The Edit — Gadgets
Bluetooth Trackers Compared: AirTag, Tile, SmartTag
Seven trackers ranked by rating. Your phone decides most of this before the ratings do: AirTag needs an iPhone, SmartTag2 needs a Galaxy, and Tile, UGREEN and Chipolo cover both.
This guide is research-led: we have not handled these units ourselves. If you buy through our links we may earn a commission — it never changes a pick. How we choose
The 7 trackers are ranked by rating, then by how many owners rated them on 4 October 2026, and read against each maker’s published specifications, as How we choose describes. Nothing here was handled or tested.
Best for Tagging 4 things on an iPhone
Watch for Older model; battery reports mixed
Best for iPhone owners and luggage
Watch for No Android app
Best for Samsung Galaxy owners
Watch for Galaxy phones only
Best for Mixed iPhone and Android homes
Watch for Weaker away from home
Best for Keys on any phone
Watch for Battery is not swappable
Best for Rechargeable 4-pack
Watch for Newer Android trouble reported
Best for A loud ring
Watch for Tracking reports mixed
Your phone picks the tracker before the rating does
A tracker finds things through other people’s phones. Apple’s AirTag uses the Find My network of iPhones and needs an iPhone to set up. Samsung’s SmartTag2 needs a Galaxy phone on Android 11 or later. Tile, UGREEN and Chipolo sell tags for either phone.
So the first question is which phone is in your pocket, and the gift recipient’s. An AirTag given to an Android owner is a tag they cannot set up.
| Your phone | Buy | Why |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | AirTag 2nd generation | Found by nearby Apple devices on Find My |
| Samsung Galaxy | Galaxy SmartTag2 | Samsung’s own network, up to 500 days of battery |
| Other Android, or a mixed household | Tile Pro | Works with iOS and Android |
On an iPhone, the AirTag 2nd generation is the one to buy
The AirTag 2nd generation keeps the first model’s shape and fixes the two things owners asked for. Apple says the speaker is 50% louder, audible from up to twice as far away, and Precision Finding reaches up to 1.5 times as far.
Apple AirTag (2nd Generation)
11,539 ratings at 4.6, with a speaker Apple says is 50% louder and up to 1.5 times the Precision Finding range.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone only |
|---|---|
| Network | Apple Find My |
| Battery | More than a year, replaceable |
| Sharing | Up to 5 people |
11,539 ratings at 4.6. Owners praise how precisely it points to a lost item and how easy the chime makes it to find in a sofa or a car. Setup is quick, and the battery is a standard coin cell you replace yourself, which Apple says lasts more than a year.
Connection drops are the recurring complaint, and value splits owners. You can share one AirTag with up to 5 people, which suits the family car keys.
Buy it if
- Keys and bags on an iPhone, and checked luggage
Don't buy it if
- Anyone with an Android phone
The 4-pack of the first-generation AirTag rates higher, at 4.8, on far more ratings. That is a record built over years, and it says the first AirTag works. It does not say it beats the new one, which is louder and finds from further away.
Apple AirTag (1st Generation), 4-Pack
47,796 ratings at 4.8, the best-rated tracker here, and the older model, with mixed reports on battery life.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone only |
|---|---|
| Network | Apple Find My |
| Battery | Replaceable coin cell |
47,796 ratings at 4.8, the best-rated tracker here. Owners call it a dependable way to always know where their things are, easy to set up, and good value in a 4-pack. Battery life and connection draw the same split as the newer model: many report batteries that last, some report early failures.
Buy it if
- Tagging 4 things at once on an iPhone
Don't buy it if
- Anyone with an Android phone
On a Samsung Galaxy, the SmartTag2 lasts the longest
Samsung rates the SmartTag2 at up to 500 days of battery in Normal Mode and up to 700 days in Power Saving Mode, the longest figure on this page. It is rated IP67, tested in up to 1 metre of fresh water for 30 minutes, and Samsung advises against the beach or the pool.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2
6,119 ratings at 4.6, with up to 500 days of battery by Samsung's figure and a metal ring loop.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | Samsung Galaxy, Android 11 or later |
|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 500 days; 700 in Power Saving Mode |
| Water | IP67 |
6,119 ratings at 4.6. Owners find it does the general job of locating things well. Tracking performance and value both split opinion. The ring-shaped design has a metal loop inside, which Samsung says takes clips and keyrings, and pet owners use it on collars.
It works only with Samsung Galaxy phones. Compass View, the arrow that points to the tag, needs a Galaxy phone with Ultra Wideband, such as the S23 Ultra.
Buy it if
- Galaxy owners, and pet collars
Don't buy it if
- Any phone that is not a Samsung Galaxy
For a household with both phones, buy the Tile Pro
Life360’s Tile works with iOS and Android, so one tag on the family keys can be found from either kind of phone. The Tile Pro is the longest-range tracker in Life360’s lineup, with a battery you replace once a year and a discreet SOS alert.
Tile Pro
4,026 ratings at 4.4, Tile's longest-range tracker, with a 1-year replaceable battery and an SOS alert.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iOS and Android |
|---|---|
| Battery | 1 year, replaceable |
| Extra | Discreet SOS alert |
4,026 ratings at 4.4. Owners find the app walks them through setup and call it a lifesaver for keys and phones found in minutes. The complaint that recurs is range: owners report it works best within Bluetooth range of their phone, and less well once the keys are across town.
Buy it if
- A household with both kinds of phone
Don't buy it if
- Finding things far from home, where owners report it is weaker
Tile Mate
16,488 ratings at 4.3, the most-rated tag after the first AirTag, with up to 3 years of battery by Life360's figure.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iOS and Android |
|---|---|
| Battery | Up to 3 years |
16,488 ratings at 4.3. Owners call the Tile Mate reliable and easy to set up, and a help for anyone who misplaces things often. Life360 states up to 3 years of battery life. The recurring complaint is that the battery cannot be replaced or recharged, so when it dies the tag is done.
Buy it if
- Keys around the house, on any phone
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants to swap the battery
UGREEN and Chipolo work with either phone, one network at a time
The UGREEN Finder Duo and the Chipolo POP each join Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub network. Chipolo says plainly that POP works with one or the other, so a tag set up on an iPhone is not found by Android phones.
UGREEN Finder Duo, 4-Pack
3,164 ratings at 4.3, a rechargeable 4-pack for iPhone or Android, with reports of trouble on newer Android versions.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone or Android |
|---|---|
| Battery | Rechargeable |
| Pack | 4 tags |
3,164 ratings at 4.3. Owners like the rechargeable battery, the easy setup and the loud beep, and some rate them above AirTags for the money. Connection and tracking draw mixed reports, and some owners describe trouble on Android 14 and 16.
Buy it if
- Tagging a lot of things without buying coin cells
Don't buy it if
- Android owners on the newest software
Chipolo POP
1,366 ratings at 3.9, the lowest here, a loud tag that joins Apple Find My or Google's Find Hub, one at a time.
Current price shown on Amazon. We may earn a commission.
| Phone | iPhone or Android |
|---|---|
| Network | Find My or Find Hub |
1,366 ratings at 3.9, the lowest here. Owners find it intuitive and praise the battery life and the choice of iPhone or Android. Location tracking and connection split owners, and so does the loudness. Chipolo’s companion app adds a button press that rings your phone.
Buy it if
- A loud ring, and a button that rings your phone
Don't buy it if
- Anyone who wants dependable location updates
An AirTag in a suitcase can be shared with your airline
Apple says you can share a lost item’s location with more than 50 airlines, including Delta and United, from the Find My app. Sharing stops when you get the bag back, or after 7 days.
AirTag in checked luggage covers where to put it and what the airline rules say. For more stocking-sized ideas, stocking stuffers lists the rest, and the AirTag 2nd generation profile sets out everything Apple changed.