The Tile App Tracker :Should you Buy or Pass?

May 5, 2017 Margalit Sturm Francus

Everyone misplaces items at some point. But people with conditions such as autism or ADHD tend to frequently lose things, leading to frustration, arguments, and meltdowns. The Tile App Tracker can help families with autism by giving them the ability to locate their important items all on their phone. Just like how some people will press the panic button to find their car, or call their phone to locate it, now every item can be easily tracked down when missing.

What is the Tile?

The Tile is a small white square device that communicates through Bluetooth connections. Users can attach their Tiles to various items such as car keys or wallets either by sticking or hooking the Tile onto the item. The Tiles all connect to the “Mother Tile,” or phone that the customer chooses. If the item is lost, the person with the “Mother Tile” can locate said item by selecting it and making the selected Tile ring if they’re within a hundred feet of the lost item.

One can still find items lost outside of the hundred foot radius as long as they run the app in the background, as the app will track the most recent location of the Tiles. Users can locate these items on a visible map. If the user still can’t find the item, the app’s “Notify When Found” feature will alert them if another person’s Tile passes over theirs. The Mother Tiles will communicate with each other to pinpoint the new location of the item.

Of course, some people might worry as to what happens if they lose their phone, a frequent occurrence. However, Tile features an excellent failsafe for this situation. Users can press the button on the individual Tiles to locate their “Mother Tile” phone by making it ring, even if it’s on silent.

Customers can buy as many or few Tiles at they want in a few sizes to attach to their items. Currently, Tile offers two sizes for clients. Tile-Mate, the first size, is best for attaching to keys, bags, and anything that has a hook. Some users even connect these Tiles to their bikes! The second size, Tile-Slim, is a more recent addition to the Tile family. This tile is small and thin and is perfect for fitting into a passport or wallet or sticking onto a laptop.
Apart from the original Tile, the company has no developed a luggage tag Tile and a money clip.

Where to buy

The Tile is very popular and is sold in the US and overseas in many venues including Walmart, Best Buy, and Amazon. The price varies anywhere from 24.99$ to over 100$ when sold in packs of four.

What We Liked

This product helped our family track their electronics. As a traveling family in 2017, we have lots of electronic items to keep track of every day. My son with autism and my husband in particular frequently misplace their devices. This product eliminated many of the frustrating arguments we’ve had every morning looking for keys, phones, wallets, bags, laptops, and tablets.

We loved how easily our Tiles clipped onto just about any of our items. We also liked how customizable it was for our needs. Some products like this might enforce specific packages on customers or a lengthy setup kit. However, all we had to do was request a specific number and type of Tiles, and that’s exactly what we got.

What We Didn’t Like

Tile is a premium product, and it is as a result pricey. The most unfortunate thing is that the Tiles each run on a non-rechargeable, non-replaceable battery. They typically die after six months to one year, and once they tiles are dead users need to buy a new one, throwing the old one away.

The Tiles are not water resistant which some families might find an issue. Also, since they’re plastic, they’re not ideal for kids who chew on stuff or frequently bang their items. They’re also not great for people like my husband who drop their keys on the hard floor every day.

I had to call the company when three out of six of our Tiles died long before the advertised year mark. It took a few weeks to get a decent response. However, they did replace them after I contacted my credit card company asking them to intercede.

Our Final Verdict

Tile is an excellent product for anyone who both has trouble finding their items and has a lot of essential items to keep track of every day. This product is perfectly aligned with the modern age by giving anyone the ability to track any item through their phone. However, the product is pricey and will need to be repurchased at a semi-frequent rate. It is also not entirely durable, a feature which families with children with autism might require. But depending on one’s personal needs, it may just be the answer they’ve been seeking.