ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Google’s Pixel Tag is now available.
- It features next-gen Bluetooth tracking tech.
- Older Android phones can’t access its best tracking features.
Google’s Pixel Tag, the company’s take on an Android-exclusive Bluetooth tracker, is finally here, following its August announcement during the Google I/O developer conference.
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Pixel Tag is a complete Bluetooth tracker for Android users that appears less confined to device-specific ecosystems than Samsung’s Smart Tag 3 and Apple’s AirTag.
However, if you look at Google’s footnotes, the Pixel Tag’s functionality is diminished when an older Android phone is involved. Several of the tracker’s best features require a compatible device running Android 9.0+ andBluetooth 6.0+
Which Android phones have Bluetooth 6.0+?
Smartphones began shipping with Bluetooth 6.0 in 2025, starting with the Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus and Galaxy S26 Ultra. The following phones also have Bluetooth 6.0:
- Samsung: Galaxy Z Fold8; Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra; Galaxy S26 Plus; Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Google:Pixel 10a; Pixel 10; Pixel 10 Pro; Pixel 10 Pro XL; Pixel 11; Pixel 11 Pro; Pixel 11 Pro XL; Pixel 11 Pro Fold
- Motorola: Edge (2026); Signature 27 (Bluetooth 7.0)
If your Android phone is older than any of the listed above, even by a generation, it likely supports Bluetooth 5.3 or 5.4 — not enough for the Pixel Tag’s best features.
What happens without Bluetooth 6.0?
The Pixel Tag’s precision-finding capabilities are powered by Bluetooth Channel Sounding, a key feature introduced in Bluetooth 6.0. Nearly every review I’ve seen of the Pixel Tag, including our own, tests the tracker when paired with a Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 11, or Pixel 11 Pro.
I assume that Android users whose phones run Android 9.0+ but lack Bluetooth 6.0+ can use the Pixel Tag for very basic, general location tracking. These users may see the tracker’s general location, but Google’s device compatibility footnote appears several times throughout its press release.
The following features require Android 9.0+ and Bluetooth 6.0+, according to Google’s release:
- Tracking “your keys, wallet, or even luggage.”
- “A button you can press to ring and find your phone.”
- “You can name items by selecting an item category or typing a custom label right in the Find Hub app.”
So, on older Android devices without Android 9.0+ and Bluetooth 6.0+, the following aren’t supported: locating the exact direction and distance of your tracked devices, pinging a tracker when you don’t see it, or giving your tracked devices a custom name.
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Additionally, shorter-distance tracking requires an ultra-wideband chip inside your Android phone. Channel Sounding handles distance and direction at longer ranges, while UWB takes over for shorter ranges. Most premium Android phones with Bluetooth 6.0 also have UWB chips, but several of Google’s base-model phones lack a UWB chip.
Samsung’s base-model, A-series, and Z Flip-series phones also lack UWB, resulting in more phones that can’t access the Pixel Tag’s short-range precision finding capabilities.
ZDNET’s buying advice
With all the specs in mind, the Pixel Tag is the best option for users of recent premium flagship Android phones. Those without the latest Bluetooth connectivity will find that the Pixel Tag works like any other Bluetooth tracker, with basic functionality.
Also: These are the closest things to AirTags for Android users
The good thing is that a single Pixel Tag is $30, so it’s not much more expensive than a Tile Tag, and cheaper than a Chipolo Loop. Still, if your phone doesn’t support Bluetooth 6.0, you might be better off looking for a cheaper option until you’re ready to upgrade.
