Cross-platform airtag-like tracker for hacking?

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feesh

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I'm looking for suggestions for an Airtag-like tracker to wear on my hacks. From what I can tell, Airtag is considered the "best" option, but I need to be tracked by both Android and Apple users, so I don't think that would work? It would be something that I would wear/carry, while 2+ people at the barn can see where I am on my hack/check on my location if I'm not back when expected.

Here are my criteria:

- Needs to work with iphone & android
- Able to have at least 2 people tracking the device at once (one iphone, one android). More (4-5) is better but not required.
- To be worn on ~400ac property where cell service is variable, but you can get a text in most places.
- Tracking app needs to be free and minimally invasive (eg NOT like Life360 which won't work if you don't give it access to your contacts, blood type, and first born child)
- No subscription - initial purchase only. Cheaper is better, but I don't mind spending a bit on the right thing.
- Minimal battery drain on my phone
- Bonus if it works even if I forget my phone at the barn/run out of battery - but I think this only works with GPS subscription trackers like Tractive? Are there free ones?

I know there are apps that will do similar things (Horse SOS I think?), but I KNOW I will forget to start my ride sometimes, so something that I can just eg permanently clip to my helmet would be much better. And then in theory other people could take it on the rare occasion that someone else goes for a hack.

I thought this would be easy to google, but most people are much more concerned with alerts and alarms and so it's hard to actually find info on the features I need!
 
What exactly are you wanting it to do and why do you need so many people tracking your rides?

My OH just uses the iPhone's in-built stalker app to see where I am when I'm hacking solo. The mobile signal around the yard and in the park sucks, but it relays enough data for him to see that I'm not upside down in a ditch: it tells him where I am and that I'm on the move. If it's getting late, he just wants to see that the dot is moving or that I'm back at the yard and got waylaid talking to people. This obviously means making sure the phone has enough charge to survive the hack and not forgetting it, but I'd do those things anyway, especially on solo hacks.

Otherwise, Garmins do all those things but they are expensive.

We got Airtags for our bikes and haven't been impressed. They haven't been able to locate said bikes when we can see the bikes sitting in our living room.
 
feesh said:
I'm looking for suggestions for an Airtag-like tracker to wear on my hacks. From what I can tell, Airtag is considered the "best" option, but I need to be tracked by both Android and Apple users, so I don't think that would work? It would be something that I would wear/carry, while 2+ people at the barn can see where I am on my hack/check on my location if I'm not back when expected.

Here are my criteria:

- Needs to work with iphone & android
- Able to have at least 2 people tracking the device at once (one iphone, one android). More (4-5) is better but not required.
- To be worn on ~400ac property where cell service is variable, but you can get a text in most places.
- Tracking app needs to be free and minimally invasive (eg NOT like Life360 which won't work if you don't give it access to your contacts, blood type, and first born child)
- No subscription - initial purchase only. Cheaper is better, but I don't mind spending a bit on the right thing.
- Minimal battery drain on my phone
- Bonus if it works even if I forget my phone at the barn/run out of battery - but I think this only works with GPS subscription trackers like Tractive? Are there free ones?

I know there are apps that will do similar things (Horse SOS I think?), but I KNOW I will forget to start my ride sometimes, so something that I can just eg permanently clip to my helmet would be much better. And then in theory other people could take it on the rare occasion that someone else goes for a hack.

I thought this would be easy to google, but most people are much more concerned with alerts and alarms and so it's hard to actually find info on the features I need!
Click to expand...
???good grief!!!
 
Essentially, I want to do what you're doing, but preferably without using my phone.

The barn manager and farm owner want a way to track me when I'm out hacking alone (as well as any boarders - there aren't any at the moment, but we have room for 2-3 and will likely have them again within the year). It needs to be multiple people because people are on/off the farm at various points in the day (eg delivering hay, etc). There's always *someone* around who can track me, but it's not always the same person.

I'd rather not use the built-in apps because I don't really want several people tracking me all the time, and I KNOW I'd forget to turn it off.

I'm currently just using Strava, but it's annoying (have to remember to turn on tracking & send a text when I start, and it drains my battery). I'd rather just have a non-phone thing that does the same thing.

I THINK Tile and Pitpat both meet all the criteria, but I'm not entirely sure (see above - most reviews are not about how I'd use them!), and if there are any other options.
 
You're probably making it over complicated and asking for tech that may not exist. Just use your phone.

I am not an expert in tech at all, but my rough understanding is that for things to work off 4g/satellites in order to track you, they need some kind of connectivity to aforesaid 4g/satellites or a link to something that does, i.e. bluetooth connection to a phone. Garmins, sat phones, etc. work because you pay a subscription for them to talk to satellites. Airtags work off bluetooth and WiFi.

If you want a thing that can work off satellites/3g/4g but does not require a subscription and does not need to be in close proximity to your phone to work, then there is a fair chance you are SOL.
 
Or you can go old school and write a route card, then leave it the yard.

Departed from yard: 2pm.

Route: insert vaguely planned route here.

ETA back at yard: 5pm.

When we did these things in the mountaineering club, we'd give people an hour or two after their ETA before trying to get a hold of them, and if they were in communicado for a few hours, we'd talk about calling Mountain Rescue. Called MRT on a few people in my time in the club.

Also, bring yer bloody phone. If you wind up in a ditch or with a lame horse or whatever, you might want to call for help and not wait for someone to look at a tracking app and realise you're having a problem.
 
I think I haven't been clear. I *do* take my phone with me, there is cell service, and it's totally ok if it connects to my phone, it's just that in my experience using an app alone drains my battery too much, and I've more than once forgotten to turn it on. So an Airtag type tracker would work so long as it could be tracked by both iphone & android. (I know there are several, I just don't know which ones are any good.)

Old school "leave a route plan" is what I've been doing up to now, but they've asked for a tracker as well. So I've started using Strava, but am hoping to switch to a non-app tracker.

(And yes, I'm familiar with the difference between bluetooth tracking chips and GPS units - I have an old-school GPS watch for running, and rent an InReach for backcountry, etc. and I know they're mostly subscription. I was just seeing references in reviews to a non-subscription GPS pet tracker but not sure if it would work for my purposes.)
 
Buy a small, cheap refurb phone and a 1p Mobile or similar low cost phone subscription then install a tracking app and give that number to the people you want to have it. Leave that phone at the yard when you re not riding.
 
Air tags work off iPhones being near by. They don’t have their own gps.
So they are brilliant for tagging your suitcase in a city or similar as a million people around you have an iPhone.
They won’t work reliably or even at all half the time in a more rural location.
 
Petalpoos said:
Buy a small, cheap refurb phone and a 1p Mobile or similar low cost phone subscription then install a tracking app and give that number to the people you want to have it. Leave that phone at the yard when you re not riding.
Click to expand...
This might have been an option if Canada had UK/European cell prices, but last time I looked into this (for a different situation), this would be about $100 for a phone and $20/mo for a plan, which is far beyond the budget available. (And I think is only for either 3G, which is being discontinued in Canada - one of our main carriers has dropped it already.)
 
What about something like a tracki that's paired to the yard phone not your own? Could easily get that attached to you/horse/tack

tracki.com

Tracki 2025 4G Model Mini Real time GPS Tracker.

With a Tracki® device, easily track people, cars or assets in real time. Tracki® Worldwide GPS Tracker allows you to monitors location with pinpoint accuracy and track anywhere discreetly while giving you real-time updates. Tracki comes with international sim card included & built in. No need...
tracki.com tracki.com
 
gryff said:
This seems awfully excessive to me if you're just going to be hacking around the 400 acres - that's not a huge area. Is it a health and safety policy issue?
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Yeah, pretty much. I agree it's excessive, but it's their horses and their property, so fair enough that they get to set the terms. If I can't find anything better, I'll just get an Airtag and only one person will be able to track. That was the original request, but the person asking didn't realize that android phones couldn't see it - so I'm checking to see if there's a worthwhile cross-platform Airtag-type thing that we could get instead.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Air tags work off iPhones being near by. They don’t have their own gps.
So they are brilliant for tagging your suitcase in a city or similar as a million people around you have an iPhone.
They won’t work reliably or even at all half the time in a more rural location.
Click to expand...
Do you know if they work if there's one phone nearby? And does it have to be an iphone? Because the rider - whether me or boarders - will have a phone with them. We'd just rather be able to say "hey, make sure you grab the tag when you're out hacking" vs asking everyone to eg download a specific app & remember to turn it on. The former seems more foolproof if it will work.
 
teapot said:
What about something like a tracki that's paired to the yard phone not your own? Could easily get that attached to you/horse/tack

tracki.com

Tracki 2025 4G Model Mini Real time GPS Tracker.

With a Tracki® device, easily track people, cars or assets in real time. Tracki® Worldwide GPS Tracker allows you to monitors location with pinpoint accuracy and track anywhere discreetly while giving you real-time updates. Tracki comes with international sim card included & built in. No need...
tracki.com tracki.com
Click to expand...
That would be perfect, but we're looking for something that doesn't require a subscription. As far as I know all of those types do have a monthly fee, don't they?
 
feesh said:
That would be perfect, but we're looking for something that doesn't require a subscription. As far as I know all of those types do have a monthly fee, don't they?
Click to expand...

Probably, but frankly the level of tech/access you need won't ever come free if you want it to be reliable and accurate.
 
teapot said:
Probably, but frankly the level of tech/access you need won't ever come free if you want it to be reliable and accurate.
Click to expand...
Huh, ok. So do Airtag-type trackers require multiple phones around to work, then? I was under the impression that they'd ping if there was one phone close enough.

We don't need perfect accuracy or every-second tracking, just enough that they can see if the rider hasn't moved in 20 minutes, or find which field they're in if the horse ends up back at the barn riderless.
 
feesh said:
Huh, ok. So do Airtag-type trackers require multiple phones around to work, then? I was under the impression that they'd ping if there was one phone close enough.

We don't need perfect accuracy or every-second tracking, just enough that they can see if the rider hasn't moved in 20 minutes, or find which field they're in if the horse ends up back at the barn riderless.
Click to expand...

Air tags only work if there's a something in reach that can detect it - they're not reliable enough for hour by hour tracking, especially in more rural areas.
 
feesh said:
Huh, ok. So do Airtag-type trackers require multiple phones around to work, then? I was under the impression that they'd ping if there was one phone close enough.

We don't need perfect accuracy or every-second tracking, just enough that they can see if the rider hasn't moved in 20 minutes, or find which field they're in if the horse ends up back at the barn riderless.
Click to expand...

I was given a Samsung tracker (Android version of Air Tag) when horse was living out 24/7 in a remote field temporarily for a few months for peace of mind. It was a very kind gesture but practically rather useless as there was few people around so no phone was ever close enough to pick it up except mine when I was up there 🤣

Unless there'a a high volume of walkers or other rider's regularly on the property, an Air Tag or similiar is unlikely to work as you need it to.

I use Life360 app for our tracking - it's not perfect as GPS can be patchy where we are but better than nothing. In an emergency, I could also turn my location on in WhatsApp.
 
teapot said:
Air tags only work if there's a something in reach that can detect it - they're not reliable enough for hour by hour tracking, especially in more rural areas.
Click to expand...
But isn't the "something" that detects it a phone? Or do airtags just not check for phones very often?

Because the people riding WILL also be carrying a phone. We are just hoping for something that can be carried WITH the phone.
 
MuddyMonster said:
I was given a Samsung tracker (Android version of Air Tag) when horse was living out 24/7 in a remote field temporarily for a few months for peace of mind. It was a very kind gesture but practically rather useless as there was few people around so no phone was ever close enough to pick it up except mine when I was up there 🤣

Unless there'a a high volume of walkers or other rider's regularly on the property, an Air Tag or similiar is unlikely to work as you need it to.

I use Life360 app for our tracking - it's not perfect as GPS can be patchy where we are but better than nothing. In an emergency, I could also turn my location on in WhatsApp.
Click to expand...
It sounds like it did work when your phone was near it, though? For example, if you were out with your horse, could someone else who was tracking the tag have seen where you and your horse were? The rider will be carrying a phone.
 
feesh said:
But isn't the "something" that detects it a phone? Or do airtags just not check for phones very often?

Because the people riding WILL also be carrying a phone. We are just hoping for something that can be carried WITH the phone.
Click to expand...

The air tag will only ping the phone it is close to - ie you stuck in a hedge post departing your horse, so it'll show up on your phone in your own pocket. Whether if that airtag's location is shared with others (think it's max five people) it would be picked up I don't know from miles way, but I do know they rely on active signal to work. If you're in a dead zone it might not.
 
teapot said:
The air tag will only ping the phone it is close to - ie you stuck in a hedge post departing your horse, so it'll show up on your phone in your own pocket. Whether if that airtag's location is shared with others (think it's max five people) it would be picked up I don't know from miles way, but I do know they rely on active signal to work. If you're in a dead zone it might not.
Click to expand...
There is an active signal on most of the property, and all the dead zones we've found so far are within eyesight of the barn. But yeah, that's exactly the scenario we're thinking of: me + my phone + the tracker in a hedge. Tracker being tracked by someone back at the barn.

Perhaps I will just have to borrow an airtag to check, as it seems like this is not a common way to use them! (Which explains why I couldn't find any reviews of how well this works!)
 
feesh said:
It sounds like it did work when your phone was near it, though? For example, if you were out with your horse, could someone else who was tracking the tag have seen where you and your horse were? The rider will be carrying a phone.
Click to expand...
Apologies, I obvs mis-read & thought you weren't taking a phone with you & relying on it pinging off other nearby phone's.
 
MuddyMonster said:
Apologies, I obvs mis-read & thought you weren't taking a phone with you & relying on it pinging off other nearby phone's.
Click to expand...
No worries! Judging from the other responses, you are not the only one so I'm pretty sure the fault is how I phrased it!

(I mean I'd love to find a tracker that DOESN'T need a phone nearby, but they are $$, so off the table for now.)
 
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