{"id":294147,"date":"2026-02-20T22:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T22:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/294147\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T22:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T22:30:08","slug":"third-party-gadgets-bring-find-my-tracking-to-wallets-chargers-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/294147\/","title":{"rendered":"Third-Party Gadgets Bring Find My Tracking to Wallets, Chargers, and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the AirTag (see \u201cApple\u2019s AirTag Promises to Help You Find Your Keys<\/a>,\u201d 20 April 2021), those of us who tend to leave our car keys in random locations no longer have to ransack the house to find them. Now their whereabouts are instantly revealed courtesy of an AirTag on a keychain. You can even see the AirTag on a map, if you leave it at the park or in a taxi, thanks to the Find My network that leverages more than a billion in-use Apple devices to relay an AirTag\u2019s location wherever in the world it might be.<\/p>\n

But why hasn\u2019t Apple built Find My capability into a range of accessories, such as a card that slips into a wallet\u2014where the bulbous AirTag wouldn\u2019t fit well\u2014or a Find My-enabled version of its magnetically adhering MagSafe Wallet?<\/p>\n

Apple passed up an opportunity to introduce a new accessory last month when it unveiled the second-generation AirTag (see \u201cNew AirTag Offers Expanded Range, Louder Speaker<\/a>,\u201d 26 January 2026). While the new AirTag provides incremental improvements, it retains the original, slightly awkward shape. Pricing remains unchanged at $29 for one or $99 for a four-pack. But where\u2019s the Find My luggage lock? The Find My-enabled charger? A Find My keychain in a different form factor?<\/p>\n

It turns out all of these gadgets are available from third-party manufacturers. This is another familiar pattern. Apple unveils a new technology, such as MagSafe, and makes a variety of accessories to build excitement. But over time, it withdraws from the field (goodbye, MagSafe Duo; see \u201cSeven Third-Party Accessories Show MagSafe\u2019s Potential<\/a>,\u201d 4 June 2021), leaving it to third-party makers to hoist their own banners.<\/p>\n

So it has been with Find My devices.<\/p>\n

Nomad\u2019s Leather Mag Wallet<\/p>\n

In 2021, Apple released an updated version of its MagSafe Wallet. Originally inert, Apple advertised the updated wallet as having Find My support, but that was true in only the most minimal sense: \u201cThe MagSafe Wallet now supports Find My, so you can be notified of your wallet\u2019s last known location if it gets separated from your phone.\u201d Translation: \u201cThe wallet lacks the Bluetooth or UWB hardware of an AirTag and instead relies on the iPhone to record the wallet\u2019s location the moment it is detached.\u201d The MagSafe Wallet retained that minimal Find My capability in 2023, when it evolved into the iPhone FineWoven Wallet<\/a> (see \u201cFive Unexpected Announcements from Apple\u2019s Wonderlust Event<\/a>,\u201d 12 September 2023). But Apple made no Find My improvements, so it still couldn\u2019t be tracked in real time.<\/p>\n

Enter Nomad\u2019s Leather Mag Wallet<\/a>. This $85 MagSafe wallet is all but indistinguishable from Apple\u2019s original leather model, but it incorporates full Find My tracking. Leave it on the bus by mistake\u2014in town or in Timbuktu\u2014and you can track its whereabouts on your iPhone until you\u2019re happily reunited.<\/p>\n

\"Nomad<\/a><\/p>\n

Pairing the Leather Mag Wallet with an iPhone is simple. Find the small circle etched into the back\/bottom of the wallet. In the iPhone\u2019s Find My app, tap Items > + > Other Item. Then, press and hold the circular button on the wallet until you hear a beep. That\u2019s your cue to pair the phone and wallet; you\u2019ll be prompted to name the wallet and assign it an emoji.<\/p>\n

From then on, tapping Play Sound in the Find My app will make the wallet beep so you can find it wherever you left it. If it\u2019s too far away to be heard, look for it on the map in the Find My app.<\/p>\n

Charging is easy, too. Just place the wallet on a MagSafe or Qi charger. The wallet\u2019s built-in battery lasts for 5 months before needing a recharge.<\/p>\n

Wallet-Friendly Trackers<\/p>\n

Credit card-shaped Find My trackers that slip into wallet slots make so much sense that it\u2019s a wonder Apple hasn\u2019t released its own version. Instead, an avalanche of companies have tried their hands at solving this tech problem, with varying degrees of success.<\/p>\n

Nomad and KeySmart have finally nailed this niche. Their products are about the thickness of a couple of credit cards, are easy to pair, and avoid the mistakes other vendors have committed, such as using oddball proprietary charging cords that are easy to lose.<\/p>\n

Nomad\u2019s Tracking Card<\/a> pairs using the same approach as the Leather Mag Wallet\u2014squeeze a tiny button to pair the gadget with the iPhone\u2019s Find My app. I\u2019ve had the Tracking Card in my wallet for months, alongside all my credit and ID cards, and it has revealed where I absentmindedly left my wallet on multiple occasions.<\/p>\n

\"Nomad<\/a><\/p>\n

The company recently began offering two price tiers: the Tracking Card Air with a 5-month battery life, for $29, and the Tracking Card Pro with 16 months of battery life for $39. The Air is roughly equivalent to two credit cards at 1.7 mm thick and 12 grams, whereas the beefier Pro is 2.5 mm thick and weighs 15 grams\u2014about the same as three credit cards.<\/p>\n

KeySmart\u2019s SmartCard (Gen 3)<\/a> works just like Nomad\u2019s, but sells a bit differently. A single card costs $39.99, but you can buy a three-pack for $119.97 and a five-pack for $199.95. The battery holds a charge for 11 months before it needs a session on a MagSafe or Qi pad.<\/p>\n

\"KeySmart<\/a><\/p>\n

The SmartCard (Gen 3) boasts an Atlas Gen 3 chipset that, the maker claims, delivers 50% faster signal processing, resulting in 30% more connectivity. (The previous SmartCard (Gen 2) remains available for slightly less money, as does the SmartCard Gen 2 Lite that must be disposed of after its battery dies in 2 years. Stick with the latest model.)<\/p>\n

Another advantage of the SmartCard is its dual-network nature. This means you can set it up with either Apple\u2019s Find My ecosystem or Google\u2019s Find My Device network\u2014the Android equivalent. This capability is potentially useful for multi-platform households that want to buy a three- or five-pack, but you have to choose which network to support at setup; on-the-fly network switching isn\u2019t available. And once set up for Find My, for instance, it can\u2019t be located by Android devices.<\/p>\n

Find My Charger, Keychain, and Lock<\/p>\n

Beyond the obvious addition of Find My capabilities to wallets, third-party manufacturers have come up with other innovative places where tracking technology would be welcome.<\/p>\n

Twelve South has built Find My into its PlugBug with Find My<\/a> mobile charger, which makes sense since it\u2019s all too easy to forget to unplug a charger in an airport or hotel room. Since you probably know where you left it plugged in, the big win of Find My support in the PlugBug is being alerted when you walk away. It would be nice if those alerts arrived more quickly.<\/p>\n

You can choose from four versions of the PlugBug, all of which share a shiny, red-and-white design that makes them more visible than your average Apple charger. The US models feature retracting wall prongs and either two USB-C ports (50W, for $59.99) or four USB-C ports (120W for $99.99). Travel-focused models come with interchangeable wall prongs for other countries\u2019 outlets\u2014they\u2019re also available in 50W ($79.99) and 120W ($129.99) versions.<\/p>\n

\"PlugBug<\/a><\/p>\n

The GaN-powered PlugBug can charge everything from an Apple Watch to a MacBook Pro, though you\u2019ll want the 120W version for the more power-hungry MacBook Pro models.<\/p>\n

Activating the PlugBug involves opening the rear battery door and yanking the tab behind the user-replaceable CR2032 lithium coin cell. Then press the nearby button as instructed to pair the PlugBug with your phone.<\/p>\n

KeySmart makes a series of ingenious key organizers<\/a> that mimic Swiss Army knives, with each key you add turning into a faux blade that rotates out on a dark-gray washer. Several<\/a> of<\/a> them<\/a> can hold an AirTag, but the $49.99 KeySmart iPro<\/a> integrates Find My directly and can hold up to 14 keys. Use a ballpoint pen or Phillips-head screwdriver tip to initiate Find My pairing. The iPro charges via a standard USB-C cord, with 30 days of battery life between top-ups.<\/p>\n

\"KeySmart<\/a><\/p>\n

KeySmart didn\u2019t stop there. Its SmartLock Tracking Device<\/a> is a standard-issue, TSA-approved luggage lock. Three metal rollers lock with a numeric combination you can change, but the smarts come from its Find My compatibility. At $29.99, it\u2019s essentially the same price as an AirTag and ensures that no one can rummage through your suitcase. You can even make it play a sound to help find it on an airport conveyor belt. It features a large button for initiating pairing, along with a user-swappable CR1632 battery that provides roughly 4 months of use.<\/p>\n

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