Chips & Hardware
Google unveils $29 Pixel Tag to rival Apple's AirTag
Google introduced the $29 Pixel Tag, a Bluetooth item tracker that taps its Find Hub network of Android devices, alongside its new Pixel 11 smartphone lineup.
Alongside its new Pixel 11 smartphones, Google used its Made by Google 2026 event on Wednesday to unveil its answer to Apple’s AirTag: the $29 Pixel Tag, a tracker designed to help users keep tabs on valuables like keys and bags.
Like AirTag, which relies on Apple’s network of iPhones to locate lost devices, Pixel Tag uses Google’s Find Hub network, tapping into Android devices around the world. Android users can add the tag to their phone’s built-in Find Hub, the same system already used to locate lost Android phones and other devices, similar to Apple’s Find My. Pixel Tag owners can also locate and ring the tag directly from a Pixel Watch, not just a phone.
The two trackers differ most in shape and size. Apple’s AirTag is small, round, and engravable; Google instead built a slimmer, elongated, oval-shaped device. The Pixel Tag measures 1.1 inches wide and 1.8 inches tall, compared with the AirTag’s 1.26-inch diameter, and is 0.2 inches thick versus AirTag’s 0.31-inch depth. By weight, the two are close: the Pixel Tag weighs 0.4 ounces with its battery, versus 0.39 ounces for the AirTag.
Both trackers carry an IP67 rating for splash, water, and dust resistance, meaning they can survive submersion up to 1 meter deep for as long as 30 minutes. Pixel Tag also follows AirTag’s lead on connectivity, offering Bluetooth and Ultra Wideband for precision finding, though it skips NFC. It includes a built-in speaker to help locate it when nearby and runs on the same user-replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery as the AirTag, lasting roughly a year before needing a replacement.
Designed to attach to keychains and bags, the Pixel Tag will cost $29 for a single unit or $99 for a four-pack when it goes on sale November 11, 2026.
Why it matters
Pixel Tag gives Google a direct answer to AirTag’s dominance in item-tracking, but its usefulness hinges entirely on the size of Android’s Find Hub network — the more Android phones running it, the better the odds of finding a lost item.