Last Updated on February, 2025
As a pet owner, there’s nothing more important than keeping track of your furry friend. The easiest way is to invest in a GPS pet tracker.
But GPS pet trackers are pretty expensive.
So why not use an alternative tracking device like Tile to monitor your furry friend?
A tiny Tile tag can track down anything, and there are many success stories of dog owners using Tile to locate their dogs. But there are quite a few downsides as well.
So is it worth using Tile to locate your pets?
Is Tile reliable?
I’ll take you through how Tile works and how it tracks down your pet.
Keep reading to learn all you need to know about using Tile to monitor your pets.
Quick Summary
Yes, you can use Tile to track your pet, but there are limitations and downsides to using this alternative tracking device.
Tile is a brand that produces tags that use Bluetooth technology in order to help people keep track of their belongings.
While Tile can be used to track pets, as mentioned above, it has limitations such as limited range and lack of additional features like health and activity tracking. It is best suited for small and less active pets, while GPS pet trackers like Fi collar and Tractive collar offer more advanced features and unlimited range.
Table of Contents
What is Tile, and How Does it Work?
Tile is a well-known brand when it comes to keeping track of everyday items. Also, Tile uses an audio-based approach for finding your valuables. The Tile was not made to track pets; its primary purpose was locating inanimate objects like wallets, bags, and laptops.
Tile tracking devices use Bluetooth technology to pinpoint location information and work by connecting to a Bluetooth-enabled device like a mobile phone.
To use Tile, you must first download the Tile app on your phone. The app works well on most iOS and Android phones.
Tile uses audible tones to help track down your furry friend. If you have difficulty locating your dog, you must click on the “find” button on the Tile App. This will trigger an alarm on your dog’s collar.
A ringtone will play from the collar if your furry friend is within your phone’s Bluetooth range. You can even customize from 8 different ringtones. The audible tone helps you to locate your dog before he gets far.
You can also use the Tile app to view your dog’s most recent location.
Can You Use Tile to Track Your Pet?
The short answer is yes, but… there’s much more to know before investing in Tile tags. First, a Tile works very differently from a GPS collar. Also, not all tile tags are suitable for monitoring your pet.
Tiles tags come in different sizes and tracking ranges. Tile Mate and Tile Pro do a good job monitoring your pet’s location, while Tile Sticker and Tile Slim are better for keeping tabs of your phone, wallet, or car keys.
Types of Tile Trackers
There are 4 types of Tile trackers, and the best ones for tracking pets are Tile Mate and Tile Pro.
Tile Mate
Tile Mates are the cheapest and the most common Tile tags.
Tile Mate is a small tag designed with a hole that can loop into your dog’s collar or to an object like a keychain.
These tags are small and light, making them ideal for small pets like cats, puppies, and small dog breeds. These tags come with built-in 3-year batteries.
A significant downside to Tile Mate is its low tracking range. The best range of the Tile mate tracker is 200 ft, which is pretty low.
After your pet goes beyond this range, you will have to use the Tile Network feature that relies on another Tile user going within the range of your pet.
Tile mates are great at keeping track of a small pet within a small range, especially indoors or in a small backyard, but it’s not ideal for long-distance tracking.
Tile Pro
Tile Pro is the best tag for pet tracking and is the most expensive, but it has a more reasonable range of 400 ft.
Tile Pro is the only tile tag with replaceable batteries that last for one year.
A Tile Pro tag has a range of 400 ft, which is twice that of the other Tile tags. Another advantage of Tile Pro is that it emits a louder ring than Tile Mate.
The loud sound makes it easier to find a missing pet.
On the downside, these tags are heavier and weigh around 12g. These hefty tags are ideal for small pets.
Tile Sticker
Tile Stickers contain adhesives, and you can stick them onto any surface. The stickers are waterproof and completely safe for animals.
Pet owners can use Tile stickers, but they are not a durable option and most dogs will bite or scratch through the stickers.
Tile Stickers have built-in batteries with 3-year battery life.
Tile Stickers can track your furry friend for about 250 ft, which is higher than the range of Tile Mate, but it is still unsuitable for active pets like outdoor cats and dogs.
However, some use Tile Stickers on pets like tortoises and turtles.
Tile Slim
Tile Slim is a very thin tracker. It can easily slide into your purse or wallet and attach to thin objects, but it’s not very useful for pet owners.
Tile Slim trackers are pretty large, and one tracker is approximately the same size as a credit card and has a range of 200 ft.
This makes it quite hard to fix the tracker into a pet collar.
Just like the Tile sticker, Tile slim has built-in, 3-year batteries.
How Does Tile Differ From Pet GPS Collars?
Title tags are becoming a very popular option for tracking pets, but there are some apparent differences between a Tile tag and a GPS tracker.
Price
When it comes to price, Tile is a clear winner over pet GPS pet trackers. You can purchase a combo of 4 tile tags for less than 100 USD. Check out the latest prices here.
Tile tags are much cheaper and versatile. You can use them to track almost anything. If you realize they don’t work for your dog, you can use them to keep track of inanimate objects.
However, most Tile trackers have non-replaceable batteries, meaning you have to pay for a new tracker every few years. So over time, this is a less feasible option.
Range
The best Tile tags have an average Bluetooth range of 400 ft. This is a very short range compared to what most GPS pet collars can offer.
If your dog is further than 400 ft away, Tile uses a different approach to track him down.
The Tile app will notify you if another Tile user walks close to your dog.
This method is less reliable than GPS trackers that give real-time location updates using GPS satellites.
And it will take longer to track down a lost dog.
Also, GPS trackers have a wide range. The best trackers have worldwide coverage, and you can easily monitor your pet’s real-time location.
Battery Life
Tile tracker contains non-rechargeable batteries. This means that once the batteries run out, you’ll have to replace them.
Also, the battery life depends on the type of Tile tag.
However, the battery life is usually excellent, with batteries on a Tile tag lasting 1-3 years.
Long battery life means you don’t have to constantly worry about recharging the batteries.
Also, if you opt for a Tile Premium subscription plan, you will receive free replacement batteries each year.
Comparatively, most GPS pet collars have rechargeable batteries with a battery life of anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. This means that the collars are more of a long-term investment, and you can use a good collar for quite a few years.
Additional Features
Tile doesn’t offer many features other than locating your lost pet and ringing the Tile device from your phone.
However, pet collars come with many additional functions, like setting up a virtual geofence and activity and health monitoring.
You can also adjust the collar settings, so your pet receives an automatic vibration or correction if he tries to leave a safe zone.
So if you are looking for something a bit more sophisticated than a routine tracker, Tile is not for you.
Pros and Cons of Using Tile to Track a Dog
There are both pros and cons of using Tile.
Pros
Cons
Should You Use Tile to Track Your Dog?
You can use a Tile tag to track your dog, but it’s not the best option. When looking for pet trackers, you must consider the type of pet and your tracking needs.
Tile tracker is a reasonably good pet tracker for some pet owners. It’s cheap, reliable, and accurate and is a good pet tracker for small animals with low activity levels.
They are also suitable for indoor cats and puppies. However, a pet GPS collar is the best method to track an active, outdoorsy pet. These collars have a much better range and more functionality than Tile tags.
Using a GPS collar also gives added benefits, such as health and activity tracking. Some collars also come with auto-correction modes so that you can prevent your dog from wandering out of a safe zone.
Also, Tile is not the fastest way to locate a lost or missing dog if it’s worth investing in a better alternative.
What are the Alternatives to Tile?
The best Tile alternative is a good-quality GPS pet tracker. There are numerous GPS pet trackers in the market, with various tracking ranges and additional functions, but we can narrow down the best pet trackers to the Fi collar and the Tractive collar.
GPS Pet Trackers
Fi collar: Fi collar is the best GPS collar for dogs. It allows you to put up a virtual geofence to keep your dog within the safe boundaries of your home.
You’ll also get additional features like monitoring your dog’s exercise and sleep level. The lost dog mode gives you 1-minute updates on your dog’s location.
Additionally, you can track your dog anywhere within the US, as long as there is cellular and GPS coverage.
Also, the collar comes with rechargeable batteries with great battery life; one charge can last as long as 3 months.
Tractive collar: The Tractive Collaris another great GPS tracker. Tractive collar updates location information every 2 to 3 seconds. The best thing about the Tractive collar is its unlimited range.
You can use the Tractive dog collar to track your dog worldwide, even in remote areas.
FAQs
Final Thoughts
If you are on the search for affordable, easy-to-use tracking devices, Tile trackers are a pretty good option. These Bluetooth trackers are reliable and great at locating anything from your wallet to your furry friends.
But, there are some limitations to using a Tile pet tracker. The short-range makes it hard to keep track of outdoorsy pets, and you don’t get additional benefits like health exercise monitoring.
The best option is to go with a well-trusted GPS pet collar. They have a better range than Tile tags and come with many extra features that focus on keeping your furry friend safe and healthy.
I recommend you checkout our article on the best GPS trackers here to get the best of the best.
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