New Tile key trackers launch with emergency alert feature
Now featuring SOS alerts and Life360 app integration
Tile's lineup of key trackers is getting its first update in a couple of years. And this time, the latest Tiles not only aim to help you track down lost keys, wallets and other valuables, but keep you safe in the event of an emergency, too.
The 2024 Tile lineup is now integrated with the Life360 app (Android, iOS), which lets you know the location of family members. As part of that integration, the new Tile trackers gain a feature that ties into Life360's SOS alert capability, allowing you to press a button on your key finder to send notification and location info to the people in your Life360 account should you find yourself in an emergency.
The Life360 integration is a natural for Tile, since Life360 purchased the key finder maker three years ago. And while SOS alerts are certainly the highlight of the new models, it's not the only thing changing with the Tile lineup for this year.
Meet the new Tiles
As before, the Tile trackers come in four models, each with a different focus. Tile Pro ($35) is the premium key finder in the lineup with the longest range and loudest alert signal. While Tile touts the Pro for keeping track of your most valuable items, it's just as easy to hook that tracker up to a key chain or a backpack.
The more affordable Tile Mate ($25) also specializes in keys and backpacks though you can hook it up to just about anything with a ring or latch. Its range isn't as extensive as what the Tile Pro offers.
In addition to those two trackers, Tile also has new versions of its specialty devices. The Tile Slim is a credit card-shaped tracker meant to slip into a wallet or purse, so that you don't leave either behind. It costs $30, while the $25 Tile Sticker is Tile's smallest tracker with an adhesive back to stick it onto items that don't have a hook or latch. I'm testing the Tile Sticker 2024 on my Apple TV remote, though it can also be stuc onto passports, laptops and other items with smooth surfaces.
Price | Range | Battery | |
Tile Pro 2024 | $35 | 500 feet | 1-year, replaceable |
Tile Mate 2024 | $25 | 350 feet | 3-year, non-replaceable |
Tile Slim 2024 | $30 | 350 feet | 3-year, non-replaceable |
Tile Sticker | $25 | 250 feet | 3-year, non-replaceable |
As before, the 2024 Tile trackers connect to your iPhone or Android device over Bluetooth, and you can track the location of those devices from a companion app on your phone. There's a button with the app you can press to sound an alarm to help you track down the item your Tile attached to. Tile also offers a two-way find feature, where you can press a button on the tracker twice to sound an alarm on your phone.
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In addition to those features, Tile has a subscription plan that adds extra features like Smart Alerts that send notifications when you've left your tracker behind. Plans start at $30 a year for Tile's Premium offering.
The Life360 tie-in is part of the free tier of Tile, though, and it's the marquee addition to this year's models. Press the button on your Tile tracker three times and you'll send an SOS alert to your designated emergency contacts and your Life360 Circle (basically family members that are tied to your account on that location-tracking app.)
Besides the SOS alert feature, integration with the Life360 app means anyone in your Circle can ring the key finder from the Life360 app, so they'll be able to find lost items, too.
Additional improvements to the 2024 lineup include extended range, with the Tile Pro now boosting up to 500 feet of connectivity. The Mate and Slim have longer ranges, too, while all four Tile trackers claim to have a louder alarm.
You'll also find new color options for the Tile lineup, after previous Tiles came in more staid black and white options. Black and white return for the 2024 lineup, but they're joined Navy Blaze, Green Surf, Pink Punch and Aqua Lemon. Tile says the 2024 designers are sleeker than before as well.
I have all four new Tiles in hand, and I'm in the process of testing them to see how they compare to the Tile Pro 2022 and Tile Mate 2022, which have been our picks for the best key finders. I've even recommended Tile's trackers over the Apple AirTag and Samsung SmartTag, as Tile's devices work seamless across different mobile platforms, regardless of who made your handset.
The Tile Mate 22024, Tile Slim 2024 and Tile Sticker 2024 are on sale now. The Tile Pro 2024 will arrive in early October.
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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.