Tile Mate Review | Tile Tracker
Losing stuff happens to everyone, but thankfully, technology can help us find our things when they go missing. Tile is a big name in this technology, even though Apple recently introduced the AirTag. But Tile Mate tracker still has a place because AirTag only works with Apple devices.
The Tile Tracker is a simple gadget that helps you find your stuff in two ways. First, it sends out a Bluetooth signal. When it connects with a phone using Tile’s app, the Tile network can give you an idea of where your item is based on the phone’s location. Then, you can use this info to get close to your lost item and connect directly to the Tile Mate with your own phone. Once connected, you can make the Tile Mate play a sound to help you find it. You can also press a button on the Mate to make your phone ring if you’ve misplaced it.
Tile Mate
How Tile Tracker works?
The Tile Mate is a small, compact device that uses Bluetooth technology to help you keep track of your belongings. It’s like having a personal assistant dedicated to making sure you never lose anything important again.
Using the Tile Mate is incredibly simple. Just attach the Tile Mate to any item you want to keep track of, like your keys or backpack. Then, download the free Tile app on your smartphone and follow the easy setup instructions.
Once everything is set up, you can use the Tile app to locate your items. If you’ve misplaced something nearby, you can make the Tile tracker ring loudly to help you find it. And if your item is out of range, you can see its last known location on a map.
How Does Tile Mate Help in Locating Items?
With the Tile Mate securely attached to your belongings, finding them when they go missing becomes a simple task. Using the Tile app on your smartphone, you can locate your items in two ways. First, the Tile Mate broadcasts a Bluetooth signal, which can be detected by any device running the Tile app within range. When your Tile Mate pings a nearby device, the Tile network can provide a rough GPS location of the tracker based on the phone it pinged.
Using this location data, you can navigate to the vicinity of your lost item and establish a Bluetooth connection with your smartphone. Once connected, you can activate the Tile Mate to play a ringtone, making it easier to pinpoint its exact location. Additionally, the Tile Mate features a button that allows you to ring your smartphone if it’s the item that’s gone missing, providing a two-way tracking solution.
Performance and Range
The Tile Mate boasts a Bluetooth range of up to 250 feet, allowing you to locate your items even when they’re out of sight. However, in real-world scenarios, the range may vary depending on environmental factors such as obstacles and interference. During testing, it was found that the Tile Mate performed reliably within a range of approximately 60-80 feet, making it suitable for most indoor and outdoor applications.
Despite its impressive range, users may experience difficulty establishing a connection from the maximum distance, especially in urban or densely populated areas. However, the Tile Mate compensates for this limitation with its community find feature, which leverages the collective power of Tile users to help locate lost items. By marking an item as lost in the Tile app, other Tile users in the vicinity can assist in its recovery by sending its location to your smartphone.
Community Find Feature
One of the best features of the Tile Mate is its community find feature. If you lose an item that has a Tile Mate attached and it’s out of Bluetooth range, you can mark it as lost in the Tile app. Then, any other Tile user who comes within range of your lost item will automatically send its location to your app. It’s like having a worldwide network of helpers ready to assist you in finding your lost belongings.
User Experience and Reliability
In terms of user experience, the Tile Mate Tracker excels with its intuitive app interface and simple setup process. The app provides clear instructions for pairing your Tile Mate, locating your items, and managing your Tile account. Additionally, the Tile Mate’s durable construction ensures reliable performance in various conditions, whether it’s attached to your keys or stashed in your backpack.
One of the standout features of the Tile Mate is its robust community of users, which significantly enhances its reliability and effectiveness. With millions of Tile users worldwide, the Tile Mate benefits from a vast network of devices that can assist in the recovery of lost items. This collective approach to tracking ensures that even if your item is out of Bluetooth range, there’s still a good chance of locating it with the help of other Tile users.
FAQs | Tile Tracker
Why Choose Tile Mate?
Peace of Mind: Say goodbye to the stress and frustration of losing your belongings. With the Tile Tracker, you can relax knowing that you can easily locate your items whenever you need them.
Easy to Use: The Tile Mate is designed with simplicity in mind. Even if you’re not tech-savvy, you’ll have no trouble setting up and using your Tile Mate.
Affordable: Priced affordably, the Tile Mate is a small investment that can save you countless hours of searching for lost items.
Child-Friendly: The Tile Mate is perfect for users of all ages, including children and teenagers. Its intuitive design and easy-to-use app make it accessible to everyone.
Don’t Wait, Get Your Tile Mate Today! Don’t let the frustration of lost belongings ruin your day. Join the millions of satisfied Tile users and experience the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’ll never lose your stuff again. Get your Tile Mate today and take the first step towards a more organized and stress-free life!
Is Tile Mate safe?
Each Tile Mate offers a two-way tracking feature, unlike the AirTag. This means you can use your phone to find your lost item, and you can also double-tap the Mate’s button to locate your phone, even if it’s on silent. If you lose both your phone and the Mate, you can initiate a search from a smart speaker or an Xfinity Voice Remote if you’ve set them up beforehand. Unfortunately, Tile doesn’t allow location tracking from its website.
You can attach your contact information to the QR code on the Tile Mate for the new Lost and Found feature. The Mate connects to phones via Bluetooth and has a range of 250 feet, according to Tile. We tested this ourselves in different environments. In a parking garage, the Mate reached 55 feet, and in a busy lobby, it reached around 50 feet, though interference may affect range.
Audible alerts on the Mate can reach 116dB, but the maximum volume at a distance is around 87 dB, similar to a speakerphone. The Mate’s polyphonic ringtones are high-pitched and audible even in noisy environments like an apartment with white noise machines running. Once the Mate is out of range, you need to tap the Notify When Found icon in the Tile app to locate your item. This activates Lost mode, allowing anyone with a Tile app nearby to pick up the device’s location automatically without knowing they helped.
Is Tile Mate Better Than Apple AirTag?
The Tile Mate, slightly larger than the AirTag, features a keyring hole for easy attachment. We tested both in a bustling lobby. The Tile app showed over ten thousand of its users that were nearby, but it took almost three and half hours to locate our lost Mate. In contrast, the Apple AirTag was found within four minutes. This delay is because Tile relies on users running the Tile app, while AirTag can be located by any active iPhone.
The app accurately pinpointed the Mate’s location, though we had to move around until it was in range. Once connected, we activated the audible alert and followed the proximity rings in the app, which turn green as you approach your item. This process isn’t as straightforward as AirTag’s turn-by-turn instructions, but it gets the job done.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the Apple AirTag is better than both the Tile Mate and Pro, but it’s only available for Apple device users. The Tile Pro is superior to the Tile Mate in terms of build quality and longevity, but the Mate is a decent alternative if you’re looking to save $10. That said, the Mate essentially comes with an expiration date of three years due to its non-replaceable battery. For this reason, we recommend the Pro more highly.