyperlink. So if an airline loses your baggage, you may ship them a hyperlink that reveals them an interactive map of your merchandise’s final recognized 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 strong third-party accent market, so that you don’t need to pay Apple’s costs in the event you don’t wish to. The truth that you may simply substitute 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.

One of the best Bluetooth tracker for Android customers

For Android customers (or households with each iOS and Android), a Tile tracker is your finest wager. Not solely are they platform-agnostic however they’re additionally way more versatile than AirTags as a result of you may select from 4 completely different shapes. The $24.99 Tile Mate is the OG and is a sq. tracker with a gap so you may stick it on a key ring or carabiner. The $34.99 Tile Professional is a bit bigger and formed like a key fob; it will also be connected to different objects in the identical approach because the Mate. The $34.99 Tile Slim is card-shaped, so it will probably slot in your pockets, and the $29.99 Tile Sticker is a small disc that comes with a sticky backing so you may put it on remotes, pet collars, and the rest you may stick it on. Like AirTags, Tile units can faucet into a bigger community — on this case, Amazon Sidewalk — that can assist you discover your units exterior of your cellphone’s Bluetooth vary.

One of the best Tile will depend upon what you’re trying to observe. The Slim, for instance, is the best choice in the event you’re consistently dropping your pockets, whereas the Mate might be essentially the most versatile. My private decide, nevertheless, is the Tile Professional. Of the 4, it has the longest Bluetooth vary at 500 toes and the loudest ring. It’s additionally the one one which has a replaceable one-year CR2032 battery. The Mate and Slim have a 350-foot vary, whereas the Sticker has a 250-foot vary. All three have a three-year built-in battery. Meaning after three years, you’ll more than likely have to purchase an entire new gadget.

Functionally, Tile trackers can do absolutely anything an AirTag can — minus precision monitoring, as there nonetheless isn’t a Tile with UWB functionality but. The corporate introduced one again in 2021, however we’re nonetheless ready, partly as a result of Apple is successfully blocking UWB compatibility for third events in iOS and since Tile’s priorities shifted as soon as it was acquired by Life360.

Since Life360 took over, Tile trackers have gotten a little bit of a refresh. They now combine with Life360’s SOS providers. Once you press them thrice, it triggers an alert that will get despatched to your emergency contacts. You can even designate folks as being in your Circle. These of us then have permission to see the place Tile objects are on a Life360 map, in addition to ring close by objects like remotes.

In the event you’re a Samsung Galaxy cellphone person, the $29.99 Samsung SmartTag2 does get you UWB monitoring and may faucet into the Galaxy Discover community, which operates equally to Apple’s Discover My community. It’s an awesome different however isn’t our general decide for Android as a result of it’s restricted to Samsung Galaxy customers. However for Samsung customers, the most recent SmartTag2 consists of an improved Compass View, longer battery life, and a greater app expertise. It’s additionally obtained a more recent rectangular design with a bigger key ring than the unique SmartTag.

All Tile trackers can faucet into each the Tile Community — all telephones with the Tile app put in — and Amazon Sidewalk. It’s not as in depth a community as Apple’s, however Sidewalk’s attain has improved considerably. It’s a lot simpler now to view a Tile tracker’s location historical past, although you continue to can’t actually observe an merchandise in actual time.

For anti-stalking measures, Tile has a “Scan and Safe” 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. Tiles would be the higher decide, nevertheless, if you wish to observe a stolen merchandise. The corporate rolled out an anti-theft function 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, conform to Tile working with regulation enforcement with no subpoena, and consent to a $1 million wonderful in the event you misuse this function.

My gripe with Tile is it places its finest options behind a $29.99 annual price — although new members get a one-year free trial. These options embrace alerts for once you depart a Tile behind, 30-day location historical past, limitless sharing with family and friends, free replacements for broken Tiles, and a $100 reimbursement if any of your Tile units can’t be discovered. The plus aspect is you solely need to pay one subscription for all of your Tile units. With out a subscription, you may nonetheless discover your Tile inside Bluetooth vary, see its final recognized location on a map if exterior Bluetooth vary, ring your cellphone from the Tile, and share Tiles with one different individual.

In the event you’re not eager on both Tile or Samsung, there’s excellent news. Final yr, Google lastly launched its Discover My Gadget community. It really works equally to Apple’s Discover My community: you’ll have the ability to share trackers with relations, and there are additionally undesirable monitoring alerts. Third-party makers like Chipolo and Pebblebee have since launched suitable trackers, and extra are anticipated. We’re nonetheless within the strategy of testing how properly the Discover My Gadget community works, so keep tuned.

One of the best AirTag and Tile different

Word: For this information, we examined an older model that solely labored with Apple’s community and the corporate’s legacy Pebblebee app on Android. The most recent model is suitable with Apple and Google’s Discover My networks. We’ll work on trying out the most recent mannequin for our subsequent replace.

In the event you’re on the lookout for an AirTag or Tile different, the Pebblebee Clip is a wonderful selection.

The factor I like finest in regards to the Pebblebee Clip is its rechargeable battery. A single cost lasts as much as six months — although you might get longer than that relying in your utilization. It has a USB-C port, too, so that you don’t need to sweat it in the event you lose the charger it comes with. You like to see it.

The Pebblebee Clip additionally has an LED strip on the backside that lights up once you ring the tracker. That’s helped me spot my automotive keys extra rapidly after they’ve fallen below the automotive seat or different darkish areas. The ringtone can also be fairly loud, and the 500-foot Bluetooth vary is definitely about 100 toes greater than the Tile Professional, our decide for Android customers. Not like AirTags, the Pebblebee Clip 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.

For iOS customers, setup with Discover My is straightforward as pie. Nevertheless, it’s not exhausting to arrange with the Pebblebee app, both — and there are good the reason why you would possibly wish to go for that as a substitute of Discover My. (You’ll be able to’t use each on the identical time.) For instance, if you wish to share the tracker between relations on completely different platforms, you’ll have to make use of the Pebblebee app since Discover My is proscribed to iOS.

The Pebblebee app has extra customizable geofencing options than Discover My. You’ll be able to arrange customized areas on a map and be notified every time a tool enters or leaves the realm — which can be helpful if you wish to use this as a pet tracker. You can even designate protected zones so that you don’t get pointless alerts that one thing’s been left behind once you’re in a recognized location like your own home or workplace. Pebblebee additionally means that you can set voice tags so you may ask Alexa or Google Assistant to assist discover your gadget. It doesn’t have precision discovering, although there’s a related window that pops up that permits you to know whether or not you’re distant, close by, or very near the merchandise you’re on the lookout for.

In the event you lose a Pebblebee, you may mark it as misplaced. The Pebblebee app additionally has a Crowd GPS community, which capabilities equally to the Tile Community. It’s not going to be as strong as Apple’s Discover My community, nevertheless, just because there aren’t as many Pebblebee customers on the planet.

It’s not an ideal tracker. It’s greater than an AirTag, and I had a better time ringing the tracker when utilizing it with Discover My than with the Pebblebee app. As for undesirable monitoring, Pebblebee isn’t the very best by itself. You’ll be able to solely get alerts for undesirable monitoring in the event you’re utilizing it with Discover My (or Discover My Gadget every time it launches), not in the event you’re utilizing it with the Pebblebee app. Pebblebee’s web site says you may, on the very least, disable the tracker with out resetting it in the event you discover one on you — which means it’s nonetheless attainable to determine who put it on you in the event you select to go to the authorities. Nonetheless, that’s not essentially the most comforting.

One of the best AirTag options for wallets

You could possibly be like my partner, who stuffs an AirTag of their bifold pockets after which makes a stunned Pikachu face each time it falls out. Or, you might go for a Discover My-compatible different particularly designed for wallets just like the $35 Chipolo Card Spot, the $29.88 Eufy Safety SmartTrack Card, or the $34.99 Pebblebee Card. None include precision monitoring as a result of they lack UWB, however they make up for it with tremendous loud ringtones. As a part of the Discover My community, additionally they assist undesirable monitoring alerts. You could possibly additionally go for the aforementioned Tile Slim, although that gained’t leverage the Discover My community.

The Pebblebee Card is the one I’d advocate for most individuals. First off, it has a chargeable battery and lasts as much as 12 months on a single cost. Just like the Pebblebee Clip, the Pebblebee app helps geofencing, sharing, left-behind alerts, and voice tagging. You could possibly additionally select to make use of it with Discover My alone and get the advantages of that community plus a louder ringtone. You can even press it to assist discover your cellphone. The one factor I don’t love is that it makes use of a proprietary charger — so that you’ll need to preserve it in a protected place.

The Eufy SmartTrack Card is one other versatile decide. It comes with just a little 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. On the again, there’s additionally a QR code — just like those Tile makes use of — that helps good samaritans return your merchandise to you. Just like the Pebblebee Card, you may 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 a replaceable battery, and isn’t rechargeable like Eufy’s new SmartTrack Card E30. That mentioned, although, the built-in battery ought to purportedly final you three years.

The Chipolo Card Spot or Card Level can also be a superb choice if you would like one thing a bit less complicated, although it lacks the QR code, and its battery solely lasts two years. In the event you do go for Chipolo, double-check that the particular tracker you’re shopping for works on the community you wish 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 newly launched Discover My Gadget community.

Replace, March 14th: Adjusted pricing and availability.