Google’s Pixel Tag tracker is now available

Andrew Liszewski

is a senior reporter who’s been covering and reviewing the latest gadgets and tech since 2006, but has loved all things electronic since he was a kid.

After years of third-party Android trackers from companies like Samsung, Motorola, and Pebblebee, Google’s Pixel Tag is now available for purchase. First announced in August, the Pixel Tag is designed to work with Google’s tracking network and app that was renamed the Find Hub last year. The Pixel Tag is priced similar to Apple’s AirTag 2. A single tracker costs $29.99 while a four-pack is discounted to $99.99.

At 0.4 ounces, the Pixel Tag is slightly lighter than the AirTag 2 and while its oblong design is longer than Apple’s tracker, Google’s is a bit thinner. It doesn’t include a hole to attach it to keys, luggage, or other items you want to track, but you can pair it with accessories that make it easy to tether to objects. Unlike Apple’s AirTags, the Pixel Tag has a button that can be pressed to trigger a sound should your phone get misplaced instead of the tracker.

Google says the Pixel Tag will run for over a year on a single CR2032 coin battery, and it has an IP67 rating so it’s dustproof and can survive a shallow dunking. The tracker also features ultra wideband (UWB) support and Channel Sounding through Bluetooth 6.0. Android phones with a UWB chip can display the exact distance and direction to the Pixel Tag in the Find Hub app once you’re close to it, while Bluetooth Channel Sounding is limited to just distance.

The Pixel Tag is compatible with smartphones running Android 9 or later, but you’ll need devices that specifically include a UWB chip or support Bluetooth 6.0 to take advantage of Find Hub’s precise locating features.

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• Andrew Liszewski