Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tile, the lost item tracker, makes its way to Android

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Tile

If you’ve ever lost anything of value like keys, a remote, or even a bike, you’d know that it’s a terrible feeling. There is a way to track all of your important things, and it’s called Tile. Up until now, it’s been exclusively available for iOS. Today, the company has announced it’s Android availability, but it does come with a few restrictions.

For those who have never heard of it, Tile is a lost item tracker that pairs with your phone. It comes in the form of a small tile that can be easily attached to personal items and paired with a companion application. Once your Tile is mounted on an object, the Tile app can track where it is using Bluetooth. What if your item is out of Bluetooth range? The application can mark your item as lost, and it will track your item through any other device that has the Tile app installed on it, allowing you to extend your range longer than 30-40 feet. We know this isn’t the best case scenario out there, but if nobody around you has the app installed, the company recommends logging in to your Tile account on someone else’s smartphone to help find your item. It surely isn’t the easiest way to find your lost item, but this could make a huge difference when you lose something extremely important.

Tile began through a crowdfunding campaign, initially raising $13 million at startup. As the app was previously only available on iOS devices, extending its reach to Android makes the entire Tile ecosystem much easier to use. With Android support, there will be more devices out there running the app.

Unfortunately, there are a few restrictions when it comes to Android device compatibility. Aside from running at least Android 4.4 KitKat, you must have one of these compatible devices: Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8, HTC One, LG Nexus 4, or LG Nexus 5. Hopefully the company will expand their availability to more devices, since only a small subset of users have these phones.

Thinking of picking one up for yourself? You can get your own Tile for $25, a four-pack for $70, an eight-pack for $130, or even a twelve-pack for $180. These might seem a bit pricey, but that’s the price you pay for keeping your important items secure. Head to Tile’s site to order yours today.

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