Over the past few years, I have tested more than 30 different Bluetooth trackers from various companies and ecosystems. I have carried them in my wallet, backpack, luggage, and attached to my keys. I have used Apple AirTag, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, Tile, Motorola, Pebblebee, Chipolo, and many others. This experience has made me very familiar with locating networks such as Apple's Find My, Tile's Life360, Samsung's SmartThings Find, and Google's more recent entry, Find Hub. I know where each of them excels and where they fall short. Over time, I have seen Google's network grow and become more reliable. Today, I use it exclusively for my personal items. When I found out that Google was about to release its own Pixel Tag, I was excited. But soon after, I started to worry, and here is why.
The challenge of UWB and Bluetooth 6.0 compatibility for the Pixel Tag
For Android users, there are currently several Bluetooth tracker options, which are only as good as the network they rely on to find missing items when they are far away. One thing remains universal: to easily locate a tracker when you are within reach, you need Ultra WideBand (UWB) or Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding for better accuracy. The former provides direction and distance, while the latter only distance, but with enhanced precision. Supporting both is crucial because not every Android phone has a UWB chip, whereas most already have or will soon have Bluetooth 6.0 with Channel Sounding. If the Pixel Tag wants to be compatible with the majority of phones, it must integrate both technologies. Currently, the competition is not intense: Moto Tags are the only Find Hub-compatible trackers with UWB support, and they work reasonably well. Close, far, left, right. Google needs to at least match that experience, otherwise, what is the point of making its own tracker?
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The Find Hub network's reliability has improved but is not enough
Personally, with my AirTags, Galaxy SmartTag 2, and Moto Tag, I have not needed nearby finding a lot, because I usually know where my keys or wallet are. But I know that for most users, this feature is essential. Google cannot mess this up. My first few months with Find Hub in 2024 were terrible. The app would not detect trackers that were right next to my phone. Locations would not update for hours. It was utterly useless. In 2025 and beyond, the network has become more stable. Today, I can find my 'lost' items much more easily and reliably. I no longer have issues locating nearby trackers. All of my trackers update their location as fast, if not faster, than my AirTag or Galaxy SmartTag 2. A Pebblebee tracker on Find Hub even saved my — and other travelers' — luggage at Athens airport. So things have improved considerably, but it is not enough.
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Offline mode and dynamic tracking are non-negotiable
The Find Hub app must work offline: a nearby Bluetooth tracker should be findable over Bluetooth, even without a solid signal or cell reception. That is the whole point of Bluetooth! But the app currently does not allow it, showing a blank screen if you are offline. Additionally, the app should provide a better way to follow a moving tracker. Right now, I get Google Maps directions to reach my lost item, but those do not update once the tracker moves. I have to hop back and forth between Maps and Find Hub to see if I am still on the right path. Clearly, that experience is not ideal. Google needs to fix this if it wants people to have a nice experience with its Pixel Tag. You should not need to be online with an active connection to locate your keys during a remote hike.
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Replaceable battery, loud siren, and adjustable volume
My current favorite trackers are the Chipolo Loop and the Pebblebee Clip5, mostly the former, and I will explain why shortly. Both charge over USB-C, both have very loud sirens, and both have excellent Bluetooth range. I do not think the Pixel Tag will charge over USB-C; its design and thinness do not seem to favor that. But the battery needs to be replaceable at the very least. A CR2032 coin cell is almost the norm — used by Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and Tile — and easy to buy. It should, however, not have any compromises around siren volume and Bluetooth range. Those are non-negotiable. The Chipolo Loop also has one feature I have not seen in many Find Hub trackers: it lets you set the ring volume inside the Google Find Hub app. The Moto Tag does that too, but not Pebblebee. To set a good example, the Pixel Tag should meet the competition.
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Left-behind alerts and extra features to stand out
What really distinguishes the Loop, though, is that if you install the companion Chipolo app, you unlock a set of extra features that no other tracker has. I can reverse-ring my phone from my tracker (both Moto and Pebblebee offer that), choose a ringtone (only Moto has it), take a selfie (a bit of a gimmick), and most importantly, set up left-behind alerts so that when I walk away from my tracker, I get notified. The latter is unique to Chipolo among Find Hub-compatible trackers. Moto and Pebblebee do not offer it. But Samsung, Tile, and Apple have this as a default feature on their trackers, so Google should match it as soon as possible — preferably with the Pixel Tag. I always leave it enabled, and my phone often pings me when I get out of the house and leave my backpack or keys behind.
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I am not going to mince my words. There are excellent Google Find Hub-compatible Bluetooth trackers out there, especially for someone like me who does not care all that much about UWB. I would put the Chipolo Loop on top of that list because of everything it offers. For those who do want UWB, the Moto Tag is a great option with a couple of extras, like a camera remote and reverse phone ringing and finding. The Pixel Tag is entering this crowded market and, if it wants to make me a convert, it needs to unlock a bunch of features in the Google Find Hub app that are not currently possible. I hope it does. All the other trackers will benefit, too.
Source: https://www.androidpolice.com/used-30-bluetooth-trackers-what-pixel-tag-needs
