How to Use a Tile or AirTag Tracker to Find Lost Items

Bluetooth trackers like Tile and Apple AirTag attach to keys, wallets, and bags so you can locate them using your phone when they go missing.

In this guide (4 steps):

1.Attach the tracker to items you regularly misplace
2.Set up Apple AirTag on iPhone
3.Set up Tile on iPhone or Android
4.Find a lost item with the tracker

Attach the tracker to items you regularly misplace

~42s

Both Tile and AirTag come in versions designed for different uses: a keyring version (with a hole to attach to keys), a sticker version (adheres flat to the back of a TV remote or inside a wallet), a wallet card version (the thickness of a credit card), and a basic round version. Choose the form factor that matches your use. Most commonly: attach one to your house keys, one to your main bag or purse, and optionally one to your wallet.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Don't attach a tracker to items you do not own (like a rental car) or to track another person's belongings without their knowledge. Both AirTag and Tile have anti-stalking features — the device alerts the person if it is traveling with them without the owner.

Set up Apple AirTag on iPhone

~22s

Remove the plastic pull tab from the AirTag battery. Hold it near your iPhone. A setup card automatically pops up on your iPhone screen asking if you want to connect the AirTag. Tap "Connect." Give it a name ("Keys," "Wallet," "Backpack"). Tap "Continue." The AirTag is now linked to your Apple ID. It appears in the Find My app on your phone under the "Items" tab.

Set up Tile on iPhone or Android

~27s

Download the "Tile" app (free) from the App Store or Google Play. Create a free Tile account. Open the app → tap the + button → "Set up a Tile." Pull the tab from your Tile's battery or press its button to activate it. Follow the on-screen instructions to pair it via Bluetooth. Give it a name. The Tile appears in the app. For best results, keep Bluetooth enabled on your phone at all times — Tile uses Bluetooth to communicate.

Find a lost item with the tracker

~40s

When you can't find a tracked item: open the Find My app (AirTag) or Tile app and tap the item. If it is within Bluetooth range (roughly 30 feet), tap "Play Sound" — the tracker chirps loudly. If out of range, the app shows the last location where your phone detected it on a map. On iPhone with newer models (iPhone 14 Pro and later), AirTag supports "Precision Finding" — directional arrows guide you right to it with a distance indicator.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip: Tile Premium ($2.99/month) adds smart alerts when you leave a tagged item behind — your phone notifies you when you walk away without your keys, for example. The free Tile version still lets you find items on demand without the subscription.

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Bluetooth item trackers are small, coin-sized devices you attach to things you regularly lose — keys, a wallet, a purse, a TV remote, or a pet's collar. When you can't find an item, you open the companion app on your phone, and the tracker plays a sound so you can hear where it is. If the item is out of Bluetooth range, the app shows the last location it was detected.

The two main options are Apple AirTag (best if you have an iPhone) and Tile (works on both iPhone and Android). AirTag uses Apple's massive Find My network — millions of Apple devices around the country anonymously help locate your AirTag when it's lost. Tile uses its own network of Tile app users.

Both trackers cost around $25-$35 each and have replaceable coin batteries that last 1-2 years.

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