Any of you android users own a card/wallet tracker?

B0bbyEwing

If you're an Apple user with one of these gizmos then unless you know it 100% works with Android could you kindly wait on the Apple owners to ask this. I don't want this to turn in to a 'only works with iphone' thread. 

Also any suggestions of Smart Tag - nope. Too bulky for a wallet in my opinion. I own the ST1 & ST2 and say they're too bulky for a wallet. 

I've seen Tile's offering. A Tile Pro was actually my first tracking device & it looks like they're owned by Life360 now? 
Still, although their wallet tracker has a 3yr lifespan, I'll take that as a max & also I don't want a throwaway unit. I want rechargeable. I'd want to spend another £20+ in 3yrs because I want to, not because I have to. 

My understanding is there's no UWB options for us Android users? 

So, what brand do you use & does it need its own app or can it work with Samsungs find my device app? 

MattMattMattUK

Chipolo, the current gen products work with all Android devices and integrate natively with the Google Find Hub (they also work as native on Apple devices as well). They have keyrings and wallet trackers and all are rechargeable. 

UWB is also available on Android, Pixel 6 onwards on the Pro devices, all Pixel 10 devices, Galaxy since S21 on the + and Ultra variants and many other manufacturers as well. 

sausage_time

MattMattMattUK said:

Chipolo, the current gen products work with all Android devices and integrate natively with the Google Find Hub (they also work as native on Apple devices as well). They gave keyrings and wallet trackers and all are rechargeable. 

UWB is also available on Android, Pixel 6 onwards on the Pro devices, all Pixel 10 devices, Galaxy since S21 on the + and Ultra variants and many other manufacturers as well. 

Interesting.  Does Chipolo need a direct connection to your Android phone, or does it use some kind of "crowd connectivity" like Apple AirTags?

MattMattMattUK

sausage_time said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Chipolo, the current gen products work with all Android devices and integrate natively with the Google Find Hub (they also work as native on Apple devices as well). They gave keyrings and wallet trackers and all are rechargeable. 

UWB is also available on Android, Pixel 6 onwards on the Pro devices, all Pixel 10 devices, Galaxy since S21 on the + and Ultra variants and many other manufacturers as well. 

Interesting.  Does Chipolo need a direct connection to your Android phone, or does it use some kind of "crowd connectivity" like Apple AirTags?

The latter, part of Google's Find Hub so it links to other Android devices and any iOS devices with Find Hub installed. It also connects via any Google smart speaker products (Nest, Home and WiFi) and they are installing hubs in major locations such as airports. 

flaneurs_lobster

MattMattMattUK said:

sausage_time said:

MattMattMattUK said:

Chipolo, the current gen products work with all Android devices and integrate natively with the Google Find Hub (they also work as native on Apple devices as well). They gave keyrings and wallet trackers and all are rechargeable. 

UWB is also available on Android, Pixel 6 onwards on the Pro devices, all Pixel 10 devices, Galaxy since S21 on the + and Ultra variants and many other manufacturers as well. 

Interesting.  Does Chipolo need a direct connection to your Android phone, or does it use some kind of "crowd connectivity" like Apple AirTags?

The latter, part of Google's Find Hub so it links to other Android devices and any iOS devices with Find Hub installed. It also connects via any Google smart speaker products (Nest, Home and WiFi) and they are installing hubs in major locations such as airports. 

May be true that Chipolo's new devices will work with either Google's or Apple's Find networks, but you have to choose which one you want it to work with when you set it up - it can't use both simultaneously (don't think there's a tracker that can). Suppose you could glue two together but it's going to make a thick card for a wallet.

On which point, I've got the previous Chipolo card tracker in my wallet and it's quite a chunky beast, think 3.5 credit cards stuck together, the new one is rechargeable and a teeny bit thicker. If you've a skinny wallet or not much room I'd try and see if you can hands-on before you buy.

There's UWB available on a few Android phones but not many trackers that work with it - Samsung's Smart Tag 2 (used to?) only work with Samsung phones, a Moto Tag, a new Tile? & a few exotics.
 

sausage_time

From the Chipolo pages...

Bluetooth finders use your phone’s Bluetooth signal to connect and can stay connected for up to 200ft / 60 m. When this connection is lost, the last known location of your wallet finder will be displayed on a map in the Chipolo app until they reconnect. 

For tracking airline checked luggage (a major use case for me) that does not seem that useful.  If I understand/believe the Apple AirTag model/hype their tags can communicate anonymously with many iPhones and relay more up to date information.

Also. I see no evidence that Chipolo devices use UWB (which would be ideal for the Apple type of model).  Rather the seem to use Bluetooth (point to point, and tied to your phone being within range).

Think I'll hold off for now.

flaneurs_lobster

sausage_time said:

From the Chipolo pages...

Bluetooth finders use your phone’s Bluetooth signal to connect and can stay connected for up to 200ft / 60 m. When this connection is lost, the last known location of your wallet finder will be displayed on a map in the Chipolo app until they reconnect. 

That's just wrong, or rather only describes the connectivity to your own device. What's the source of that quote? Maybe when just using the Chipolo app rather than the Find My/Find Hub services?

Try here for their own description https://chipolo.net/en/

Agree no UWB. Does seem that the only non-Apple UWB trackers are Samsung's Smart Tag 2 (posh Samsung phones only, Samsung's network only (officially)). or the Moto Tag which is an Android AirTag clone, it even fits in AirTag holders, but Google Find My Device (Find Hub) only.

sausage_time

flaneurs_lobster said:

sausage_time said:

From the Chipolo pages...

Bluetooth finders use your phone’s Bluetooth signal to connect and can stay connected for up to 200ft / 60 m. When this connection is lost, the last known location of your wallet finder will be displayed on a map in the Chipolo app until they reconnect. 

That's just wrong, or rather only describes the connectivity to your own device. What's the source of that quote? Maybe when just using the Chipolo app rather than the Find My/Find Hub services?

Try here for their own description https://chipolo.net/en/

Agree no UWB. Does seem that the only non-Apple UWB trackers are Samsung's Smart Tag 2 (posh Samsung phones only, Samsung's network only (officially)). or the Moto Tag which is an Android AirTag clone, it even fits in AirTag holders, but Google Find My Device (Find Hub) only.

I was looking on this page:

https://chipolo.net/en/pages/wallet-finder

That seems to be a different (lesser?) product though.   Confusing.

Still not clear to me how the "millions of devices in each network to help you find your items quickly" works.  Do these Android devices need the Chipolo app installed?  That seems like it may not be too many devices.  Or is this tapping into Googles answer to Apple's "Find My"?

flaneurs_lobster

sausage_time said:

Still not clear to me how the "millions of devices in each network to help you find your items quickly" works.  Do these Android devices need the Chipolo app installed?  That seems like it may not be too many devices.  Or is this tapping into Googles answer to Apple's "Find My"?

Exactly this, the latest trackers can use either Google's Find Hub (what was called Find My Device) OR Apple's Find My for the key location tracking service. The former is every Android device that has Find my Device enabled (with some caveats) the latter is Apple's equivalent which I'm told is on by default on every Apple device.

The Chipolo app is just needed to set the thing up and maybe some local functionality like checking the battery level or making it beep.

sausage_time

flaneurs_lobster said:

sausage_time said:

Still not clear to me how the "millions of devices in each network to help you find your items quickly" works.  Do these Android devices need the Chipolo app installed?  That seems like it may not be too many devices.  Or is this tapping into Googles answer to Apple's "Find My"?

Exactly this, the latest trackers can use either Google's Find Hub (what was called Find My Device) OR Apple's Find My for the key location tracking service. The former is every Android device that has Find my Device enabled (with some caveats) the latter is Apple's equivalent which I'm told is on by default on every Apple device.

The Chipolo app is just needed to set the thing up and maybe some local functionality like checking the battery level or making it beep.

Any feedback from anyone how well this works for Android in practice?    Whats the coverage like - locally, nationally, internationally?

victor2

flaneurs_lobster said:

sausage_time said:

Still not clear to me how the "millions of devices in each network to help you find your items quickly" works.  Do these Android devices need the Chipolo app installed?  That seems like it may not be too many devices.  Or is this tapping into Googles answer to Apple's "Find My"?

Exactly this, the latest trackers can use either Google's Find Hub (what was called Find My Device) OR Apple's Find My for the key location tracking service. The former is every Android device that has Find my Device enabled (with some caveats) the latter is Apple's equivalent which I'm told is on by default on every Apple device.

The Chipolo app is just needed to set the thing up and maybe some local functionality like checking the battery level or making it beep.

The highlighted bit is the big issue with Android devices. Essentially, any iPhone (since 11?) getting within range of an iOS device logs it's presence.