Tile, one of the leading manufacturers of Bluetooth object finders, has just added a new feature: its latest trackers can now send SOS alerts that notify friends, family and possibly even emergency services.
The 2024 Tile Pro, Tile Mate, Tile Slim, and Tile Sticker are the first new products since Life360 bought the company nearly three years ago, and many aspects are unchanged: They should each ring a little louder and be a little more waterproof, but the credit card, keychain, and sticker configurations are all roughly the same size and weight. Unlike Apple's AirTags and Samsung's SmartTag 2, there's no mention of UWB signals for precise tracking. The Tile Pro is again the only model to offer a user-replaceable battery.
However, all but the Tile Sticker now offer an additional 100 feet of stated Bluetooth range, 350 feet for Tile and Mate and a full 500 feet for Pro, and this better connectivity could come in handy when you set off the new emergency alerts.
Tiles could already make your phone ring if you double-tap the button. Now, a triple tap can optionally send an “SOS alert” instead. It will start a discreet 15-second countdown, after which it will send text messages and push notifications to your emergency contacts and even contact Tile's emergency response center — if you pay for the company's $14.99-per-month Life360 Gold subscription.
The SOS alerts are an existing feature of the Life360 app that you basically just trigger remotely over Bluetooth using the Tile's button, so you'll need to pair your phone with the app and keep it nearby if you want it to work.
It's also not clear if Life360 will automatically send an ambulance or if a dispatcher will call you first, as the company's website is contradictory on this point. Tile spokeswoman Kelley Garnier says the decision is made on a case-by-case basis, but in all cases, a Life360 dispatcher should act immediately.