(The last feature is based on entering your home address, and in our testing we could get a third of a mile away before receiving the alert, which isn’t super handy.) Aside from separation notifications, Apple doesn’t provide any of these features with an AirTag.

On the software side, it offers a 30-day location history, unlimited sharing of your Tile trackers’ locations, and smart alerts that let you know when you’ve left home without any of your Tiles. The service includes free battery replacements shipped to you each year (for the Tile Mate and the Tile Pro), an extended warranty (from one year to three), and SMS-based support. Tile offers Tile Premium, an optional, $3-per-month (or $30-per-year) subscription plan that covers as many Tiles as you own. An app that is easy to navigate and updates location information quickly is important too. We also prefer trackers that can trigger an alarm on your phone. Other features: A replaceable battery isn’t absolutely required, but it’s a big plus.Despite having little space for a speaker, some of these can get quite loud. Volume: If you’re near your tracker but can’t hear it, that’s no good.Range: The longer the range, the farther you can be from the tracker and still be able to find your lost item.Size: A tracker that’s too obtrusive to carry around with you or to attach to the thing you want to track is useless.Trackers use a combination of physical speakers and digital apps to help you locate your belongings. Precision finding: Once you know the general location of your lost tracker, narrowing down exactly where it’s hiding is the key to finding it.The more people who use a platform, the better your chances of recovering your lost stuff. Network size: Most Bluetooth trackers can utilize other phones that have the tracker’s app installed to silently and privately search for your lost objects.

Laptop making beeping noise