Tile: A Forerunner in Bluetooth Tracking
The original Tile that was delivered back in 2013 kicked started the era of Bluetooth tracking fobs. They were not the only players in the market but definitely a forerunner. The market was obviously lucrative enough that Apple themselves would enter with the AirTag in 2021. In the same year, Life360 announced their acquisition of Tile.
I have been a Tile user since the first generation, and almost six years since I last review one of their products. In the meantime I remained a steadfast user of their products.
With so much time passed, I thought it would be a good idea to see where Life360 Tile is at now.
I was sent review units of:
- Tile Pro
- Tile Slim
- Tile Sticker
- Tile Mate
- Tile Labels
tl;dr
Life360 Tile continues to be a strong option for Bluetooth trackers, especially for people who use both Apple and Android devices. The latest models, including the Tile Pro, Slim, Mate, and Sticker, show significant improvements in battery life and ease of setup.
While the community-based tracking network remains a key advantage, the company’s decision not to support Google’s new Find My Device network could limit its appeal to Android users. Despite the lack of a UWB-enabled “Tile Ultra,” the current lineup is a reliable and versatile choice for keeping track of your belongings, with products available from major Australian retailers.
Life360 Tile: New Owners, still Tile App
The strongest part of the Tile devices has always been the community of users. The Tile app installed on other users’ phones forms a hive mind of searchers that can help locate your missing property.
The app used to show how many users are near you when you launch it and I would regularly see thousands of users near me. It seems this features has been removed at some stage though.
Look I am not going to sugar coat things for Tile. There is a lot of competition out there, and Apple captures a good chunk of market share with the AirTag.
Unlike AirTags though, Tile caters to both the iOS and Android ecosystems.
Also more importantly, Tile is not just limited to their branded physical tags. For years they have partnered with brands such as SkullCandy, Fitbit, Dell, Bose and many more. This means the Tile technology is embedded in other devices so you can keep track of your things and take advantage of the Tile community.
Unboxing and Setup: A Seamless Experience
As a long time Tile user, the app is always installed on my devices. In fact it is on all the phones we have in the family because it allows me to know where the phones are as well. Sure there is Android’ Find my Phone network, but it is nice to have everything on the same pane of glass.
In the past I have had issues with the Tile trackers pairing to my phone, especially when it comes to replacing a device with a dead battery. This time around it was a breeze. As a quick test I set up the Pro and the Slim and they both worked first go.
Tile Slim: The Discreet Wallet Companion
This one visually, has the most dramatic change in the recent generations. Designed to be slim (hence the name) to slip into a wallet, it is now credit card sized and about the thickness of a standard card.
The change from the original square form factor means the current generation can be discreetly hidden in a standard card slot in your wallet to escape the cursory detection.
They do come in a variety of colours including bright pink which may run contra to being “lowkey”, but even banks cater for aesthetics with pink credit cards so it does fit in.
Some key specifications
- Range up to 106m
- IP68 rating for a plunge up to 1.5m into water, but don’t go swimming with it
- 104 db+ alarm
- 3 years non-replaceable battery lifespan
- 53.9 x 85.4 x 2.5 mm
- 14 grams
For context, the Tile Slim alarm tops out between MP3 players at full volume and car horns. So in theory this is pretty loud. But bearing in mind that this is designed to be in a wallet, even with the speaker poking out from a slot, there will be some muffling.
Doing some quick testing of the range, I put my wallet right at the very back of my property and went for a little walk.
Along the line of sight to the front is about 43m and there was little issue with finding the Tile Slim. I could go about 56m with just a simple wooden gate between me and the Tile Slim and that was about the limits.
Trekking to the other corner with the house between the Time Slim and me was just over 47m and it was a no joy with solid objects in the way. Not an unexpected result.
Hearing is pretty subjective, but I could just faintly catch the tone at a maximum of 27m.
Tile Pro: The Powerhouse Tracker
This was the top of the range (pun intended) Tile Bluetooth tracker. It is designed for situations where you need a longer range and louder tones.
Looks wise, it differs from the Mate and previous iterations with a more rectangular shape. It has a metal frame around the midpoint to give it some rigidity. It is not the first time Tile has experimented with this design, with the 2017 Pro – Sport and Style variants.
Doing the same test as before, the Tile Pro is easily the better performer.
Along the line of sight with just the wooden gate in between, I was still getting a nice moderate strength connection at 58m, standing right by my neighbour’s new flower bed. What was surprising was that I could still connect to it at 46m with the house between the Pro and my phone. The Slim had long tapped out at this spot but the Pro was still good.
Sound wise, I could hear it ringing faintly at around 37m. After quite a bit of testing, I was surprised my neighbours didn’t stick their heads out wondering what the ruckus was.
Some key specifications
- Range up to 152m
- IP68 rating for a plunge up to 1.5m into water, but don’t go swimming with it
- 110 db+ alarm
- 1 year replaceable battery lifespan
- 34 x 52.1 x 7.5 mm
- 12 grams
The Tile Pro is available in Black or White only. My black review version looks pretty schmick, but it’s worth pointing out that the plastic does not stay pristine for long.
Tile Mate (2022): The Everyday Workhorses
This is the entry level Tile tracker, and is definitely the fun sibling as it comes in black and white, as well as a range of fun colours from Aqua to to Pink Punch.
I have a bunch of these in the older versions and they are just a workhorse. From kids set of keys that they never seem to know where they left them, having them in a hidden pocket on their backpack, it is small and versatile.
Whilst the range is an optimistic 76m (rated), realistically the real range is about half that. But what it makes up for in the short range is boosted by a 100 dB+ alarm – just a smidgen off the Tile Slim (at 104 dB).
Some key specifications
- Range up to 76m
- Water resistant
- 3 years non-replaceable battery lifespan
Tile Stickers: Small and Handy
The absolute smallest Tile Bluetooth tracker is the Tile Stickers. These used to be round pucks but now they are more like a little squashed marshmallow.
While the rest of the Tile range is immensely portable, you can swap them onto different keyrings, into another bag, the Stickers are … stuck to whatever you stick them on. Stick em Rex! (Bonus if you caught that reference.)
What is it good for? If you ever had to tear a place apart looking for the TV remote control, this would be a great place to start. We have them stuck on the kids bikes, school laptops (they aren’t discreet here), and anything portable that needs keeping track of.
The Tile Stickers won’t be a fashion statement, they come in black only but they can in some cases, be stuck in an out of the way place such as under a bike seat.
Some key specifications
- Range up to 75m
- 3 years non-replaceable battery lifespan
Lost and Found Labels: Simple and Effective
These are not powered by battery. The Tile Lost and Found Labels works on the goodwill of the finder of the object.
It is just a dishwasher safe, scratch resistant label that you can stick anywhere – your humongous Stanley Tumbler, kids lunchbox, scooter helmet, you name it. And if the said Stanley Tumbler ends up in the deep end of the pool, it is also water resistant up to 6m.
Depending on what information has been provided during the setup process, when the finder scans the QR code, there is option to call, text or email the owner of the object.
Value Added Features: Freebies and Subscriptions
The Tile comes with some value added features. Some of these come as part of the deals, and others are locked behind a subscription paywall.
Covering off the freebies first.
Scan and secure
This will run a scan for unknown Tile trackers within range of your phone over the next ten minutes. Boy do I wish this feature existed some 8 years ago.
Anti-theft mode
Because you can scan for known Tile trackers, people can also look for where they are so they can steal your valuables. The anti-theft mode hides your Tile from being scanned and located by the Scan and Secure function and some third party trackers. Noting that there is no absolute guarantee that it will be hidden from everything.
You need to be over 18 years old, provide a valid ID and have your photo taken by the Tile app before it can be activated. This is an all or nothing deal though, every Tile registered to your account will have Anti-Theft Mode enabled or disabled at the same time.
Is this going to stop stalking? I doubt it given people can be vile and all things can be bent to an evil purpose.
SOS
The current range of Tile trackers come with an SOS feature, but there is a catch.
Ordinarily if you press on the Tile logo on the trackers, it will ring your phone. Handy for when you have no idea where your phone is, but are holding your keys with a Tile on it. I know I forget where I put my phone the moment I put it down.
The SOS feature replaces the locate your phone feature. It is one or the other and never the twain shall meet. What is more odd is that the Tile app does not support the feature. You have to use the Life360 app for it.
Lost and Found
Tile has added Lost and Found QR codes on their trackers. So instead of just relying on the mesh to find your lost device, a good Samaritan can simply scan the QR code on the tracker and follow instructions on the webpage it links to and hit send.
The webpage can auto detect the finder’s location, providing the appropriate location permission has been granted. The provision of the finder’s location is optional. You also have a text field where you can add a message, and all of these are then sent as an email to the account holder of the Tile.
Subscription features include
Smart Alerts will proactively notify you if you have left a Tiled item when you move away from it (geo fencing).
There is provision for accidental damage. Tile says there is worry-free warranty for defects as well, but really I expect warranty will cover manufacturing defects.
The website says unlimited sharing where you can share your Tile’s location with trusted friends and family members. I am sure this has always been a free feature and I can see it on my phone right now.
Expanded Location History to include the last 30 days.
A Look at the Competition and Gripes
There are definitely some. The Bluetooth tracker market is not the same as when Tile first launched. Tile has made some improvements across the board. Power consumption is down with three years life expectancy for the units that have non-replaceable batteries. Features have been added in app.
Range has improved over the various iterations. The official specs of course, is for perfect test environments.
I am disappointed that there is no UWB enabled Tile in sight. The Tile Ultra was announced back in 2022 but its existence seems to be scrubbed. However, a bit of digging on the internet came up with an answer that hardly surprises me – Apple has locked everyone out of their chipset’s UWB capabilities. In Android land, other than Google and Samsung, there are not many handsets with that capability either.
I would lament the lack of directions for when you are looking for something. Given the range of the Tile, it is potentially a large area to search if the location is not narrowed down. However I am well aware of the need for triangulation in order to find a direction, and that could be a privacy issue when you need to rely on other devices to help.
One of the biggest bugbear I think is that Life360 is intending to stick to their own ecosystem and not support Google’s Find My Device network. I feel this is going to distance themselves from the broader Android user base.
The website has inconsistencies across different models and their technical specifications.
Final Verdict: Is Tile Still a Top Contender in 2025?
If you are in the market for a Bluetooth tracker that works for both Apple and Android devices, then Life360 Tile has a lot of history and track record in this space.
I am in two minds about the Anti-Theft Mode in particular. I get what Life360’s intentions are, but having been stalked (by Tile trackers incidentally), a verification is not going to deter a bad actor. It will make it harder to find an unauthorised Tile though.
I feel though, that Life360 is backing themselves in a corner by not supporting the Android Find My Device network. It is a given that everyone else will be locked out of the Apple AirTag network. At the same time, what is going well is their partnership with other brands such as Skullcandy and some automotive makers with Tile integrated into their technology.
Would I still recommend Life360 Tile in 2025? Well I am still using plenty of them myself on a daily basis, and it works on both Apple and Android which suits my family.
You can get any of the Tile products from Amazon Au, JB Hi-Fi, direct from Life360 Tile and authorised retailers. They start as low as A$39.95 for the Tile Mate in black, and there are savings bundles available. At the time of publishing there are some discounts on as well.
DRN would like to thank Life360 Tile for providing the review units.
