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This is the best AirTag alternative for Android users, and I love its safety features
For me, finder tags like the Apple AirTags have been a game changer. And that’s not a word of hyperbole. They have literally saved me countless hours of hassle, headaches, and heart-wrenching frustration trying to find out where I put something down.
Okay, I know if I took my grandpa’s advice and “had a place for everything and put everything in its place,” I wouldn’t need them, but that doesn’t happen (sorry, Grandpa!).
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Now that the finder tag market has opened up to third-party players, we’re seeing some real innovation. One company that has stood out to me is the Slovenian tech company Chipolo. I’ve tested, reviewed, and used several tags from this company, and they don’t disappoint.
Chipolo has just released a new line of tags — the Pop. These tags can be used with Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find My Device networks, which means your devices can be found pretty much anywhere in the world.
Finding your lost stuff has never been easier.
Chipolo/ZDNET
Each tag has a Bluetooth range of 300 feet/90 meters. The tags come in a range of colors — blue, black, green, red, white, and yellow — so you can color-coordinate with your wardrobe or personalize things like keys.
The tags are thin and don’t add much bulk to a bunch of keys.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Each tag emits a super-loud 120-decibel sound, as loud as a thunderclap, rock concert, or big fireworks display. This makes the sound perfect for finding your keys when they disappear down the back of the couch. The tags are powered by a user-replaceable CR2032 battery that lasts about a year.
Thanks to the free Chipolo app, the tags come with additional features. For example, to find your phone, just give your tag a quick double squeeze, and it will ring even if set to silent. You can also use the tag as a selfie button for your camera.
The hole for a lanyard or keyring is a nice, handy touch.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
You can also say goodbye to boring beeps by changing the tag’s ringtone, and you can get notifications when you leave something behind (this is an Android-only feature).
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And don’t worry about getting these tags wet — they are rated IP55 for water and dust resistance, so they can handle being splashed with water or soaked by rain.
Wet grass is no match for the Pop.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The Pop tags are made in the EU using approximately 50% recycled materials and come in paper packaging designed with sustainability and recycling in mind.
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As with all third-party tags, the device does not support the precision finding feature that Apple’s AirTags, iPhone, and AirPods support.
ZDNET’s buying advice
I really like the Chipolo Pop finder tags. They are priced right at $29, have a handy design incorporating a hole for a keyring or lanyard, come in many colors, and have additional features unique to the Pop.
