AirTag Competitor Tile Getting Acquired by Location Sharing App Life360
Tile, known for its range of Bluetooth-based tracking accessories that compete with the AirTag, is being acquired by location tracking service Life360, Tile announced today.
Tile will continue to be operated as a standalone brand under Tile CEO CJ Prober, but Tile says that when the acquisition is completed, it will be able to leverage Life360's 33 million smartphone users to grow Tile's Finding network by 10x. Tile's network is the equivalent of Apple's Find My network, leveraging nearby devices to locate lost items.
Life360 has what it calls a "family safety platform" that allows family members to keep tabs on one another with tracking software on smartphones. It's primarily used by parents to track their children and teenagers, and it has raised privacy concerns.
With the Tile acquisition, Life360 founder Chris Hulls says that Life360 will be able to provide an "all-encompassing solution" for locating people, pets, and things with cross-platform tracking and combined service for tracking items and people.
Individuals and families will be able to tap into Life360's flagship mobile app, a market leading app for families with features that range from communications to driving safety and location sharing. Additionally, people will be able to seamlessly leverage Tile's bluetooth-enabled finding devices trackers, which can equip nearly any item -- such as wallets, keys or remotes -- with location-based finding technology. Tile's technology is also embedded in over 50 different third-party devices, ranging from wireless earbuds and headphones to laptops to retainer cases to dog collars.
Life360's Tile acquisition deal is valued at $205 million and it is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.
Related Stories
Apple today announced that it is making some updates to AirTags with the aim of cutting down on unwanted tracking. There are several changes that will be implemented in a multi-phase rollout.
In an upcoming software update, Apple plans to implement new privacy warnings that will show up during AirTag setup to thwart malicious use. The warning will make it clear that the AirTag is linked to...
Apple AirTag tracking devices with deactivated speakers have been spotted on eBay and Etsy, raising privacy concerns about the risks of removing one of the AirTag's safeguards, PCMag reports.
The modified AirTags, dubbed "Silent AirTags," have had their internal speaker removed so that they are no longer able to emit a sound to highlight their presence. The Silent AirTag looks identical to a ...
A new report has highlighted how three top prominent executives initially found themselves at odds in early deliberations about Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework.
According to the report from The Information, the executives who disagreed over how far Apple should go in protecting user privacy in digital advertising included Apple's Craig Federighi, who oversees software...
Nomad has returned with a new collection of products in its ongoing Outlet Sale, offering up to 70 percent off cables, Apple Watch straps, AirPods cases, and older model iPhone cases. Shoppers should note that all items in the Outlet Sale are final sale and can not be returned.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Nomad. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small ...
Apple's new AirTag item trackers have been making their way into the hands of customers since Friday, and while the company has tried to describe the ways that they can be used to find lost items, many users are still surprised and disappointed to learn that the location of an AirTag can't be shared with other family members.
On the face of it, sharing the location of an AirTag via Apple's...
The newly released fourth beta of iOS 15.4 introduces the anti-stalking AirTag changes that Apple announced earlier this month, providing a setup warning that using an AirTag or another Find My-linked item to track someone without consent is a crime.
"You can locate this item using the Find My network," reads the setup screen. "Using this item to track people without their consent is a crime ...
Accessory maker Targus today announced that its Cypress Hero EcoSmart Backpack with built-in support for Apple's Find My app will be available in spring or summer 2022 for a suggested price of $149.99 in the United States.
The backpack is equipped with a small tracking module that allows the backpack's location to be tracked in the Find My app on the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch...
If you have been good this year, you may be interested to know that Google today launched its annual Santa tracking feature, allowing Santa to be tracked in real time on his mythical journey to the North Pole as he prepares to deliver presents to kids around the world.
Google's Santa Tracker continues an 18-year tradition for the company, allowing excited children (and parents!) to keep up...
Popular Stories
Earlier this week, The Information's Wayne Ma outlined struggles that Apple has faced during the development of its long-rumored AR/VR headset. Now, in a follow-up report, he has shared several additional details about the wearable device. Apple headset render created by Ian Zelbo based on The Information reporting For starters, one of the headset's marquee features is said to be lifelike...
While Apple's early M1-based Macs can only officially support a single external display, there are ways around the limitation. Anker is launching a new 10-in-1 USB-C docking station today which delivers just that.
The Anker 563 USB-C dock includes two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort port, and it leverages DisplayLink to carry multiple video signals over a single connection. Given that this hub...
Apple today shared a new ad highlighting iPhone privacy features like App Tracking Transparency and Mail Privacy Protection that are designed to give users more transparency and control when it comes to their personal data being collected.
The ad revolves around a young woman named Ellie who discovers that her personal data is being sold at an auction house, with bids being placed on her...
The Apple Watch Series 8 could feature an all-new design with a flat display, according to the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro."
In his latest video on the YouTube channel Front Page Tech, Jon Prosser highlighted information from ShrimpApplePro that suggests the Apple Watch Series 8 could feature a flat display in what seems to be a design originally rumored for the Apple Watch Series 7. ...
Sony this week came out with an updated version of its popular over-ear noise canceling headphones, so we picked up a pair to compare them to the AirPods Max to see which headphones are better and whether it's worth buying the $400 WH-1000XM5 from Sony over Apple's $549 AirPods Max.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. First of all, the AirPods Max win out when it comes ...
With around four months to go before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 14 lineup, the overwhelming majority of rumors related to the new devices so far have focused on the iPhone 14 Pro, rather than the standard iPhone 14 – leading to questions about how different the iPhone 14 will actually be from its predecessor, the iPhone 13.
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are expected...
Apple last week demonstrated its upcoming AR/VR headset to Apple board members, indicating that the device is in an advanced stage of development and could see a debut in the not too distant future, reports Bloomberg. Apple has also ramped up development of the software that runs on the headset, with that software expected to be called "RealityOS," or rOS for short. Render via designer Ian ...
Top Rated Comments
My wife and I get notifications of when we leave work that way who ever is home can start evening meal.
My daughter who is an adult with special needs loves using it to spy on where mom and dad are.
I get text saying "daddy at work" and similar. I am typically a don't track me my data is mine turn all location off type of guy.
But, then when I get text like that it makes me smile because I know she is checking on me because she loves me and wants to know that I am safe.
I can see how it can be abused when not used transparently. When used appropriately its a great tool.
Lets hope that Life360 subscribers can get discounts on Tile.
One giant complaint I have with AirTags is the play sound feature is way too quite. I can hardly hear it unless I’m right next to it. Not to mention apple has no solid options for a device to put in my wallet. It’s by no means superior to tile.