Do you have trouble finding your small favorite items or belongings in your house or car? If yes, here is your solution: Bluetooth tags, Bluetooth finders, and, more generally, tracking tags.
Bluetooth tags are tiny devices that can be attached to your keys, wallet, luggage, or any small belongings in your house or car. Whenever you need to find those attached items, Bluetooth tags can help you locate them via your smartphone. Simply put, Bluetooth tags help you find your favorite items within a short range, typically around 60 meters (200 feet).
How to Use a Bluetooth Tracker or Tag?
How many times a day do you search for lost items like keys or your wallet?
Every Bluetooth tag from a particular company, like Tile Pro, Apple AirTag, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag+, or Chipolo One Spot, comes with a dedicated mobile app for your smartphone to help pair it with Bluetooth-enabled devices. Once paired, users can attach the tag to any item they wish to track, such as keys, wallets, bags, or even pets.
When the tagged items go missing within the Bluetooth tracker’s range (about 60 meters or 200 feet), the user can simply open the accompanying mobile app and trigger a signal to the Bluetooth tag. The tag, in turn, emits a loud beep, chime, or another sound, making it easier for the user to locate the misplaced item. Some advanced Bluetooth tags even offer features like proximity indicators or maps within the app, guiding users directly to the item's location.
How Does a Bluetooth Tracker Work?
Bluetooth trackers or tags are compact, small wireless devices that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to connect to smartphones or other Bluetooth-enabled devices. Because of their small size, Bluetooth trackers can be attached to a wide range of items, including luggage, keys, electronics, jewelry, pets, pallets, containers, and even construction machinery, facilitating easy tracking and location. These trackers emit a signal that can be detected by a paired Bluetooth device or smartphone, enabling the device to pinpoint the tag's location and, consequently, the item to which it is attached. Users can then track the tag's real-time location using their smartphones.
The primary function of Bluetooth smart tags is to assist in locating misplaced items within proximity, whether at home or in a car. Bluetooth trackers offer a convenient solution to the common problem of losing or misplacing objects and wasting time. Whether you're a warehouse manager, a busy professional, or simply prone to misplacing items, Bluetooth tags can significantly simplify your life and reduce unnecessary stress by keeping you organized and ensuring you can quickly locate your belongings when needed.
Essential Features of Bluetooth Trackers?
1. Compact Design: Bluetooth tags are typically small and lightweight, making them easy to attach to various items without adding much weight.
2. Long Battery Life: Most Bluetooth tags come with a small lithium-ion battery. These are often rechargeable, lasting several months to years. Some Bluetooth trackers with non-rechargeable batteries offer an even longer lifespan.
3. Customized Alerts: Bluetooth trackers offer customization options for alerts on smartphones via associated apps, ranging from audible alerts to visual cues, based on user preferences.
4. Two-Way Tracking or Identification: Some Bluetooth tags can track both the tagged item and the user’s smartphone. This feature is useful when users misplace their smartphones but have the tagged item. Pressing a button on the Bluetooth tracker will help locate the smartphone.
5. Community Finds Feature: Some Bluetooth tag brands allow users to help each other locate lost items. When an item is reported as lost, other users' smartphones within the vicinity can detect its signal, anonymously providing its last known location.
Bluetooth Tracker Apps for Android
Several Bluetooth tracker apps are available for Android devices. Here are a few popular options:
1. Tile - Find Lost Keys & Phone: Tile’s app has a user-friendly interface to track Tile devices. In addition to locating items, it can find a phone by double-pressing the Tile device. The app also has a community feature to help locate lost items.
2. Chipolo - Find Your Everything: Chipolo’s app provides similar functionality to Tile, helping users track Chipolo devices and locate their phones by shaking any connected Chipolo. It includes a "Last Seen" feature to remember the last known location.
3. TrackR - Find Lost Keys & Phone: TrackR’s app helps users find lost items, see their last known location on a map, and receive notifications if they leave items behind. It also offers a Crowd Locate feature for community assistance.
4. Samsung SmartThings Find: For Samsung users, the SmartThings Find app can locate lost Galaxy devices, including phones, tablets, and earbuds, using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology.
5. Find My Device by Google: This app primarily locates lost Android devices but can also help find Bluetooth trackers connected to the device. It enables users to ring, lock, or erase devices remotely if lost or stolen.
Apart from above, there are more Bluetooth tracker apps available for Android devices. For example: Find My Device, Air Tracker, SPOTTRZ, LightBlue, QTrace etc.
Bluetooth Tracker Apps for iPhone
1. Air Tracker: Available in the Apple Store, Air Tracker helps locate wireless devices like earbuds, headphones, and smartwatches.
2. Apple Find My: Apple's Find My app is pre-installed on iOS devices and can find lost Apple products as well as third-party Bluetooth-enabled items.
3. XY Find It: The XY Find It app includes a "KeepNear" feature that alerts users when their phone and tagged items are separated.
4. Wunderfind: This app locates misplaced devices, including AirPods, iPhones, iPads, and more, with a user-friendly interface displaying nearby Bluetooth devices.
5. Device Tracker: This app assists in finding lost Bluetooth devices, including wireless headphones and smartwatches.
6. Find My Bluetooth Device: This app helps users locate misplaced Bluetooth devices, showing proximity and guiding them to the exact location.
Pros and Cons of a Bluetooth Key Tracker
As with any gadget, Bluetooth trackers have their pros and cons.
Pros of Bluetooth Trackers:
1. Low Power Consumption: Bluetooth trackers are designed for low power consumption (BLE tags), enabling long battery life from several months to a year.
2. Compact Size and Lightweight: Small and lightweight, Bluetooth trackers are convenient to attach without adding weight.
3. Ease of Integration: Based on BLE technology, they are compatible with many smartphones, tablets, and Bluetooth devices.
4. Real-Time Tracking: Bluetooth trackers allow users to trace items in real time, making it easier to find misplaced items.
5. Low Interference: Operating on a 2.4 GHz frequency, Bluetooth trackers experience low interference and provide reliable communication.
6. Cost-Effectiveness: Bluetooth trackers are affordable, enabling their use across various industries.
Cons of Bluetooth Trackers:
1. Limited Battery Life: Despite low power consumption, even the best trackers last only several months to a year on a single charge.
2. Limited Range: Bluetooth trackers are effective only within short distances, generally up to 10 meters.
3. Limited Data Transmission: They transmit small amounts of data, mostly location information.
4. Limited Functionality: Compared to advanced tracking technologies like GPS, Bluetooth trackers are intended for short-range tracking only.
5. Security Concerns: Although equipped with security features, Bluetooth trackers are still vulnerable to eavesdropping and spoofing attacks.
Uses of Bluetooth Trackers or Bluetooth Tags
1. Tracking Luggage: Travelers often use Bluetooth tags to keep track of luggage at airports or hotels.
2. Finding Keys: Attaching a tag to keys makes it easy to locate them with a smartphone.
3. Pet Tracking: Bluetooth tags are suitable for monitoring pets, especially outdoors.
4. Wallet Tracking: A Bluetooth tracker can be attached to a wallet for easy location.
5. Remote Control Locator: Attaching a Bluetooth tag to remote controls helps users find them quickly.
Conclusion
Bluetooth trackers or Bluetooth tags have become invaluable tools for simplifying our lives and reducing the stress of misplaced items. While Bluetooth tags currently offer a convenient way to locate items within a short range, they also have limitations. Future advancements may improve battery life, integrate with smart home systems, and enhance tracking accuracy with advanced sensors and connectivity. The adoption of BLE technology in Bluetooth tags makes them more energy-efficient and suitable for long-term use, making everyday life easier.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What are the uses of trackers?
Tracking Luggage, Finding Key, Pet Tracking, Wallet Tracking, Remote Control Locator and any equipment’s in construction Industry
What is the range of a Bluetooth tracker?
Generally 60 meters / 200 feet.
What is the best Bluetooth tracker detector?
Tile Pro (2022), Chipolo - Find Your Everything.
Best luggage tracker for international travel?
Tile Pro Bluetooth Tracker, Eufy, Apple AirTag, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, Pebble B Tracker.
Bluetooth tracker for dogs works?
Yes. it works.