Tile, one of the leading manufacturers of Bluetooth-enabled item finders, has just added a new feature: its new trackers can now send SOS alerts that notify friends, family, and possibly even emergency services.
2024 Tile Pro, Tile Mate, Tile Slim and Tile Sticker They’re the first new products since Life360 bought the company nearly three years ago, and many facets haven’t changed: They’re supposed to be a little louder and have slightly better water resistance, but the credit card, keychain, and sticker configurations are all roughly the same size and weight. There’s no mention of UWB signals for precise tracking, unlike Apple’s AirTags and Samsung’s SmartTag 2. The Tile Pro is once again the only model to offer a user-replaceable battery.
All but the Tile Sticker now offer an additional 100 feet of quoted Bluetooth range — 350 feet for the Tile and Mate and a full 500 feet for the Pro — and that better connectivity could come in handy if you're turning on the new emergency alerts.
Tiles could already ring your phone if you double-tapped the button; now, a triple-tap can optionally send an “SOS Alert.” It’ll start a discreet 15-second countdown, after which it’ll send text messages and push notifications to your emergency contacts and even contact Tile’s emergency dispatch center, if you pay for the company’s $14.99-a-month Life360 Gold subscription.
SOS alerts are a pre-existing feature of the Life360 app that is basically activated remotely via Bluetooth with the button on the Tile, so you need to pair your phone with the app and keep it nearby if you want it to work.
It's also unclear whether Life360 will automatically dispatch an ambulance or if an operator will call you first, as the company's website contradicts itself on that point. Tile spokesperson Kelley Garnier says the decision will be made on a case-by-case basis, but in either case, a Life360 operator should act immediately.
