Launched as an Indiegogo project in the middle of last year, the TrackR Bravo is a follow up product to the StickR TrackR, a small coin-sized Bluetooth-enabled device designed to attach to valuable items so they can be located using the TrackR app.

As of today, the TrackR Bravo, which is smaller and lighter than the company's previous-generation products, has begun shipping out to customers. Like the original TrackR products, the TrackR Bravo attaches to items and gives out alerts via an iPhone app when an item is misplaced, preventing keys, cameras, and other small objects from being lost.


Ahead of the product's launch, TrackR sent MacRumors a TrackR Bravo to review, so read on to see how it works and what we thought of it.

Design

The TrackR Bravo is slightly larger than a quarter, and approximately as large as two quarters stacked on top of each other. It is circular in shape, with a small loop at the top that allows it to be attached to a keyring for fastening to keys, pet collars, and more.

trackrbravo
It has a colorful anodized aluminum housing, and it's small enough to fit comfortably in a purse, wallet, or camera bag.

How it Works

The TrackR Bravo has built-in Bluetooth 4.0, with a 100 foot range. It works in conjunction with the TrackR app, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

After registering for a TrackR account within the app, the TrackR Bravo can be activated by choosing "Add a New Device" and pressing the Bluetooth activation button on the TrackR. The app supports 10 different TrackR Bravo devices, so multiple items can be tracked at the same time.

To continually track devices, the TrackR app requires the iPhone's Bluetooth to be turned on and the app to be running in the background.

Within the app, there's a map that displays where the TrackR Bravo is located, a distance range that lets you know how far away the item is, and a button that activates a sound to help you find the item. The sound isn't very loud, so you will need to be fairly close to the TrackR to hear it. You may not hear it a few rooms away, for example, but it will be audible when in the same room.

trackrbravoapp1
If you tap the button on the TrackR Bravo itself, it will play a noise within the app, which can also help locate a lost phone. When using this feature, it often took several presses to get the sound to activate, but it did work reliably.

The TrackR Bravo is supposed to have a 100 foot range, but we found that the available range was much less than that. It does show the last known location of an item though, and when the iPhone gets close enough to the TrackR, it will pick up the Bluetooth signal again.

For example, with the iPhone in a bedroom and the TrackR Bravo in a living room approximately 40 feet away, signal between the two devices was lost so a sound was unable to be played. We had to approach the living room again for the iPhone to connect again, so when looking for a lost TrackR item within a large house, you will still need to do quite a bit of roaming.

At times, it also took awhile for the two devices to pair back up when a connection was broken, making it take longer to find lost items. There were also instances when it refused to re-pair all together until we exited the app and reopened it with the TrackR nearby.

The company advertises a Crowd GPS network that's designed to help you find items that are out of Bluetooth range by using the iPhones of other people who also have the TrackR app installed, but we were not able to test this feature as no one with the TrackR app walked near our "lost" TrackR Bravo.

There are settings within the app to turn on alerts for when the TrackR Bravo and the iPhone become separated. This will cause the TrackR's sound to go off when you walk away and it can also set off a notification sound on the phone. This is perhaps one of the most useful features of the TrackR, because it can be used to make sure you don't leave the house without an important item or forget an item at a restaurant.

trackrbravo2
WiFi Safe Zones can be set up so you don't receive alerts when your phone is connected to home WiFi, and the TrackR Bravo is also able to integrate with the Nest thermostat to control device alerts when at home.

The TrackR Bravo has a one year battery life with a replaceable CR1616 battery. It is water resistant, but there's an option to purchase an accessory pack for a waterproof enclosure.

Who's It For?

If you often misplace small items like keys and wallets within your home, the TrackR Bravo may be a useful tool. It's also potentially useful to prevent you from leaving valuable items behind when leaving a restaurant or other location, due to the alarms that go off when a Bluetooth connection is lost.

The range on the TrackR Bravo is short, so it can't be used like some GPS-enabled trackers that help you keep an eye on things like luggage over long distances, but it is suitable for use within a home.

Pros:

  • Fits anywhere
  • App is easy to use

Cons:

  • Short range
  • Sound isn't loud enough
  • Bluetooth connection unreliable at times

Compatibility

The TrackR Bravo works with the iPhone 4s and later and the third-generation iPad and later.

How to Buy

The TrackR Bravo can be purchased from the TrackR website for $29.99.

Tag: Review

Top Rated Comments

Old Muley Avatar
131 months ago
I could see surreptitiously attaching these to my children.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
131 months ago
When using this feature, it often took several presses to get the sound to activate, but it did work reliably.
Your definition of "reliably" differs from mine... having to press the button more than once for it to activate means that it works "sometimes", or "occasionally", not "reliably", in my book.

I'm considering this... if I could buy a pack of 3 or something for $30, I'd do it, but 1 for $30 just seems too expensive.

Edit: Hm, they do offer discounts for bulk buying:

1 for $29
3 for $58 ($19.33 each)
5 for $87 ($17.40 each)
8 for $116 ($14.50 each)

Could split the 8 with someone... each person gets 4 for $58...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Traverse Avatar
131 months ago
I need something like this for my stupid wallet! I lose it around my house all the time! :mad:

I even bought a cheap box to keep my keys, watch, and wallet in...didn't work. ;)
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
friedmud Avatar
131 months ago
It says in the article one year.

My question is more of how this would compare to say a Tile? They do feature some upgrades to this such as the device itself making a sound. They're also cheaper, but don't have the user replaceable battery (meaning cheaper up front but more expensive long run).

It's hard to tell which one you're talking about: but both the Tile and Trackr Bravo can play sound out of the device.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HowEver Avatar
131 months ago
Apple provides "Find My Device" for iPhones and laptops but yes, it would be brilliant if an iDevice/Tracker could be snapped on everything else.

This sort of thing needs to be bought by Apple. The problem of not enough users or the crowd feature to work would be solved instantly if it were part of iOS.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hagar Avatar
131 months ago
I have the previous generation Trackr, and it's completely useless. It almost never reconnects after the Bluetooth connection has been lost. I have now requested a replacement unit, and the same problems continue to exist. For me this was good idea but a bad execution.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.4 With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music, New Emoji and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:03 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4, the fourth major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating system updates that came out last year. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 come two months after Apple released iOS 18.3 and iPadOS 18.3. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to...
iOS 19 Mock WWDC25 Feature

iOS 19 Expected to Run on These iPhones

Monday March 31, 2025 5:28 pm PDT by
iOS 19 will not be available on the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or the iPhone XS Max, according a private account on social media site X that has accurately provided information on device compatibility in the past. The iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max all have an A12 Bionic chip, so it looks like iOS 19 will discontinue support for that chip. All other iPhones that run iOS 18 are expected...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Monday March 31, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware updates for all AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro 2 models. The new firmware is version 7E93, up from the 7B21 firmware that was installed on the AirPods Pro 2 and the 7B20 firmware available on the AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with ANC. It is not immediately clear what new features or changes are included in the new firmware, but we'll update this article should we find ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 19 visionOS UI Elements

Apple Codename Provides Clue About iOS 19's Rumored New Design

Sunday March 30, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Multiple sources have claimed that iOS 19 will introduce a new design with more translucent buttons, menus, notification banners, and more, and there is now another clue that points towards this glass-like appearance. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today said the new design project is codenamed "Solarium" internally. A solarium is a room with glass walls that allow in plenty of sunlight, so this...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.4 With Mail Categorization and More

Monday March 31, 2025 10:04 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.4, the fourth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched in September. macOS Sequoia 15.4 comes two months after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.3. Mac users can download the ‌‌macOS Sequoia‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run macOS 15. With...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...