Android Tracking Devices

[Ric]

I have read though and I am still confused. I use Android (Samsung) and am trusting my AFFers' collective brain trust to tell me which airtags to buy.
Tiles? Samsung? and I think I read somewhere that Apple Airtags can also be tracked by Samsung phones???

Many thanks!

 

[Lynda2475]

I use Tiles with my Samsung Phone and Tablet and has worked flawlessly for me. You get more details with a subscription (first month is free) but also works fine without a subscription.

I do not know anyone who has had a good results with Airtags who doesn't have an iphone.

Whilst the Samsung tags work, the user base is likely too small to help if your bags are not where they are supposed to be.

 

[tdimdad]

For Android phones, Tiles are the most popular option. This also means you get more "receivers", i.e. phones roaming around carrying the Tile app than other Android-based tracker apps.

Tile is all good in busier places but very sporadic in some other countries. Out of interest, I have been outing my tiles in Sydney, Brisbane and Singapore here and there and they get picked up quite well most of the time (e.g. I can track my ferry rides enough to see that I've been on a ferry and whereabouts & when approximately, etc). Also, I saw when my bag was stuck at LHR.
But e.g. in Sweden and Finland, the reception is very sporadic because there probably are far less phones roaming around which would track Tiles. Also in Taiwan, I got a few pings but far from being able to track my moves. The same probably applies to many other countries, too.

This is where Airtags still win: the sheer number of "receivers" is larger and most iPhone users have their bluetooth and location active all the time. If Google manages to develop their own ubiquitous version or standard for Androids (and it gets adopted en masse), the tagging becomes a lot more reliable.

 

[group-of-5]

Tile still seems to be the best option for android users. Usefulness of any of these trackers comes down to the number of users in the location, so airtags win hands down in most locations because of the number of iphones about, but not really useful if you aren't in the apple universe. I've been using a couple of tile mates (2022 version with sealed 3 year battery) for 13 months. Battery still seems good, but no real way of telling what the current battery level is (or at least I haven't been able to find it).

Given the importance of the number of other tile users in the location for usefulness, I've found them pretty good for traveler heavy locations such as airports. I have had an instance of seeing the bag in the aircraft hold (737). That's pretty much my primary use case. Has the bag been left at the departing airport? Is it still waiting out the back to be placed on the luggage carousel? Has someone picked up the bag from the carousel by mistake and walked away with it?

 

[blackcat20]

We use the Samsung tags, and have only just had to replace the batteries after 12 months of use.

 

[Ric]

Thank you all. I can't find any Tile Pro here so I ordered a set of 4 from US for A$195.

 

[theblank]

Good news. Android to be able to use Tracking tags from now. 3rd parties will make the tags on sale in July.

If you have an android phone, this should have popped up in your notifications recently, and you need to install Find Device app from Play store

 

[mel-world]

Looks as though Android has a options now... Maybe I should start a new topic but has anyone had any experience with this product yet?

 

[Lost Redditor]

As an Android user I'm certainly excited about it. The next time I purchase location trackers I will be getting some for Android. I wonder how well they work compared to the Apple ones, though. The marketing departments love saying "over a billion Android devices" but only a small fraction of them will actually assist locating these tags. Apple has 100% control of the software and hardware that goes into iPhones, and they can be as opinionated as they like re. enabling something on a software update. Android, not so much. No big governing corporate entity there.

 

[Lynda2475]

Im not sure why some people think tracking tags for Android are new, they have been available and working successfully for years.

Tile for example has enabled you to track lost android devices (phones, tablets) and tagged items via an app / website since 2015, apple air tags only since 2021. Tile also works on iphones. And they have tags, stickers and cards depending on what you want to track.

Samsung android phones have also had a find my phone capability since 2020, There are also tags made by Samsung and Chippolo to consider.

My original 4 Tile mates bought in 2022 are still going strong (they have a 3 year battery life); I've not been to an airport yet where I haven't been able to able to see that my checked bags have landed with me or been loaded; although sometimes there a few hours between last seen.

When my flight arriving into LHR was very late and I only just made my connection to EDI; I knew at take-off my bags weren't on the plane as were still showing as being in the other terminal; verified again upon landing in EDI (even though BA made me wait for every last bag to come out of the carousel before directing me to Menzies for my claim). I knew when they arrived in EDI later that night, and watched the bags (some how put in two different vans) zig zag around Edenborough until delivered to my hotel; whilst I was out and about enjoying the fringe.

When the batteries in my Tile mates die, I will likely get the new Tile Pro version so I can change batteries myself, although there are youtube videos on how to change the supposedly non changeable mate batteries.

The main difference to date has been that Apple can use other iphones (even if the owner does have an airtag), whereas most of the Android compatible tags require that other phones in the area also have their app installed.

Android have > 70% of mobile phone market in 2024 and Tile has sold over 40m trackers; so I would expect as interest in trackers (especially for pets) rises that more phones will have the app.