The Best Trackers to Help You Find Your Keys, Dog, or Kid
“Systems!” My friends and Marie Kondo’s internet shout. “All you need is a system. As long as you always put your things down in the same place, you’ll never lose anything again,” they say, as I stagger in the door carrying my children's backpacks, my tote bag, a tiny violin, and a sack of dog food.
Like Elizabeth Bishop, I have developed losing into a fine art—whatever I need seems to be walking away from me, as quickly as possible. I hid my Kindle from the 6-year-old, and now I can’t find it. My husband borrowed my wallet to grab the car insurance card; while I was looking for that, the dog got out of the yard. You may feel ambivalent about possibly stalking your friends or loved ones (please resist the urge to sew a tracker into your shady boyfriend’s coat), but without Bluetooth and GPS trackers, I would barely be able to function. I’ve listed my preferred uses for each of my favorite trackers, but many of these are multipurpose—if you can stick it on a dog, you can also stick it on a kid, and vice versa.
Confused about how these devices work? We have more information on our guide on how to find your phone. For more ideas, check out our roundups on the Best Travel Bags and our many other buying guides, such as the Best Portable Chargers.
Updated June 2024: We added Pebblebee, the Groove Wallet, and the Fitbit Ace LTE. We also added more information on how trackers work and updated links and prices.
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- Photograph: JioBit
Most Versatile
Jiobit Smart TagThe most precious things to keep track of? Your people. The Jiobit smart tag (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is one of the most versatile ways I know to do that. It's simply a small tracker, smaller than an Oreo, that connects to an app on your phone and uses a combination of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, and GPS data to keep track of your pet, child, or elderly parent with dementia wherever they go.
The app is incredibly easy to use. You can track your person in real time, geofence them, or make sure that they're in the company of trusted people. It's incredibly durable and waterproof and comes with a huge array of accessories. If you don't want to use those, I found that a little hair tie worked just as well to attach it to my daughter's backpack. The most important part, however, is that Jiobit also has rigorous security protocols, like including a dedicated chip to access the Jiobit servers and burning away part of the circuit board, so you can’t steal it and physically reprogram it. Because it does use a cellular data plan, it requires a $17/month subscription; you can prepay in advance for a discount.
- Photograph: Matt Jancer
Best for iOS
Apple AirTagIf you have an iPhone, you probably have one, or many, AirTags. Apple's long-awaited Tile competitor came out in 2021 and uses Bluetooth connectivity and Apple's special U1 location finding chip to help you pinpoint its location via the Find My app. As long as you and your AirTag are near Apple products, you will find your lost keys.
AirTags are about the size of a quarter and have zillions of beautiful, if overpriced, accessories with which to attach them to almost anything. You can throw one into your luggage when you travel, or hide it in your bike. The Find My network is giant, anonymous, and encrypted end-to-end. In the app, you can walk around with your phone and use the phone's accelerometer, camera, and gyroscope to direct you toward your missing object.
Of course, the downside here is that the ubiquity and ease of use of the AirTag means that evil people can use it to find you as well. Here's how to check if you're being tracked. It also doesn't work with Android, so if you're an Android user, read on.
- Photograph: Adrienne So
Best for Android
Chipolo PointIn the competition between Tile and Chipolo for the most ubiquitous tracker, I would not have guessed that Chipolo would be the one to land exclusive collaborations with both Apple and Google (cough, antitrust congressional hearings, cough). Yet here we are. Chipolo has three separate product lines: the Chipolo One, Card, and bundle that works with the Chipolo app; the One Spot, Card, and bundle that works with Apple's Find My; and most recently, the One Point, Card, and bundle that works with Google's Find My on Android devices.
My colleague Julian Chokkattu and I have tested several of these lines. They're at a similar price point to Tile's and come in a variety of cheerful colors. Setup is simple, especially if you use your phone's native app. I currently have a Card Spot in my wallet. It's about the same size as one credit card and about as thick as two of them, and it's loud enough for me to hear even when it's in my wallet, inside my purse, and in another room. Like the Tile, you can choose to get alerts if you leave the house without your keys. As with many trackers, the connection can get wonky—I do sometimes have to walk around a bit—but it's usually able to find an accurate last location.
- Photograph: Adrienne So
Best Rechargeable Tracker
PebblebeeIt's not hard to change the battery in an AirTag or a Chipolo item. When you get the notice that the battery is low, you pry or twist the cover off very carefully and replace it with another tiny CR2032 battery. The battery on my AirTags lasts around two years. Even so, replacing it can be annoying, as you might not have CR2032 batteries readily available.
Even though the Pebblebee battery only lasts for around eight months, it is rechargeable! The credit-card sized, er, card and tracker recharge a little proprietary magnetic charger, and the clip charges via USB-C. The tracker works with both iOS and Android, either via Find My or the Pebblebee app. (You can't use two networks simultaneously to find your device, so you have to pick one app.) In addition to a clip and a card, the company also has a small tracker that you can stick onto a drone or a bike helmet. I have an iPhone, and the Pebblebee card has a similar range to the AirTag, which is not surprising since both use the Find My network. The Pebblebee card is noticeably louder and more shrill. The clip is larger but also lighter than the AirTag, and much less attractive. But it does have a built-in key ring, which is a plus.
- Photograph: Apple
Best for Kids (iPhone)
Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen)I used the Jiobit when my children were smaller. Now I track them with Family Setup on two old Apple Watches. It's more effective to strap an Apple Watch onto their tiny wrists than to pin a Jiobit onto their backpacks, as I did when they were much less mobile. I would go with the smallest and lightest case size possible with the Apple Watch SE, but whichever old Apple Watch you have at home is clearly the best one.
When my daughter's Apple Watch is on, I can track her location via Apple's Find My app, which I have found to be pretty accurate; for example, I can see her walking around a corner or coming back from the playground, and time my head to face her so that she can bear witness to Mom's All-Seeing Eye. The major benefits of an Apple Watch are that she can also text and call me and her other family members. We can also use Apple's Walkie-Talkie function to talk from Apple Watch to Apple Watch so that we can keep in touch with each other on a minute-to-minute basis, but this drains the battery within a few hours.
- Photograph: Fitbit
Best for Kids (Android)
Fitbit Ace LTEMy children and I are currently testing the Fitbit Ace LTE. The full review is forthcoming, but the basic premise stands—the Fitbit Ace Pass subscription includes an eSIM card, so the watch has built-in LTE connectivity. Once the watch is set up and connected to the Fitbit Ace app on my iPhone, I can painlessly locate each of their devices using Google Maps.
The hardest part of tracking your child's whereabouts is getting them to wear the device, especially now that my kid is old enough to open the door and start walking around the neighborhood by herself. The Ace LTE solves that problem by offering a full suite of games in Fitbit Arcade that can only be unlocked with activity, so they have incentives to both get active and to keep the watch on their wrists. So far, it appears to be working—they happily wake up in the morning and strap them on for the day. Since, you know, it's also a clock, the Ace LTE is also helping my 6-year-old get ready for school on time.
- Photograph: Fi
Best for Dogs
Fi CollarThere is no worse feeling than going on a camping trip and realizing that you can't find your off-leash dog. I’ve tested several dog trackers on my patient pups, but the Fi is my favorite, if only for the battery life. While other trackers need to be recharged every week or so, the Fi only needs to be charged every three months.
You don’t need to fiddle around with attaching or reattaching it to a collar when you charge it, since it comes with its own collar, and the unit is IP68-rated and waterproof. It also uses a combo of Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi, and cellular connectivity to keep 24/7 tabs on your dog. Use the app to designate a safe zone around your house and alert you if your dog wanders off the property. It also includes a dog activity tracker and a collar light for walks at night. Again, because it does use a data plan, the Fi does require a $19/month subscription membership. You can save up to 25 percent by prepaying for one or two years in advance.
- Photograph: Tile
Best for Remotes
Tile StickerTile's Bluetooth thing-finders were once ubiquitous. Even as AirTags and other trackers become more popular, Tiles are still everywhere and come in an even wider variety of forms. After years of being in circulation, the latest models are even more durable and waterproof, and the batteries are replaceable. Now there are even Lost and Found labels ($15) that you can put on your not-so-valuable items that have a tendency to walk off (of course, this requires that the person who finds your item knows to scan a random QR code).
However, I still think the most useful form factor is the Tile stickers, which are great for remotes and the back of my Kindle Paperwhite. Each sticker is waterproof, has a three-year battery life, and offers a 150-foot range, which is pretty impressive for a tool that’s so small. After a year, the small bump did get knocked off my much-abused Kindle; however, I still think this is a fair price to pay for being able to read my requisite soothing 10 to 15 pages of Naomi Novik before going to bed every night.
Photograph: AppleBest for People
Your PhoneAs many of my colleagues have noted, the best people-tracker is the device that many of us keep nearby at all times. (It's your phone.) It's also the one I use the most often. Google Maps, Life360, and Apple's Find My are just three popular ways for people to share their location with close contacts.
I use Apple's Find My all the time, whether to reassure my kids their dad will be home soon or to meet up with family members while traveling. Apple's Find My is the safest, as both Google Maps and Life360 require you to store location history. However, location sharing can be turned against you. You can also restrict the length of time that you share with a contact, or turn off location sharing in the app itself.
- Photograph: Adrienne So
The Best Wallet
Groove Smart Wallet TraceAccording to the company, the Groove Wallet is the first wallet with built-in Find My capabilities and a built-in battery. It has a number of different other features as well. For example, it blocks RFID transmission (although I feel obligated to remind you that there has never been a real-world case of RFID skimming) and is made from very attractive aerospace-grade anodized aluminum. It fits up to six cards and just snaps up for access with a flick of the thumb. There's also a money clip on the back for your cash.
I don't particularly like a hard wallet; it doesn't conform to your body, so it's uncomfortable to have it clank around in your pocket. It also doesn't have a zipper, so you can't stuff random receipts inside. Still, it's much more protective than a leather wallet and the snapping up to retrieve your cards is weirdly satisfying. Because it uses the Find My network, it's not compatible with Android. It has a warranty of 94 years but a battery life of around two years, after which point you need to contact Groove customer service for a $10 replacement (here's hoping the company stays solvent for the next 50 years).
Photograph: laremenko/Getty ImagesHow Do Trackers Work? Is It Safe?
Ping Ping PingThing-finders that don't require a data plan use a low-power, crowdsourced alternative to requesting GPS coordinates. They have their own Wi-Fi-based positioning systems (WPS) that use ultra-wideband technology to ping other devices in their network and determine your location in relation to them, like finding out where a rock is by throwing a bunch of other rocks in a pool and looking where the ripples meet.
Unfortunately, Find My networks also ping Wi-Fi access points, like, say, your own personal router. Two security researchers at the University of Maryland recently discovered that they were able to determine the location and movement of individual Starlink terminals by plotting out the locations returned by Apple's WPS. This year, Apple noted that you can opt out of having your address shared by appending “_nomap” to the end of your Wi-Fi access point’s name (SSID) (instructions on how to do so here). This is a good first step, but hopefully we'll see Apple roll out more restrictions in the future.
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