After setup you can locate it in the Find My app with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac. (Image: Amazon)
If losing valuable things or keeping of them comes as second nature to you (no judgment here), then finding something to store your valuables in when you’re on the go is a really good idea.
Who hasn’t had that heart sinking moment when you realise that your wallet isn’t where it usually is or your passport has gone missing the night before a flight? You can forgo that problem altogether with a bluetooth tracker.
AirTags might dominate the public consciousness when it comes to little tracker devices, but thanks to iPhone’s Find My feature being , there are plenty of options available.
The is one such option from Amazon, with a slim, bank card design that will slip easily into a wallet or passport. There’s also a round, penny-sized option for £24 down from £30 that’s ideal for car keys and dog collars, with bundles available to (all prices correct at the time of writing).
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All you need to do is register the Chipolo device with your Find My app, and you’ll get its location any time it’s within range of an iPhone with its Bluetooth switched on. The app won’t lead you to a specific drawer or behind a sofa cushion, but the Chipolo devices can be set to ring when you’re looking for them so you can easily follow the noise.
If a Chipolo device isn’t within range of a Bluetooth-enabled iPhone, you can still use the Find My app to see its last known location — by and large, for inanimate objects, that’s where it’ll be. For pet collars things aren’t so straightforward, but if you live in an urban area and you’ve got an escapologist for a mutt, there’s always a good chance they’ll be within range of an iPhone.
These handy little devices have won a lot of fans at Amazon already, with 4.1 out of 5 stars averaged from 1,738 ratings so far. “I love the thinness of the tracker,” said one five-star appraisal. “Easy to use and seems very reliable.”
“We have several of these as we bought the four pack,” began another five-star review. “Great for house keys, car keys etc. Integrates well with Find My facility on iPhone.”
If it goes missing, hundreds of millions of Apple devices will help you locate your missing wallet, (Image: Amazon)
Another added: “Not only does it work in Find My, so no more apps are needed, but it’s easy to set up, robust and more importantly adds barely any bulk to my wallet! It holds all the same functionality as an air tag, allows for distance tracking and sound alerts, but in a better package.”
Some have noted disappointment with their Bluetooth dependency, however. “For locating misplaced keys or wallet within the house, it’s fine,” said one three-star review. “Leave them in the car or somewhere further away and you’re at the mercy of other passing iPhones picking up a signal. This means that these won’t really work as a pet tracker and have very limited use if we’re being honest within the home.” The last-known location tool on the Find My app does at least alleviate the ‘left it in the car’ problem.
Others have had theirs fail sooner than expected, too. “This device broke after a year. It stopped showing up in Find My, and a reset didn’t work. I even tried removing and readding it. It works if I pinch it though so I think there must be a loose connection somewhere.”
If you’d rather stick with the big name brand, . Another great alternative is the .
For just £29 for the and £24 for the AirTag-shaped disc version, the Chipolos are nevertheless a solid, cheaper option while they’re discounted.