Source Tile Arpereztechcrunch: Starting today, Tile’s first anti-stalking feature will be available to all app users. The company did not originally announce the Scan and Secure option when it was announced in October 2021, but as of now all app users will have this feature.
The always-on Bluetooth wireless tracker can also locate and carry your phone’s lost belongings, find Bluetooth devices of theirs too (worth $100) for free.
The app’s free version offers a map display and sharing feature, with the private all-access subscription adding unique finders to both the app and website.
Previously, users needed a Tile account, had to be within 150 feet of the item for it to work, and pay an extra $30 for the service. With this new update though, anyone can use it as long as they have Bluetooth capability. The new step is that users can find the target person by taking a picture of them with another person in the background.
In an email, Tile’s CEO Mike Farley said that “by matching a proximate photo to our database of more than 100 million users, we’re able to quickly confirm that two individuals are one and the same. […] While we can’t stop someone from taking your photo, our product is most effective when the subject doesn’t realize he or she is being tracked.”
To use the new anti-stalking feature, users have to launch the Tile app and tap on the “Scan” button at the bottom of their screen. Once they have finished scanning (about 2-3 seconds), they can press this again to see a list of names matching each face. Tapping on their name will show a map of their location.
If users are worried about someone stalker-ing them, then they do not need to install the Tile app. Once they use Tile’s new anti-stalking feature, the company will not store any photos on its servers or keep a record of who took a picture of them in the future.
With this update, users will even be able to share the location of their Tile items, including lost phones and Keys, with a friend or family member. But they can only do this if they are within 150 feet of them. Within 200 feet, the app will alert you that someone was trying to find you. The app also shows how far away you a from a friend or family member.
The app’s new update was announced on Tile’s blog and will be available to iPhone users starting Tuesday. An Android version is still in the works.
Tile offers its customers with two different options: a free version and a premium subscription ($30). The free version of the app works as a replacement phone locator, letting users locate their lost phone on a map. It also tracks their belongings like phones, keys, and ID cards while users are out of the house.
Once they have activated their Tile by pressing the button on their keychain or holding it near their NFC enabled device to receive a ring, they can find it in real time. However, the free version only allows users to track one item at a time.
