Latest news with #PrecisionFinding
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Yahoo
The Best Bluetooth Trackers for 2025
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Unless you're well organized, you've probably misplaced something in the past month. Maybe your couch cushions swallowed your remote. Perhaps a feisty pet swiped your keys off the counter and batted them under an end table. No matter what you're prone to losing, a Bluetooth tracker is a quick and inexpensive way to ensure you can find it again. Every Bluetooth tracker serves the same general purpose—to help you locate lost items—but the specifics vary widely. PCMag can help since we've been reviewing these devices since the first Tile arrived more than a decade ago. Our Editors' Choice is the Apple AirTag for its excellent precision, but those without an iPhone will need to look to alternatives. Check out all our picks for the best Bluetooth trackers below, and make sure to scroll to the end for some helpful buying advice and safety tips to prevent stalking. Smartphone compatibility tops the list of things to consider when choosing a Bluetooth tracker. Tile is the only company on our list that sells trackers that work with both Android and iOS devices. Apple's AirTag technically works with any device capable of running iOS or iPadOS 14.5 and later, but you need an iPhone 11 or later to use its Precision Finding feature. Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 2 works only with Samsung Galaxy phones that run Android 9 or later, offer 3GB of RAM, and have the SmartThings Find app installed. Location accuracy is the next most important consideration. All the trackers on this list are relatively accurate, but those with ultra-wideband (UWB) connectivity can give you turn-by-turn directions to your lost item. UWB is found in the Apple AirTag, the Samsung SmartTag 2, and the Motorola Moto Tag. All of Tile's trackers have proximity indicators, but they lack the UWB exactitude from Apple, Samsung, and Motorola. Maximum range is another relevant aspect. Some Bluetooth trackers claim they can connect with your smartphone from distances of up to 500 feet, but all the trackers we've tested have a real-world maximum range of fewer than 100 feet. If you're using a Bluetooth tracker on items that tend to stay in one area, like a TV remote that's probably somewhere in your living room, the maximum range doesn't matter much. The range is more important if you plan to use the tracker on items that leave your house, like your keys or bag. A robust locator network can help balance out some of Bluetooth's technical limitations. You can place all the trackers on this list in a Lost Mode that allows other people's phones to discreetly detect the tracker and direct you to your missing item. Tile has a large user network, but it depends on people downloading its app and properly updating several settings on their phones. Apple's massive Find My network, meanwhile, uses an app that's baked into iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and watchOS—meaning it's already available on hundreds of millions of devices. Take a moment to think about how you plan to use a Bluetooth tracker before you buy one. Some models work better for certain applications than others. The Samsung SmartTag 2, Tile Mate, and Tile Pro have holes that allow you to easily attach them to your key ring. The Tile Sticker has an adhesive mount, while the Tile Slim can easily slide into your wallet. Apple's AirTag and the Moto Tag are standalone products that require an accessory to affix or mount them. Several key rings on Apple's website work with AirTags and third-party accessories. Finally, if you're concerned about eco-waste, you have a few options: the Apple AirTag, the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2, and the Tile Pro. Each of these has a battery that you can easily replace. In contrast, the Tile Mate, Tile Slim, and Tile Sticker all have non-replaceable batteries that will last about three years. Bluetooth trackers are great tools for finding lost objects, but some trackers are designed for locating people or pets. The Fi Smart Dog Collar Series 3, for example, is an LTE-enabled collar that sends updates of your pet's location several times a minute. It's best to think of these devices as backups to adult supervision, however, because the tracking subject can likely remove or wiggle out of them. Bluetooth trackers with small removable batteries also present a choking hazard. To be on the safe side, keep loose trackers out of the reach of toddlers and pets. Bluetooth trackers join apps, computers, smartphones, tablets, vehicles, and dozens of other technologies that malicious actors can use to stalk you. Moreover, they're affordable, readily available, and small enough to slide into a bag without you knowing. The good news is that both iOS and Android devices can automatically detect most unknown Bluetooth trackers. Samsung's anti-stalking feature, meanwhile, can alert you to unknown SmartTags specifically. Tile's app includes a Scan and Secure feature that lets you scan your surroundings for unassigned trackers. For more information, read our story on how to protect yourself and what some researchers believe is the best way to restore privacy.
Phone Arena
10-06-2025
- Phone Arena
Apple's most overdue accessory might finally get the upgrade it deserves
Apple's AirTag hasn't seen a hardware refresh since its debut in April 2021, but code uncovered in iOS 26 suggests that might finally change, and soon. We might be close to seeing the long-rumored AirTags 2, with two big upgrades that will make the little tracking accessory an even more powerful tool. According to a new report, snippets of iOS 26 code reference updates to how AirTags interact over Bluetooth, which could be hinting at new mechanisms that are not yet present in the current models. While the code does not explicitly name 'AirTags 2,' the changes suggest preparations are underway for a new generation of Apple's popular tracking are also mentions of new battery-related behavior. While it's unclear whether this refers to battery type or management, it supports speculation that Apple is targeting better power efficiency for the new model, which is one of the main areas where users have hoped to see improvements. This is what the screen looks like when Precision Finding is active on an iPhone. | Image credit — PhoneArena The big news here is that the next generation of the AirTag might come with an upgraded Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip, which could dramatically extend the range of Precision Finding. Precision Finding is the feature that allows you to pinpoint exactly where the lost AirTag is when you are in its minimum range, which is 98 feet. An arrow appears and dynamically turns towards where the AirTag. The report claims that with the new UWB tech, AirTags 2 could offer accurate directional tracking at distances of up to 295 feet. That's a game-changing difference, and it should tremendously help with finding stolen and forgotten items. Other rumored upgrades include a louder speaker for easier detection and refinements in pairing speed and location updates. However, there's no word yet on a redesign or change in shape. That means Apple may stick with its proven coin-style form factor, even as third-party Find My-compatible alternatives continue to explore more flexible formats like credit-card Apple didn't mention any new AirTag hardware during its WWDC 2025 keynote, the quiet breadcrumbs left in iOS 26 could be laying the groundwork for a launch later this year.
