The best Bluetooth trackers for Apple and Android phones

Some people rarely lose things. Wallets are always exactly where they’re supposed to be, keys never go missing, and remotes never slip between the couch cushions. And then there’s the rest of us — the folks who can’t ever seem to find the thing that was right there a few seconds ago. For us, there are Bluetooth trackers.

Bluetooth trackers have been around for a long time, and they all generally work the same way. You stick the tracker onto an object, pair it with your phone, and then, when you lose said object, you can go into an app and ring the tracker. But these days, Bluetooth trackers can do a lot more. Some have ultra-wideband chips that enable precision tracking, so you can find exactly where in a room your item is. Increasingly, trackers also tap into large networks — like Apple’s and Google’s — making it easier to locate lost items outside the home. Many will notify you if they detect you’ve left the device behind or come with QR codes that link to your contact information so people can easily return lost devices.

These features are incredibly handy but also have the potential for misuse. Take AirTags. When Apple launched the trackers, it hadn’t anticipated they’d be used to track people or stolen items — but that’s exactly what happened. It’s since beefed up its anti-stalking features, and companies like Tile have also followed suit. Apple and Google have launched a standard that enables unwanted tracking alerts across both Android and iOS devices — and major players like Tile, Samsung, and Chipolo are on board. But until this standard is up and running, it pays to be aware of each tracker’s current approach when you’re deciding the best option for you.

As a consummate Loser of Things, I’ve tested my fair share of Bluetooth trackers on wallets, keys, and luggage. Here’s what I’d recommend if you, too, have a hard time finding things.

The best tracker for iPhone users

When Apple launched AirTags in 2021, it really did shake up the category. That’s because AirTags are equipped with Apple’s Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip and tap into Apple’s vast Find My network. That’s a potent combo. And even though you can now get third-party accessories that work with the Find My network — including the Pebblebee trackers featured later in this guide — AirTags are still the best, thanks to UWB.

Basically, UWB enables precision tracking while Find My compatibility expands range far, far beyond Bluetooth’s limitations. With precision tracking, all you have to do is open the Find My app, tap “Find,” and you should see an arrow pointing you in the exact direction you need to go to find your item. Using the Find My network also means that so long as there’s an Apple device nearby, a lost AirTag can ping its location to Apple’s iCloud servers without notifying the owners of those other devices. And there are over a billion Apple products out there.

That accuracy is super convenient. My keys fell out of my pocket while running once, and I didn’t notice until my phone pinged me to say my keys were no longer with me. While I wasn’t able to use the precision tracking outdoors, I could see the last reported location in the Find My app. Twenty minutes had already passed, but I was still able to find my keys. I haven’t had that degree of success with any other item tracker.

However, this accuracy is a double-edged sword. In 2022, I ran a test to see whether I could track a friend and my spouse (with their consent) in real time. And I could, to a disturbing degree. While Apple’s unwanted tracking prevention measures worked, there were also inherent flaws. (You can read about our testing in full here.) However, Apple has since improved unwanted tracking alerts by shortening the time before you’re notified an unknown AirTag is in your vicinity, making chimes louder, and creating a separate app that lets Android users scan for unknown AirTags. Apple also now informs users during setup that unwanted tracking is a crime and that AirTags are “intended solely to track items that belong to you.”

Apple has also added more ways to share AirTag locations with trusted people. iOS 17 introduced AirTag sharing, which means shared items won’t trigger unwanted tracking alerts. As of iOS 18.2, you can also share the location of a lost AirTag with other people via a temporary link. So if an airline loses your luggage, you can send them a link to an interactive map showing your item’s last known location. (Apple is partnering with more than 15 airlines for this particular use case.)

The only thing I really don’t like about AirTags is that they aren’t truly $29. They’re $29, plus the cost of any accessory needed to attach them to the item you want to track. For example, you’ll need a holder to attach it to your keys or luggage. Thankfully, there’s a robust third-party accessory market, so you don’t have to pay Apple’s prices if you don’t want to. The fact that you can easily replace the battery with a regular CR2032 coin cell battery helps take the sting out, too. I’ve done it for two of my AirTags, and it’s much, much cheaper than buying two new ones.

All that being said, it’s worth noting that Apple just announced a new AirTag that costs $29 and still lacks a lanyard hole, meaning you’ll still need an accessory to attach it to anything. We’ll be testing it soon, but the key updates include a second-gen UWB chip for improved Precision Finding, helping you locate items from “50 percent farther away” using haptic, visual, and audio signals. It also features an upgraded Bluetooth chip that further expands its tracking range, along with an updated speaker that’s supposedly twice as loud.

The best Bluetooth tracker for Android users

More and more trackers now support both Google’s and Apple’s Find My networks, but Tile’s trackers — especially the $34.99 Tile Pro — are still our top recommendation for Android users or mixed iOS / Android households. Functionally, the platform-agnostic trackers can do just about anything an AirTag can. Like AirTags, Tile devices can tap into a larger network — in this case, the Tile Network and Amazon Sidewalk — to help you find your devices outside of your phone’s Bluetooth range. While this network isn’t as expansive as Apple’s or Google’s, Amazon Sidewalk’s coverage has improved significantly. When we tested Google’s Find Hub-compatible trackers — including the Chipolo Pop, Pebblebee Clip 5, and the Moto Tag — we found that Tile still did better at tracking items outside the home.

Unfortunately, Tile still can’t do true real-time tracking, and it still doesn’t offer a tracker with UWB, so it lacks the AirTag’s precision tracking. The company announced one back in 2021, but we’re still waiting, partly because Apple is effectively blocking UWB compatibility for third parties in iOS and because Tile’s priorities shifted once it was acquired by Life360.

That said, Life360’s acquisition has brought some meaningful upgrades. Pressing a Tile button three times now sends an SOS alert to emergency contacts through Life360. You can also add others to your Circle so they can view and ring nearby Tiles on a shared Life360 map. More recently, Tile trackers have become fully integrated into Life360, letting users manage their trackers directly within the Life360 app. This merger unlocked a few premium features for free, including push alerts for forgotten items and two-day location history.

Still, most of the good stuff — like 30-day location history, unlimited sharing with friends and family, free replacements for damaged Tiles, and up to $100 reimbursement for lost items — sits behind a $29.99/year subscription. Fortunately, Tile offers new members a one-year trial, and a single subscription covers all your devices. You also still get a lot of core functionality without paying: you can find your Tile via Bluetooth, view its last known location on a map, ring your phone from the Tile, and share access with one other person for free.

Tile also stands out for its versatility. While AirTags come in a single puck-like design, Tile offers four distinct form factors to suit different needs. The card-shaped Tile Slim ($29.99), for example, is the best option if you’re constantly losing your wallet. The square Tile Mate ($24.99) comes with a hole so you can stick it on a key ring or carabiner, and is probably the most versatile. The $24.99 Tile Sticker, meanwhile, is a small disc that comes with a sticky backing so you can put it on remotes, pet collars, and anything else you can stick it on.

The best Tile will depend on what you’re looking to track. My personal favorite, however, is the $34.99 Tile Pro, which is shaped like a key fob, is larger than the Mate, and can also be attached to other items. Of the four, it has the longest Bluetooth range at 500 feet and the loudest ring. It’s also the only one that has a replaceable one-year CR2032 battery.

Last but not least, Tile may actually be better than AirTags for tracking stolen items. The company rolled out an anti-theft feature in 2023, which renders Tile devices invisible to unwanted tracking detection in the event someone steals your item. Just know that to use it, Tile requires you to submit a government ID for verification, agree to Tile working with law enforcement without a subpoena, and consent to a $1 million fine if you misuse this feature. For anti-stalking measures, Tile also has a “Scan and Secure” feature, which allows you to use the Tile app to scan for unknown Tile devices in your vicinity. While better than nothing, it’s a flawed measure, as it requires the potential victim to proactively scan their surroundings.

The best AirTag and Tile alternative

If you’re looking for an AirTag or Tile alternative, the $34.99 Pebblebee Clip 5 is an excellent choice. It’s one of a growing number of trackers that support both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub networks, which is a major improvement over its predecessor. Setup is seamless for iOS and Android users, but because Pebblebee’s app doesn’t handle tracking, features like geofencing and safe locations depend on which network you choose. Apple’s Find My, for instance, supports “left behind” alerts and safe locations; Google’s Find Hub still lacks an equivalent.

The thing I like best about the Pebblebee Clip 5 is its rechargeable battery. It can last up to a year on a single charge, though you may get longer than that depending on your usage. It features a USB-C port, and Pebblebee advertises a Bluetooth range of up to 500 feet, which is 100 feet more than the Tile Pro, our pick for Android users. Additionally, the Clip 5 features a blinking LED strip that’s noticeably brighter than prior models and a significantly louder ringtone, making lost items easier to find, even in dark or noisy environments.

You can still use Pebblebee’s app to set voice tags, ask Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant for help, or double-tap the tracker to ring your phone. While the Clip 5 is larger than an AirTag, it also includes a snap-on key ring, so you don’t need to pay for an extra accessory just to attach it to your belongings. It’s also rated IP66 for dust and water resistance, making it slightly more durable than earlier Pebblebee trackers. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Writer

The best AirTag alternatives for wallets

You could try stuffing an AirTag into a bifold wallet and hope it stays put — or opt for a Find My–compatible alternative that’s actually designed for wallets, like the $34.99 Pebblebee Card 5. It plays nicely with both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub networks, giving you cross-platform flexibility and the benefits of each, all with a super loud ringtone. It doesn’t offer precision tracking because it lacks UWB, but it makes up for it with said ringtones. It also supports unwanted tracking alerts as part of the Find My network.

The Card 5 stands out for its sleek design and wireless charging. At just 1.8mm thick, it’s one of the thinnest trackers you can buy and measures about the size of a credit card, meaning you can easily slip it into an overstuffed wallet packed to the brim with receipts, gift cards, and cash. The same can’t always be said of Tile’s wallet tracker, which is nearly twice as thick. What’s more, the Card 5 lasts up to 18 months on a single charge and supports wireless charging, so you don’t have to worry about replacing any batteries.

Unsurprisingly, the Card 5 shares many of the same strengths as the Pebblebee Clip 5, including support for the Pebblebee app and voice tagging. You also get a range of up to 500 feet, an IP66 rating for dust and water resistance, and a built-in button you can press to help locate your phone. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Writer

Other Bluetooth trackers to consider

The $29 Chipolo Pop offers a similar form factor to Apple’s AirTag in a lighter, more colorful package with a hole for a keychain or lanyard, a louder beep, and compatibility with both Apple’s Find My and Google’s Find Hub networks (though only one at a time). You can even use the Pop as a remote camera shutter and press the built-in button twice to find your lost phone. Unlike Chipolo’s other trackers, it boasts a wider 300-foot Bluetooth range, a more robust IP55 rating for water and dust resistance, and includes a user-replaceable battery that can last up to a year.

In my testing, tracking was accurate on both Apple’s and Google’s networks in most cases, Google’s struggled to track items outside my home as reliably as the Tile. And without UWB, the Pop couldn’t match the AirTag’s pinpoint precision. Still, the Chipolo app provides Android users with reliable out-of-range alerts and left-behind notifications — something Pebblebee and Moto Tag’s trackers lack —which, in my experience, triggered even faster than the AirTag and Tile.

If you’re willing to spend an extra $10, the $39 Chipolo Loop is very similar to the Chipolo Pop, with many of the same strengths and weaknesses. However, it charges via USB-C and includes a built-in silicone ring that’s easy to attach to keys, bags, and other items. You also get a more durable IP67 rating and an extra 100 feet of Bluetooth range — up to 400 feet total. Just note you’ll have to supply your own USB-C cable. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Writer

If you’re a Samsung Galaxy phone user, the $29.99 Samsung SmartTag2 gets you UWB tracking and can tap into the Galaxy Find network, which operates similarly to Apple’s Find My network. It’s a great AirTag alternative but isn’t our overall pick for Android because it’s limited to Samsung Galaxy users. But for Samsung users, the latest SmartTag2 includes an improved Compass View, longer battery life, and a better app experience. It also has a newer, oblong design with a larger key ring than the original SmartTag.

Motorola’s $29.99 Moto Tag is the first tracker on Google’s Find Hub network to offer ultra wideband for locating lost items on phones equipped with a UWB chip, which is a feature Google only recently enabled via a firmware update. Like Apple’s AirTag, it can guide you directly to your missing item via directional cues in the Find Hub app. It worked well in my testing, helping me find the exact location of nearby items in my small apartment, though Apple’s AirTag was occasionally more precise when tracking objects farther away or through walls. The Moto Tag was also less effective than Tile’s trackers at locating items outside my home.

Still, if you want a tracker to find things around the house, the Moto Tag is a solid pick. It also fits most AirTag accessories, carries an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance, and uses a replaceable CR2032 battery that lasts up to a year. It can ring your misplaced phone, too, and doubles as a remote shutter for Motorola phones. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Writer

The rechargeable Chipolo Card is also a good tracker for wallets. Priced at $39, it works with either Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub network and carries an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It supports Qi wireless charging, unlike the Chipolo Loop, and features a slim design that slips neatly into your wallet. It also offers a 400-foot Bluetooth range — a bit less than the Pebblebee Card 5 — and lasts about six months per charge. Overall, it’s a solid choice if you want something simple, even if it lacks the QR code found on some competing trackers. ~ Sheena Vasani, Commerce Writer

Eufy’s rechargeable $34.99 SmartTrack Card E30 is another good option for wallets, one that offers the same Find My network benefits as the aforementioned Pebblebee Card 5. On the back, there’s also a QR code — similar to the ones Tile uses — that helps good Samaritans return your item to you. Like the Pebblebee’s newest offerings, you can share it with multiple people if you set it up via the Eufy Security app. The bummer here is that it doesn’t work with Android and lacks UWB.

Update, January 26th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added the Pebblebee Clip 5, Pebblebee Card 5, and Chipolo Card to our list of recommendations. We also mentioned Apple’s latest AirTag and removed a pair of former Chipolo picks.