Moto Tag is the AirTag for Android we’ve been waiting for

When it comes to smart tags, Apple AirTag and its Find My network have become the standard bearers for how smart tags should work and integrate into our everyday lives. Between Tile, Samsung and Apple, all of their smart trackers follow similar designs and identical feature sets, but Motorola thinks it has a better way.

After seeing the new Moto Tag, I’m inclined to agree. It does everything that every other tracker does, but also includes some choices that make it stand out from an ever-growing crowd of options. It’s the best tracker to launch for the new Google Find My Device network, and I hope it’s the first of many to follow suit.

Moto Tag is special

Why didn’t someone think of this earlier?

The Moto Tag – at least on paper – looks so brilliant, I can’t believe no one else has thought of it yet. It does everything AirTag, Galaxy Tag or other trackers do, but includes a multi-function button that completely changes its function.

When you press the button, it will ping your phone to find it. The same button can also be a remote shutter button for your Android phone. This makes it perfect for the new Motorola Razr, especially if you want to use it in Flex form. If you’re a content creator – or prefer to take group photos without anyone having to miss the shot – this is a pretty smart solution.

The button can’t be customized beyond that — at least, not right now — but I hope that’s something the company can do in the future. I predict it won’t be long before we see other companies copy this move and offer more customization choices, creating what doubles as a dedicated hardware shortcut button always available in your backpack or trunk your I’d like to see the ability to launch apps or specific functions and features, and maybe even one day run the equivalent of Siri Shortcuts on iOS—perhaps through a partnership with Tasker or a specific Google-created option built into Android. The sky is the limit.

Motorola made smart choices

Some changes in all the right places

A button alone might not be enough to really stand out, but the Moto Tag goes above and beyond. Like its phones, Motorola looked at where customers use these things and the demand for accessories. The result is a tracker that runs on Android but is the same size and shape as the AirTag, a move that makes it compatible with the plethora of AirTag accessories.

Combine that with it coming in two colors, and Motorola has a winner. Most trackers are various shades of gray, black, or white. The Moto Tag comes in Jade Green and Starlight Blue, and it just looks different. It’s the kind of label that’ll make you want to know more when you’re walking through an airport, especially when paired with statement colored accessories.

That said, tag colors won’t be for everyone. Motorola may want to release a more standardized color later, but this follows its playbook from the Razr series. Big, bold colors help her products stand out and get people talking. For the first time, I had someone stop me and ask “Is this the new Moto” when they saw my bright orange Razr 2024. Moto Tag will probably make people ask, “What is this?”

Moto Tag may be the standard bearer for the Google Find My Device network

Let’s hope Google’s network catches up.

Like Motorola’s phones, the Moto Tag doesn’t reinvent the wheel. It’s powered by Google’s new Find My Device network — which works with over a billion devices — and sticks to the core experience. This means it supports Google Fast Pair to easily connect to your phone and automatic unknown tracker alerts, which alert you when you’re being tracked by an unknown tracker, regardless of platform or brand.

Moto Tag uses UWB technology, which is available with most flagship phones, and Bluetooth Low Energy to join the Google Find My Device network. The network has been officially out for the past two months, making it compatible with all the top Android phones. That said, however, it needs a bit more work.

It’s unclear how it will work with devices like the Samsung SmartTag 2, which doesn’t support the Find My Device network. Samsung’s latest tracker supports UWB technology, but the two networks are unlikely to be compatible with each other.

Hopefully, we’ll see every Android-compatible phone manufacturer adopt the Find My Device network. Doing this would ensure that any Android phone user can receive any smart tag knowing that it will just work. So the Google Find My Device network can be even better than Apple’s Find My network.

For now, if you want the new Moto Tag, it will be available on August 2nd. A single pack will cost $30, while a 4-pack costs $100. These are the same prices as the Apple AirTag, although they are often on sale. I am about to order two of the 4 packs; they are the exact thing I’ve been looking for on the Android side of the fence.