The Chipolo Pop is the perfect Android alternative to Apple's AirTag — here's why

chipolo pop and Apple airtag in front of garden background

(Image credit: Future)

The best key finders are great tools for hunting down lost stuff, but they've only ever been as effective as the network behind them. If they're not within the proximity of someone with a specific app, they're not getting found. Apple's AirTag changed that situation, since the company's established Find My Device network was installed and active on a huge number of Apple devices worldwide.

With the sheer number of iPhones out there, the odds of finding your lost keys or bag became a lot higher. We've since seen Google start offering compatibility with third party trackers, offering a similar deal — using nearby Android phones to track stray items and offering a better AirTag alternative.

I've been using one of those alternatives, the Chipolo Pop, for several weeks now, and I actually prefer it to Apple's AirTags. Even if it is missing some of the more high-tech features.

What is Chipolo Pop?

Chipolo has long been in the tracking fob business, and some of its previous trackers have earned their place on our best key finders list. In the past, those trackers were only tied to one platform: Android, iPhone or the Chipolo app — meaning you had to be careful which tracker you bought.

Chipolo Pop works with all three. That isn't much of a selling point beyond making the buying process slightly less confusing. You can't connect to Find Hub and Find My at the same time using Android and iPhones to track down your missing stuff.

It's one or the other, though you can always disconnect from one network and get yourself set up on the other if you ever need to. That's on the off-chance you find yourself flipping between Android and iPhone with any regularity.

For the most part, the Pop acts much like any other key finder. If you lost it, or you need to make sure it is where you think it is, you simply head into your Finder app and hunt it down — and force it to play a sound if you still don't know where it is.

It even runs on the same CR2032 coin battery as the AirTag, which is supposed to last around a year before it needs replacing. And, like Apple, it alerts you when you leave it behind — something the likes of Tile prefer to charge for.

Naturally, the similarities to the AirTag are not what I like most about the Pop. Because those aren't really selling points compared to Apple's tracker — or other Android-friendly alternatives like the Moto Tag.

Less advanced but more versatile

There's one thing that Chipolo didn't add to the Pop tracker, which Apple has had for a long time — UltraWideband (UWB) connectivity. The idea behind UWB is that it offers more precision in locating the tracker in question, letting you hunt it down through your phone via augmented reality directions.

Apple isn't the only company to offer this on their trackers, since Moto, Samsung and Tile have all released their own UWB trackers. Chipolo has not, however, which means that tracking down the fob relies on sound alone.

The Pop's ringer is semi-adjustable but maxes out at 120 decibels, double that of the AirTag, but that obviously won't be useful if you're in a situation where aural tracking isn't an option. Whether that's some kind of personal hearing impairment or the fact you're in a loud environment, you're going to struggle to try and find it.

But at the same time, the connection with the Chipolo app means there is a little more versatility involved. The first is that you can actually reverse the system and use the Pop to force your phone to ring — something AirTags can't do.

So if you have your keys, but not your phone, you simply need to double tap the Pop's built-in button to force your phone to ring. Sure smartwatches can do this too, but there's a difference between a $29 tracker and the cost of the best Apple Watches.

You're also able to use the Pop as a remote shutter for taking photos, which I think is a pretty cool idea. It's a Bluetooth device with a button, after all, and it makes sense to put it to extra use where possible. I just wish it wasn't limited to the camera in the Chipolo app, and could be used in the main camera app.

The Pop also has a hole built-into the design, which makes it so much easier to clip it to your keys or bag. No need to go out and buy extra accessories just to use its most basic function.

Bottom Line

There are a lot of options if you're looking for some kind of tracker for your stuff. They all have their respective pros and cons, like special features or the ability to loop into Google and Apple's own tracking networks.

Naturally as someone who primarily uses Android phones, an AirTag has limited value for me. In fact I only really use it in my luggage, and track it with my iPad should the need arise. Having an Android friendly option is considerably more convenient, especially if it means not keeping it hidden in my suitcase 90% of the time.

The Chipolo Pop may not be the most advanced key finder out there, but it does what it needs to do. With a few extra features rolled in to sweeten the deal.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

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