Google has put its first own brand item tracker, the Pixel Tag, on sale, giving Android users a direct rival to Apple AirTag at $29.99 for a single tag or $99.99 for a four pack.
The small oblong tracker was first shown in August and works with Google’s Find Hub app, the service formerly known as Find My Device. When a tag moves out of Bluetooth range, the Find Hub network of more than a billion Android devices can report its location back to its owner on a map. Until now Android users have relied on third party trackers from companies such as Samsung, Motorola and Pebblebee, while Google itself stayed out of the hardware.
The launch lands as competition across consumer AI keeps intensifying, with rival chatbots shipping faster models and lower prices. It is also the latest sign of how deeply Google is weaving its AI tools into everyday life, a shift already reaching schools and classrooms.
Precision finding up close
Up close, the Pixel Tag uses ultra wideband, known as UWB, so phones with a UWB chip can show the exact distance and direction to the tag in Find Hub. Phones that support Bluetooth 6.0 can use Channel Sounding instead, which gives a more accurate distance reading but no direction.
The tag weighs 0.4 ounces and is slightly thinner than Apple’s latest tracker, although it has no hole for a keyring, so owners will need an accessory to attach it to keys or luggage. A button on the tag can be pressed to ring the paired phone if the phone itself goes missing.
Battery, durability and price
Google says the tag will run for over a year on a single CR2032 coin battery, which owners can replace themselves, and it carries an IP67 rating for dust and water resistance. It works with phones running Android 9 or later, although the precise finding features need a handset with a UWB chip or Bluetooth 6.0 support.
The tag comes in a single pale green finish Google calls Fog. According to reports, its price puts it level with Apple’s rival tracker, and the four pack works out at about $25 per tag, which makes it cheaper per unit for families who want to tag several bags at once. For Android users who have waited years for a first party tracker, the wait is now over.
