Tile's 'solution' to Bluetooth tracker tag privacy is apparently expensive stickers you can't even actually track

Better just hope whoever finds your stuff is honest

Tracker tags can be a great way to keep tabs on your favorite gadgets and accessories, but as we saw with their rise in popularity following Apple's launch of its own AirTags, the ability to easily track tiny tags opens up a whole hornet's nest of potential privacy issues — nobody wants a stranger tracking them without their knowledge. While most solutions to this have attempted to give users the ability to detect the presence of unknown tags, Tile has come up with an interesting alternative that basically replaces trackers with QR-code-based “this belongs to me” labels.

These Lost and Found Labels, as Tile dubs them, are little square stickers you can affix to anything you're likely to lose. You provide Tile with your contact info while scanning and activating them. When you misplace a labeled item, whoever finds it can scan the label and be directed to get in touch with you. We've already seen Tile implement QR codes on trackers like the Tile Mate, and this basically gives you just that, minus all the electronics.

While that does manage to side-step tracking privacy concerns, it admittedly feels a lot less useful than a Bluetooth or UWB-based tracker, requiring someone else to actually find your item before any progress can be made on returning it. Sure, that also means no battery-life issues to worry about, but this presents a host of new concerns of its own, like peeling, or resistance to wear and fading.

Pricing is $15 for three sheets of five labels, or $1 a piece. Now, admittedly, that is much, much cheaper than any of Tile's active tracking products (single trackers start at around $25), but … this is also $15 for some stickers. And they aren't even puffy or have googly eyes or anything.

It's easy to dismiss the limited functionality of these labels, or that too-big-for-their-britches price tag, but we will concede that these do fill a very specific need, and if that aligns with what you're looking for from a solution like this — something that is, in its most basic form, essentially a modern-day luggage tag — then maybe Tile's Lost and Found Labels really do make a lot of sense.

Stephen is a managing editor at Android Police, where he helps people find words that are good, and put them in orders that are good, too. Most of the time those words tell people about the latest smartphone news, keeping them in the know about the newest devices, most recent software updates, and next-gen features coming down the pike. He's been working in tech media for over a decade, including stints at Phone Arena and Pocketnow. Occasionally spotted across the American Northeast, Stephen can be cautiously approached after signaling goodwill by waving a shiny new phone in his direction. Although easily spooked by garish apps or aggressive notification alerts, in his native environment Stephen seeks engagement with kindred spirits, and is always happy to explain why your phone is too damn big. Stephen still uses Windows XP and thinks you should, too.