Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Tile was acquired by Life360 back in 2021.
- So far, the Life360 app has supported Tile tracking, but not full device setup.
- Life360 has now updated its app with full Tile support, raising questions about how long the old Tile app will stick around.
Bluetooth trackers are one of those fantastic modern conveniences whose value you may never properly appreciate until you invite them into your life — and then quickly find yourself unwilling to go without them ever again. Trackers are getting even better on Android with growing UWB support, but when it comes to the classic approach, there are few brands better known than Tile. Its trackers have been around for over a decade, but a few years back we learned about a controversial acquisition that was in the works, as oft-maligned family tracking app Life360 bought up Tile. While the relationship between the two has so far allowed for a little breathing room, it’s starting to feel like that’s finally changing.
Today, Life360 shares that Tile trackers are now fully supported within the Life360 app. You’ve already been able to track Tile hardware in Life360, but the Tile app itself was still required for critical setup and configuration steps. Going forward, that’s no longer necessary, and owners can take full advantage of Tile devices without needing anything but the Life360 app.
If you’re already a Life360 fan, this is good news, but the app has more than its fair share of detractors. Beyond just disgruntled users strong-armed by their families into sharing personal location data in the name of “safety,” Life360 has faced some well-deserved criticism for its policies regarding selling user data for profit.
Right now, even following the Life360 app’s absorption of all functionality needed to support Tile trackers, you still have the option to just stick with the old Tile app. But with Life360 using language like “One App to Track It All” and “No more switching back and forth” in its announcement of today’s news, you’d forgive us for feeling a little paranoid that the company is leaning increasingly on its primary app, in what could very soon be to the Tile app’s detriment.
