Track, Locate, Reclaim
What are GPS tracking devices? A GPS tracking device uses satellites to submit data to a receiver and determine its location. The receiver’s location can be estimated with a high degree of accuracy after measuring the distance to about four satellites. GPS trackers are becoming popular for various purposes such as keeping an eye on belongings, vehicles, pets and family members.
How GPS Tracking Devices Work
GPS tracking devices work by taking the time a signal leaves the satellite to the exact time at which it reaches the receiver to compute distance. A device with assisted GPS (also known as A-GPS) uses more than just satellite signals to figure out coordinates. A-GPS is helpful when there is no direct line of sight between satellites and a device. Wi-Fi networks and cell towers also send signals to a device and help to triangulate a location. The device will average the data from all sources to more accurately target a location.
A handheld GPS device can help you to find your way. The GPS signal is received via an antenna and sent to a chipset that decodes the satellite signals. Most smartphones have a built-in GPS receiver. The chipset will perform calculations and then give a location. New satellites are constantly being launched and the technology they use continues to improve.
The Top GPS Trackers for Retrieval in 2024
Track a Child with the Jiobit Smart Tag
The Jiobit smart tag is a tiny, durable tracker that connects to an app on your phone. It uses a combination of GPS data, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular to help you keep track of your child. The tracker is waterproof, durable and comes with many accessories.
A geofence is a virtual fence you can set up on the smartphone app of the Jiobit tracker. When the tracker crosses the geofence, the app will send you an alert. You may want to set up a geofence around where your child usually plays. You will receive an alert if your child wanders out of this area. The smart tag has strong security protocols so it is impossible to steal and reprogram. The best GPS tracking devices for kids can learn their routines and notify you if there’s any abnormal activity.
Track your Dog with the Fi Collar
Fi Collar is a good GPS tracking device for dogs. It will keep them safe with live tracking and it is waterproof. You can keep tabs on your dog 24/7 thanks to the power of GPS and your cellular network. The Fi Series 3 uses three satellite positioning systems to help you locate your dog.
Use the app to establish a safety zone and it will alert you if the dog wanders outside of it. The sooner you know your dog is missing, the easier it is to find it. You can also invite your dog walker to Fi. Tracking your dog’s steps helps you to compare activity to others of the same breed. You can set the right step goal and balance activity and rest.
The Fi Collar has great battery life thanks to proprietary algorithms. You only need to charge it every couple of months instead of once a week. The stainless steel body frame makes it light and yet strong.
Track your Vehicle with the Vyncs Tracker
The best GPS tracking devices for your vehicle will help you to recover your car if it’s stolen. They will plug into the car’s OBD port and often have extra features such as crash detection or speed alerts. The Vyncs vehicle tracker is a popular car GPS developed in the U.S. Each Vyncs plan includes a device, a SIM card, a data plan and a year of free services.
You may want to use a vehicle tracker like this to know exactly where a teen driver is in the event of an emergency. You get real-time GPS tracking with the basic plan and there’s no monthly subscription fee. While driving, Vyncs 4G+ collects data every second, analyzes it and transfers it to your account in the cloud over a 4G wireless network.
Find Lost Objects with Tile trackers
GPS tracking devices can help you to keep tabs on any item you fear losing. For example, you can pop one inside your luggage when you travel. Misplacing phones, reading glasses or a Kindle, is common. The Tile family of trackers has been around for many years to help with this problem. All you have to do is attach a tile by its adhesive backing to the object such as a TV remote. If you can’t find an item you open the app on your phone and tap the name of the item. The Tile will ring loudly so you can find it.
One of the latest members of the Tile family is the Tile sticker which is small, waterproof and works for up to 250 feet. How it works is by broadcasting a Bluetooth signal. The Tile network gets the rough GPS location of the tracker based on the phone pinged.
Find Lost Objects with Apple’s AirTags
Apple AirTags can also help you to find lost objects. AirTags don’t have GPS locations but use Bluetooth signals. Attaching AirTag to backpacks, key chains, purses or TV remotes can help you locate these items within Apple’s Find My app.
If you’re on an iPhone containing a U1 chip, you will see an arrow pointing to the AirTag’s location and how far away the object is in real-time. If an object is out of Bluetooth range, Find My Network can help you to track it down. It leverages billions of Apple devices to detect the Bluetooth signals coming from the AirTag so you can find the missing object.
From Lost to Found
GPS tracking devices have many different uses. You can use them to locate people, cars and vehicles. Location sharing can be used against you so it’s important to ensure that you follow strict safety protocols when using them. The best Bluetooth trackers link to your phone and provide an inexpensive way to keep track of objects.
If you want to feel safer in your home, you should check out some of the top wired security camera systems.