Workbench notes
How Bluetooth trackers actually work
Where the Bluetooth link ends, where the Find My network takes over, what a coin cell genuinely lasts, and which claims to ignore on a listing.
How it works4 min readBluetooth tracker in an open field: range after dark
How far does a Bluetooth tracker in an open field really reach? 60 m on paper, less with coats, bodies and wet grass, and a two-minute way to test it.
How it works4 min readBluetooth tracker in a crowd: shopping centres and markets
How does a Bluetooth tracker in a crowd behave? Bodies block signal, but busy places mean more phones to relay it. What to expect at Christmas.
How it works4 min readBluetooth tracker in cold weather: what winter does
How a Bluetooth tracker in cold weather behaves: what low temperatures do to a coin cell, to range and the speaker, and how to keep a tag reliable.
Reported5 min readHidden tracking device case: what iPhone alerts catch
A hidden tracking device in a handbag ended in a Norfolk stalking conviction. What an iPhone warns you about, what it cannot see, and what to do next.
Reported5 min readButton battery rules: what a tracker's battery door must do
Button battery rules moved twice in September 2026, once through a recall and once through a standards consultation. Here is what a battery cover has to do.
Measured against5 min readBluetooth tracker vs GPS tracker: the technical comparison
Bluetooth tracker vs GPS tracker on the things that genuinely differ, the radios, the power budget, the running cost, the accuracy and the failure modes.
How it works5 min readBluetooth tracker Android support: the honest answer
Bluetooth tracker Android compatibility, explained without the fudge. Why Find My tags refuse to pair, what Google Find Hub is, and what to buy instead.
Reported5 min readBluetooth channel sounding: a distance arrow without UWB
Bluetooth channel sounding reached a coin-cell chip in August 2026. What it does, why tags on sale today cannot have it, and whether to wait.
How it works5 min readUnwanted tracker alerts: the Apple and Google standard
An unwanted tracker alert means a tag is moving with you. What the joint Apple and Google specification does, how to find the tag, and what to do next.
Common problem4 min readA Bluetooth tracker for car owners: the honest limits
Can a Bluetooth tracker for car use follow a stolen vehicle? Not reliably, and here is the physics behind why, plus three car jobs a tag does properly.
Common problem5 min readA tracker for drone and RC kit: honest limits and real uses
Thinking about a tracker for drone or RC kit? A coin-cell tag will not find a flyaway. What it does do, and the weight rule you must not break.
How it works5 min readBluetooth tracker for keys: the complete UK guide
A Bluetooth tracker for keys only earns its place if it survives a keyring. Attachment, loudness, battery, and where keys are actually lost.
How it works5 min readWhat the Bluetooth spec means for a Bluetooth tag
A Bluetooth tag broadcasts, it does not pair. What the Bluetooth Low Energy specification actually says, why tags sip power, and what Core 6.0 changed.
How it works4 min readBluetooth tracker security: can a tag be cloned?
Bluetooth tracker security in plain terms: what a tag broadcasts, whether it can be cloned or spoofed, what a scanner app sees, and which risks are real.
Reported5 min readTool theft sentencing bill: where it stands and what to do
The tool theft sentencing bill has stalled again while thefts climb. Where the legislation has got to, the 2026 survey data, and what trades can do.
Common problem5 min readA Bluetooth tracker for tools: what it can and cannot do
A tracker for tools will not recover a stolen van on its own. Here are the UK theft figures, the three jobs a tag genuinely does, and where to hide one.
How it works5 min readHow far does a Bluetooth tracker work? The honest answer
How far does a Bluetooth tracker work outside a lab? The 60 m figure explained, what shortens it indoors, and what takes over once the link drops.
Do it yourself5 min readHow to attach a Bluetooth tracker to almost anything
Need to attach a Bluetooth tracker to something with no key ring hole? Six methods that hold, what each one costs, and the three surfaces to keep it away from.
Common problem5 min readCan a thief disable a Bluetooth tracker? What really happens
Can a thief disable a Bluetooth tracker? Yes, in four seconds, if they find it. How tags are defeated, why they still help, and where to hide one.
How it works4 min readDoes a Bluetooth tracker need Wi-Fi or mobile data?
Does a Bluetooth tracker need Wi-Fi to work? The tag needs neither. Here is which device does need a connection, when it needs it, and what works offline.
How it works4 min readIP67 tracker ratings: can a Bluetooth tag get wet?
What an IP67 tracker rating actually promises under IEC 60529, dust, rain, puddles, and the four situations where the seal will not save your tag.
Do it yourself5 min readBluetooth tracker battery life and the CR2032 swap
Bluetooth tracker battery claims explained: why one coin cell lasts up to two years, what cold weather really does, and how to change it in a minute.
How it works5 min readBluetooth tracker range: what walls, bags and metal do
Bluetooth tracker range is a budget, not a distance. What each obstacle costs you, where to position a tag, and how to tell a weak tag from a bad spot.
How it works5 min readBluetooth tracker interference: Wi-Fi, ovens and crowds
Bluetooth tracker interference explained: whether a tag slows your Wi-Fi, why it drops out in a crowd, what a microwave does, and how to test it at home.
Reported4 min readCoin cell battery safety: what the OPSS review found
Coin cell battery safety matters if a tracker lives in your house. What the OPSS research of November 2025 examined, and what PAS 7055 requires.
Common problem5 min readBluetooth tracker not connecting? Nine fixes that work
Bluetooth tracker not connecting to your iPhone? Work through these nine checks in order, pairing, battery, range, Find My settings, and find which one it is.
Do it yourself5 min readHow to test Bluetooth tracker range at home in ten minutes
Want to test Bluetooth tracker range in your own house rather than trust a listing? A ten-minute method, the results to expect, and what each means.
Reported4 min readBluetooth 6.2: what the new core specification changes
Bluetooth 6.2 was released on 4 November 2025. Here is what the specification adds, what it does not, and why a coin-cell finding tag is unaffected by it.
How it works4 min readThe Bluetooth tracker market in numbers: shipments and growth
How big is the Bluetooth tracker market? Industry forecasts put personal item finding at 115 million devices a year and rising. The figures and what they imply.
How it works5 min readWhat is RSSI? How a Bluetooth tracker estimates distance
What is RSSI and why does a Bluetooth tracker use it to guess distance? A plain definition, the maths it relies on, and the four things that make it lie to you.
How it works5 min readHow accurate is a Bluetooth tracker? The honest answer
How accurate is a Bluetooth tracker? Room-level indoors and street-level outdoors, never a metre-perfect dot. Here is what sets the error and how to cut it.
Measured against5 min readBluetooth tracker vs RFID and NFC: the real difference
Bluetooth tracker vs RFID explained properly: which tags carry a battery, which need a reader held against them, and why only one of them can find lost keys.
Measured against4 min readBluetooth class 1 vs class 2: what long range really means
Bluetooth class 1 vs class 2 decides transmit power, not cleverness. What each class allows, why Low Energy redefined them, and what long range means.
Measured against5 min readCheap Bluetooth tracker vs expensive: what you pay for
Is a cheap Bluetooth tracker a false economy? Five things the extra money genuinely buys, three it does not, and how to decide which side of the line you need.
How it works4 min readHow loud is a Bluetooth tracker? Decibels in plain English
How loud is a Bluetooth tracker really? Most sit between 80 and 100 dB. What that means through a sofa, a wall and a bag, and why the number alone misleads.