You've probably lost your house keys, your wallet, or worse, your suitcase at the airport or your faithful four-legged friend. Panic? Well, it's normal, considering this experience can ruin an entire day or the beginning of a trip. Fortunately, technology comes to the rescue with a solution as simple as it is ingenious: the Local Tag, a gadget barely bigger than a two-euro coin. Until now, it was exclusive to the Apple ecosystem with its AirTags. But the wait is finally over, and today I want to tell you about the AirTag for Android, which is inexpensive and, above all, really works.
Let me start by saying: the Android world has its own powerful and widespread network, designed to find not only small objects, but also more complex devices like tablets, headphones, and even smartphones. Essentially, the locator I'm talking about today uses sophisticated yet easy-to-use technology, turning every Android smartphone into a potential digital bloodhound. The underlying concept is that of a crowdsourced network: a collaborative ecosystem in which millions of Android devices, completely anonymously and securely, contribute to creating a virtual map to locate your lost items.
This isn't a traditional GPS system, which would inevitably increase the final product cost and significantly reduce battery life. Instead, it relies on Bluetooth connectivity and the collective Android smartphone network, which is further enhanced when you mark an item as lost. Essentially, when any Android device passes near your Local Tag, it detects its location and communicates it in an encrypted and secure manner only to you, the owner.
I can't tell you whether the Local Tag I tested is IP67 certified, which would make it resistant to dust and temporary immersion, but I can tell you that it has a battery that can guarantee between 8 and 10 months of battery life. Just like the original Apple AirTag, the battery is a common CR2032, easily found everywhere. In the box you'll find a handy plectrum-shaped tool to open the tracker and replace the battery, as well as a lanyard to attach the product to the shoulder strap of a backpack, for example. The design doesn't resemble that of Apple's AirTags, distinguishing itself by its diamond shape and slightly larger dimensions, which therefore make it incompatible with third-party accessories dedicated to the Cupertino rival. However, it does have a hole at the top that allows it to be attached directly to a keychain, without the need for a case.
As for design and build quality, there's not much to say: the Local Tag is a small plastic diamond weighing just 7 grams. On the top edge, there's a button to turn the device on and off, and I appreciate this difference compared to Apple's AirTag, not only because we can increase battery life if needed, but also because we can choose whether to always track or deactivate it at will, in terms of privacy. Inside, where we find the battery and Bluetooth module, there's a buzzer that allows the tag to be triggered and easily found when nearby.
In the Find Hub settings, the user can choose to enable offline location tracking of devices by choosing between 4 options:
off: (Find Hub will only work for online devices, such as smartphones or smartwatches with LTE.)
without a net: You will not be able to use your device to connect to the Find Hub network, but you will also not be able to use it to locate lost trackers or other devices.
with the net, only in crowded places: Collaboration with the network and localization of your devices only occurs in crowded places, so the location must be confirmed by multiple devices simultaneously
with the network, everywhere: Collaboration with the network and the location of your devices will happen everywhere, regardless of the number of devices confirming their location at the same time.
Find Hub's performance can therefore depend heavily on the user's choices. By disabling "everywhere" location tracking, you can't expect your tracker to be detected all the time, but only in shopping malls, busy streets, airports, train stations, and so on. It certainly won't be found in private homes or isolated locations. In any case, it's a simple yet functional tracker that's perfectly effective in its primary purpose: finding lost items.
In my tests, I always accurately tracked the object or person I was tracking. Considering the product's low cost, I highly recommend it as a true alternative to the AirTag for Android.
