What is a Bluetooth Tracker?
Essentially, a bluetooth tracker is a small device that you can attach to your personal belongings and connect to your phone using Bluetooth. It helps to find lost or misplaced belongings by ringing them.
Bluetooth trackers also sometimes are called Bluetooth finders or Bluetooth tags, they are also referred to as smart trackers or smart tags. The last two terms often refer to gps trackers, therefore make sure to check what technology a tracker is using before considering buying a bluetooth tracker.
How to use a Bluetooth tracker
The first time setting up a tracker, it will need to be connected to an app on your phone through your phone’s Bluetooth connection. To get started, download the tracker’s app on your phone and follow the instruction the app will give you to successfully make the connection.
Usually bluetooth trackers are used to track keys, wallets, purses, backpacks, phones and even small pets.
Simply attach the tracker to the item you don’t want to lose with the help of a latch or key ring found on most trackers.
Make your lost item ring by pressing the button in the app on your phone. The ringing sound will allow you to locate your missing item.
If the connection between the tracker and your phone is lost, the app on your phone will display the last known location the tracker was last seen on a map to help you locate it. The connection will be maintained as long as your phone is within the Bluetooth tracker’s range (up to 80 meters).
The bluetooth connection also works both ways, allowing you to also to find your phone by pressing the button on the tracker twice to make your phone ring, even when your phone is in silent mode.
Basic features of Bluetooth trackers
Bluetooth trackers are powered by a small battery – in some cases capable of lasting up to a year.
Bluetooth trackers are very energy efficient and only require a small battery to operate. Some models can last up to a year on a single battery thanks to their optimised app on your phone which handles all the data transferring and processing.
Replaceable battery – keep the tracker in working condition longer.
Some Bluetooth trackers come with a replaceable battery, like the Filo Bluetooth tag, avoiding the need to buy a new tracker every time the battery runs out. While others have integrated batteries, leaving you with no other option but to replace the entire device when the time comes.
A strong Bluetooth connection range – Find your things at a distance.
The connection range on a bluetooth tracker can reach up to 80 meters. It is limited by the Bluetooth signal strength on your phone. Unlike GPS trackers, the connection can be kept even indoors, making them great to track small objects like keys, wallets or a bag, but aren’t the best solution to track moving objects at a distance like a car or people.
Loudness of ringing sound – Hear your belongings to find them faster.
The emitting sound when ringing a bluetooth tracker plays a fundamental role to find your belongings faster. Some trackers can produce a sound up to 97db. We can locate things faster by sound than by sight. That’s why it is the practical and immediate way to find your keys when buried by a heap of laundry. A strong ringing sound will help to locate your item quicker, therefore the louder the better.
The smart tracker’s in range and out of range notifications – A friendly reminder to not forget your belongings.
Wouldn’t it be great to be reminded when you are about to leave your keys behind? The in range notification feature will remind you if you are leaving things behind just before your phone loses the bluetooth connection to your tracker. Or even allow you to know when your item is back in range or near to you.
While the out of range notification will allow you to see where your tracked item was last seen on a map.
A choice of colours – quickly Identify your belongings with style.
Many Bluetooth tracker tags come in different colours and forms. Choose one that you will remember and that stands out in design and colour. It will definitely help to easily spot your belongings quicker when you are searching for your misplaced item.
Great customer support – a human touch always helps
A quick way to tell apart solid Bluetooth trackers from the rest is the amount of human support given to you by their customer support. Whether its by phone, email or social media, a willingness to resolve your questions and issues can ease and make enjoyable the experience with your new bluetooth tracker.
App updates – taking care of the user
App updates ensure the best user experience when using a tracker. It’s a fundamental part of the tracking experience in bluetooth trackers, as most of the information is done on the phone. In-frequent app updates can indicate a lack in improving the user experience and supporting the end user. Check before buying when the last app update was made and how many reviews where made to have an idea of how active the bluetooth tracker maker is on its app updates.
Phone compatibility – Most phones are covered, but check to make sure
Most Bluetooth trackers support the Bluetooth low energy standard v4.0. In other words, your phone must support Bluetooth version 4 and above to work with most trackers.
Make sure to check before buying your phones Bluetooth standard as phones with older Bluetooth standards won’t be compatible. If you have a phone that isnt older than 4 year than it is most likely compatible. Just to be sure check your phones characteristics before buying.
The 10 best ways to use a Bluetooth tracker
- Find your keys. Finding your keys is one of the most common cases to use a tracker. How many times have you lost your keys? For us, its countless times. Let the tracker do the search for you. Attach it to your home keys and connect it to your phone to let your keys ring when they go missing.
- Find your phone. One of the most useful features of a bluetooth tracker is to find your phone again. Not many are aware that trackers can reverse locate your phone, by pressing the button on the tracker. If the phone is in range, pressing the button on the tracker will make your phone ring, even when in silent mode.
- Backpack and bag tracker. Misplacing your bag or backup can be a problem when you rely on all the important things that it carries. By attaching a bluetooth gadget to your bag or leaving inside find it easily again before leaving.
- Wallet tracker. It has happened to all of us, leaving our wallets at the restaurant after paying the bill or leaving after paying at the cash register. Many trackers are thin enough to be inserted into a wallet or purse. Next time get notified before leaving the place without your wallet by being notified in time to claim your wallet.
- Find luggage. Placing a bluetooth tracker inside your luggage while travelling will come in handy when the time comes to claim your luggage after your flight. Before you reach the luggage claims, activate your bluetooth early to be notified when your luggage is in range or avoid someone to mistakenly walk off with your luggage.
- Avoid coat check mixups. Coat switchups happen frequently when leaving your coat at the coatroom for a night out. Avoid the mixup by inserting a bluetooth tracker inside an inner pocket of your coat and make sure it’s yours before leaving for the night.
- Find your car.Can’t remember where you parked your car? Leave a bluetooth tracker inside your car and find again the last location you parked on map within the tracker’s app.
- Find your umbrella.Leaving the office or a doctors appointment without an umbrella when it’s pouring outside can be challenging. Especially when you forgot and need to quickly find your umbrella hiding amongst others. Attach a bluetooth tracker to your umbrella’s handle and let it ring to identify it instantly.
- Cat and dog tracker.While not ideal for long distances. A bluetooth tracker can tell you if your pet is at home or not. Most small trackers are limited by bluetooth range and rely on the phone to read the last location the tracker was.
- Find your Camera.Misplacing your camera and forgetting where you left it can be avoided with a bluetooth tracker by your side. Simply attach it to your expensive camera and equipment and keep everything safe.
