TrackerSonar

AirTag vs Tile vs SmartTag vs Chipolo: how each can be detected

Not every tracker triggers the same warnings. Which network a tracker belongs to decides which phones alert you about it — and which tools can find it.

By Metko Labs, publisher of TrackerSonar · Last updated · How we check our guides

Key takeaways

  • Trackers work inside a finding network: Apple Find My (AirTag and Find My accessories), Google Find Hub (formerly Find My Device), Samsung SmartThings Find (Galaxy SmartTag) or Tile’s own network. Some brands, like Chipolo and Pebblebee, sell models for different networks.
  • iPhones warn about AirTags and Find My accessories, and since iOS 17.5 about compatible trackers from other brands. Android (6.0+) warns about AirTags and Find Hub compatible tags.
  • For other trackers, built-in warnings depend on the model and firmware supporting the Apple–Google specification. Don’t assume you will be warned.
  • A Bluetooth scanner such as TrackerSonar recognizes all of these brands by their signals, whichever phone they belong to.

Why the network matters

A Bluetooth tracker has no GPS of its own in most cases. It broadcasts a Bluetooth signal, and phones in its finding network that pass nearby report its location to the owner. The protections against unwanted tracking — alerts, sounds, identification — were first built separately by each network, which is why coverage differs between brands.

In May 2023, Apple and Google proposed a shared industry specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, which Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee said they supported. In May 2024, Apple shipped support in iOS 17.5 and Google on Android 6.0 and later, so phones can warn about compatible trackers regardless of platform. Work on an official standard continues in an IETF working group.

Comparison at a glance

How common Bluetooth trackers can be detected (as of October 2026)
TrackerNetworkiPhone alertsAndroid alertsTrackerSonar scan
Apple AirTagApple Find MyYes (iOS 14.5+)Yes (Android 6.0+)Yes, as “AirTag”
Other Find My network accessories (e.g. Chipolo’s models for Apple Find My)Apple Find MyYesIf the model supports the shared specificationYes, as a Find My accessory
Google Find Hub tags (e.g. Find Hub versions of Chipolo ONE and CARD, Pebblebee Clip, Tag and Card, Motorola moto tag)Google Find HubYes on iOS 17.5+ for specification-compatible tagsYesYes, as a Google Find Hub tag
Samsung Galaxy SmartTagSamsung SmartThings FindDepends on model and specification supportDepends; Galaxy phones also offer SmartThings “Unknown Tag Search”Yes, as “Samsung SmartTag”
TileTile (Life360)Depends on model and specification supportDepends on model and specification support; the Tile app offers “Scan and Secure”Yes, as “Tile”
Chipolo (own app models)Chipolo appDepends on modelDepends on modelYes, as “Chipolo”

Platform support changes with software updates. Check Apple’s and Google’s support pages linked under Sources for the current state.

Apple AirTag and Find My accessories

AirTags have the most complete built-in protection: iPhones show “AirTag Found Moving With You”, Android phones show unknown tracker alerts, a separated AirTag plays a sound when moved, and you can read its serial number over NFC.

An AirTag is a small round disc roughly 3 cm across. Other Find My accessories, such as Chipolo’s models for Find My, trigger “[Product name] Found Moving With You” on iPhone. Find My devices use Bluetooth identifiers that change frequently, so a scanner can show the same AirTag as a new device after a change. TrackerSonar recognizes AirTags and Find My accessories from their Bluetooth signals; for devices that broadcast very little, it briefly connects to confirm the type. With Premium it can make AirTags play a sound.

Google Find Hub tags

Tags in Google’s Find Hub network (formerly Find My Device) — Google lists, for example, Chipolo ONE and CARD, Pebblebee Clip, Tag and Card, and Motorola moto tag — are covered by Android’s unknown tracker alerts, including Play sound and Find nearby.

On iPhone, compatible tags can trigger alerts on iOS 17.5 and later through the shared specification. TrackerSonar labels them as Google Find Hub tags and marks them SUSPICIOUS until you mark them as known.

Samsung Galaxy SmartTag

Galaxy SmartTags work in Samsung’s SmartThings Find network. Samsung’s SmartThings app offers an “Unknown Tag Search” on Galaxy phones that looks for SmartTags moving with you.

Whether iPhone or non-Samsung Android phones alert you about a SmartTag depends on the model and its support for the shared specification. TrackerSonar recognizes SmartTags by their Bluetooth signal on any phone it runs on.

Tile

Tile trackers, now part of Life360, use Tile’s own finding network. The Tile app has offered a “Scan and Secure” feature that lets anyone scan for nearby Tiles.

Built-in iPhone and Android alerts only cover Tiles that support the shared specification, so coverage depends on the model and firmware. Tile tags come in several shapes, including square key fobs, thin cards and small stickers. TrackerSonar recognizes Tile tags and lists them among possible trackers.

Chipolo and Pebblebee

Chipolo sells trackers for different networks, so how a Chipolo is detected depends on the exact model: models for Apple Find My behave like Find My accessories, models for Google Find Hub like Find Hub tags. Pebblebee’s Clip, Tag and Card appear on Google’s list of Find Hub trackers; check the model’s packaging or the maker’s website for other variants.

Chipolo’s own-app models rely on Chipolo’s protections. TrackerSonar recognizes Chipolo and Pebblebee trackers by their Bluetooth signals regardless of the network.

What no Bluetooth scan can detect

  • Trackers that are switched off, have a flat battery or are out of Bluetooth range.
  • Trackers that don’t transmit Bluetooth at all — for example some GPS trackers that report their position over a mobile network.
  • Who owns a tracker. Use the identification steps in what to do if you find a tracker.

Frequently asked questions

Will my iPhone warn me about a Tile or Samsung SmartTag?

Only if that tracker supports the Apple–Google unwanted-tracking specification, which iPhones support from iOS 17.5. Support depends on the model and its firmware, so do not assume you will be warned. A Bluetooth scanner such as TrackerSonar recognizes Tile and SmartTag tags directly.

Will my Android phone warn me about an AirTag?

Yes. Google says Android’s unknown tracker alerts, available on Android 6.0 and later, work with Apple AirTags as well as Find Hub network compatible tags and headphones. You can also run a manual scan in Settings under Safety & emergency › Unknown tracker alerts.

What is the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers specification?

It is an industry specification that Apple and Google proposed in May 2023 so that iPhones and Android phones can warn people about compatible Bluetooth trackers from any brand. Both platforms started supporting it in May 2024, and it is being standardized in an IETF working group.

Which tracker is hardest to detect?

Any tracker that your phone does not alert you about is harder to notice, and that depends on its network, model and firmware. A tracker that does not use Bluetooth at all, such as some GPS trackers that report over a mobile network, cannot be found by a Bluetooth scan.

Can TrackerSonar detect all of these trackers?

TrackerSonar recognizes AirTags and other Find My accessories, Tile, Samsung Galaxy SmartTag, Chipolo, Pebblebee, Google Find Hub tags and specification-compatible trackers by their Bluetooth signals, regardless of which phone platform they belong to. No app can guarantee to detect every model, or trackers that are switched off or out of range.

Sources