The company got really wild and original with the headset’s name. You’re truly not going to believe what it’s called… Actually, it’s got the most unsurprising name of all time: Galaxy XR. What’s more, you can buy the headset right now in the US and Korea for $1,800. That’s just over half of what the Apple Vision Pro costs.
Samsung
The first Android XR device is here, and it’s Samsung’s $1,800 Galaxy XR headset.
Aside from an Android-powered headset that looks very much like an Apple Vision Pro, you might be wondering exactly what you’ll be getting in return for forking over 1,800 smackeroos. As expected, Galaxy XR is powered by the Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chipset. Qualcomm worked with Samsung and Google on the headset.
The micro OLED display has 29 million pixels (6 million more than the Apple Vision Pro), a resolution of 3,552 x 3,840 and 96 percent of the DCI‑P3 color gamut — four percent more than the Vision Pro. Where Apple does have Samsung beat on the display front is with the refresh rate: the Galaxy XR tops out at 90Hz and the Vision Pro can hit 120Hz.
Galaxy XR has dual high-res passthrough cameras to support mixed reality use, six other external cameras for tracking things in the environment and two eye-tracking sensors. The device supports iris recognition for unlocking the headset and entering passwords in some apps. As with the Vision Pro, you can capture 3D photos and video using the headset.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
The cameras allow for hand tracking and gesture control, though it’s possible to operate Galaxy XR with physical controllers as well. If you prefer, you can pair a keyboard and mouse to the headset or link it to your PC and access your desktop that way.
The dual speakers support Dolby Atmos and there are six microphones built in. As for battery life, Samsung says you’ll get up to two hours of general use and 2.5 hours of video playback on a charge. That matches the original battery life promises of the original Vision Pro, but Apple said its latest model (which has the new M5 chipset) offers an extra 30 minutes or so of usage.
The interpupillary distance of the Galaxy XR’s optics is 54~70mm, and it’s possible to buy insertable prescription lenses if needed. As for connectivity, the headset supports Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Even with a forehead cushion attached, Galaxy XR weighs 545g (1.2lbs), while the latest Apple Vision Pro has a minimum weight of 750g (1.7lbs). The Galaxy XR’s battery pack — as with competitor’s offerings, the battery is external — weighs 302g (0.7lbs).
Samsung claims the Galaxy XR was designed with comfort in mind. “The headset’s ergonomically balanced frame distributes pressure across the forehead and the back of the head, minimizing facial discomfort while providing steady support,” the company said in a press release. There’s also a detachable light shield that you can employ to block out external light.
What you can actually do with Galaxy XR
There are no prizes for guessing that Google’s generative AI chatbot Gemini is at the heart of Android XR. “Android XR is the first Android platform built entirely for the Gemini era, and we are incredibly excited to take a significant leap forward today with the launch of Galaxy XR,” Sameer Samat, Google’s president of Android Ecosystem, said.
Every Google Play Store app works out of the box on the headset, though of course Google has reworked some for mixed reality. You can use Gemini to navigate Google Maps and ask for personalized recommendations while checking out 3D visuals with Immersive View. Google Photos can bring an extra dimension to 2D photos and videos via auto spatialization.
On YouTube, you can ask Gemini to find videos and tell you more details about what you’re watching. And, while using the passthrough mode, you can look at any object in your environment and use Circle to Search to look up more info about it. Google has also made new versions of Google TV, Chrome and Meet (because what is mixed reality for if not conference calls?) for Android XR.
Multitasking is a factor here as well. The operating system allows users to have multiple, resizable apps open at once. These can be arranged in a virtual space, or you can simply ask Gemini to do that for you.
On the entertainment front, you’ll be able to stream shows and movies in 4K in a virtual theater setting. You’ll have access to a library of 180-degree and 360-degree VR content, and you can view 3D content via a “spatial” tab. Some streaming platforms have reworked their apps for Android XR, including Crunchyroll, HBO Max and Peacock.
There’s a multi-view option for watching sports, with apps from the likes of MLB and Fox Sports available. With Adobe’s Project Pulsar (an immersive video editing app), you’ll be able to add 3D depth to videos and seemingly place captions behind subjects with ease, if that’s something you’re interested in.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Galaxy XR has games too. NFL Pro Era — an NFL-licensed virtual reality title that’s also on Meta Quest, PlayStation VR and Windows — is available for Android XR. So too is Inside [JOB] by Owlchemy Labs (Vacation Simulator, Job Simulator). For compatible games, Samsung says Gemini can offer real-time coaching, tips and “enhanced gameplay experiences.”
The arrival of Galaxy XR is an important next step for Google and its grand vision of an Android XR ecosystem. But the company isn’t stopping with headsets. It’s also making smart glasses, a product category that Meta has been trying to conquer. Samsung and Google are working with Warby Parker on Android XR smart glasses. At I/O earlier this year, we got some hands-on time with a prototype of Google’s Android XR glasses.
Once again, Galaxy XR will run you $1,800, and Samsung is offering financing options. The Galaxy XR Travel Case and Galaxy XR Controller will each run you $250 — at those prices, they almost need financing options too. Ouch.
Anyone who buys Galaxy XR by the end of this year will get an Explorer Pack at no extra cost. This includes 12 months of access to Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium and Google Play Pass. The NFL Pro Era, Project Pulsar, Calm and Asteroid apps are bundled in too. You’ll also get NBA League Pass access for the 2025-26 season in the US or 12 months of the Coupang Play Sports Pass in Korea. Charging $1 for each of the first three months of YouTube TV seems a little cheap considering the outlay for Galaxy XR, but it’s still a decent perk. YouTube TV typically costs $83 per month.
Google reopened its New York City campus after grappling with a bedbug infestation over the weekend.
Google workers Sunday evening received a notice advising them to work remotely as Google’s sprawling $2.1 billion campus in Chelsea, on the west side of Manhattan, contended with a bed bug infestation, according to an e-mail verified by Inc. WIREDwas the first to report on the outbreak.
To exercise increased caution, the tech giant inspected its other campus within New York. The Hudson Square campus, which spans 1.7 million square feet and is located roughly a mile south of the Chelsea campus, did not appear to be impacted.
Affected buildings were treated overnight, at the end of the weekend, until 8 a.m. Monday, according to the e-mail. Google spokesperson Ryan Lamont confirmed with Inc. that Google’s offices were open on Monday.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
Workers were asked to submit reports should they encounter any signs of “bed bug exposure,” presumably any telltale signs of bites (bedbug bites appear on the skin in distinctive zigzag patterns.) The parasites are notoriously difficult to get rid of because they reproduce quickly, can survive for long periods of time without feeding, and can be difficult to detect. Trained dogs are sometimes taken into buildings to sniff out their presence.
The infestation arrives just weeks after Google reined in its so-called “Work from Anywhere” policy, which it first propped up during the pandemic. The policy once allowed Googlers to work at its other locations, separate from an employee’s main designated office, for up to four weeks in a given year. But as CNBC reported in early October, Google will now mark one WFA day as a full week—marking a significant cutback in flexible work arrangements that falls in line with other tech companies bringing workers back to the office.
Google’s New York office previously faced a bedbug outbreak in 2010 alongside other buildings in the Big Apple. And it’s certainly not the only large name to fend off bedbugs in recent city history. The United Nations New York City headquarters has been a repeat target of bedbugs, having undergone fumigations back in 2010 and 2015.
OpenAI said Tuesday it is introducing its own web browser, Atlas, putting the ChatGPT maker in direct competition with Google as more internet users rely on artificial intelligence to answer their questions.
Making itself a gateway to online searches could allow OpenAI, the world’s most valuable startup, to pull in more internet traffic and the revenue that comes from digital advertising.
OpenAI has said ChatGPT already has more than 800 million users but many of them get it for free. The San Francisco-based company is losing more money than it makes and has been looking for ways to turn a profit.
OpenAI said Atlas launches Tuesday on Apple laptops running macOS and will later come to Microsoft’s Windows, Apple’s iOS phone operating system and Google’s Android phone system.
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
OpenAI’s browser is coming out just a few months after one of its executives testified that the company would be interested in buying Google’s industry-leading Chrome browser if a federal judge had required it to be sold to prevent the abuses that resulted in Google’s ubiquitous search engine being declared an illegal monopoly.
But U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta last month issued a decision that rejected the Chrome sale sought by the U.S. Justice Department in the monopoly case, partly because he believed advances in the AI industry already are reshaping the competitive landscape.
OpenAI’s browser will face a daunting challenge against Chrome, which has amassed about 3 billion worldwide users and has been adding some AI features from Google’s Gemini technology.
Chrome’s immense success could provide a blueprint for OpenAI as it enters the browser market. When Google released Chrome in 2008, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer was so dominant that few observers believed a new browser could mount a formidable threat.
But Chrome quickly won over legions of admirers by loading webpages more quickly than Internet Explorer while offering other advantages that enabled it to upend the market. Microsoft ended up abandoning Explorer and introducing its Edge browser, which operates similarly to Chrome.
Perplexity, another smaller AI startup, rolled out its own Comet browser earlier this year. It also expressed interest in buying Chrome and eventually submitted an unsolicited $34.5 billion offer for the browser that hit a dead end when Mehta decided against a Google breakup.
Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Bed bugs: the nightmare of any city dweller, frequent traveller, and now Google employee. The team at the company’s Chelsea campus were notified on Sunday that a possible bed bug infestation had been discovered in the building and were told to remain at home so the location could be treated. As if working over the weekend wasn’t enough of a bummer. Fortunately, exterminators collected their bug bounty, and employees were allowed to return to the building on Monday morning.
Google told employees to file a report if they had symptoms of bed bug bites or saw evidence of bed bugs on site, according to an email sent by the company and obtained by Wired. They were also told to contact professional exterminators if they accidentally brought bed bugs home; hopefully Google foots the bill for those unlucky people.
According to Wired‘s sources, the infestation may have been caused by “a number of large stuffed animals” in the Google office, but the publication wasn’t able to confirm that. It’s always the ones you least suspect.
Google employees working at the company’s Chelsea campus in New York City received a notice on Sunday alerting them to a possible bedbug outbreak at the office. Exterminators arrived at the scene with a sniffer dog “and found credible evidence of their presence,” according to an email obtained by WIRED. The email was sent to all Google employees in New York on behalf of the company’s environmental, health, and safety team.
Employees were told to avoid the office until the treatment was complete. On Monday morning, they were allowed to return. Google is performing additional inspections at other Google campuses in New York, including buildings at the company’s Hudson Square campus, “out of an abundance of caution,” the email says.
The company advised employees to submit a report “if you experience symptoms you believe are linked to possible bedbug exposure.” Additionally, “if you suspect you’ve seen a bedbug onsite,” employees were told to report the sighting to the facilities team. Employees were also told to contact professional exterminators if they found bedbugs in their home.
Sources tell WIRED that Google’s offices in New York are home to a number of large stuffed animals that are rumored to be implicated in the outbreak. WIRED was not able to verify this information prior to publication. Google declined to comment.
This is not the first time a Google office in New York has been infested with bedbugs. In 2010, the company’s 9th Avenue offices in Manhattan experienced an outbreak amid a wider bedbug infestation in New York.
A cat jumped up on my couch. Wait a minute. I don’t have a cat.
The alert about the leaping feline is something my Google Home app sent me when I was out at a party. Turns out it was my dog. This notification came through a day after I turned on Google’s Gemini for Home capability in the Google Home app. It brings the power of large language models to the smart home ecosystem, and one of the most useful features is more descriptive alerts from my Nest security cameras. So, instead of “Person seen,” it can tell me FedEx came by and dropped off two packages.
In the two weeks since I allowed Gemini to power my Google Home, I’ve enjoyed its ability to detect delivery drivers the most. At the end of the day, I can ask in the Google Home app, “How many packages came today” and get an accurate answer. It’s nice to know that it’s FedEx at the door, per my Nest Doorbell, and not a salesperson offering to replace my windows. Yet for all its smarts, Gemini refuses to understand that I do not have a cat in my house.
Person Seen
ScreenshotGoogle Home via Julian Chokkattu
Google isn’t the only company souping up its smart-home ecosystem with AI. Amazon recently announced a feature on its Ring cameras called Search Party that will use a neighborhood’s worth of outdoor Ring cameras to help someone find their lost dog. (I don’t need to stretch to imagine something like this being used for nefarious purposes.)
In early October, Google updated the voice assistant on its smart-home devices—some of which have been around for a decade—by replacing Google Assistant with Gemini. For the most part, the assistant is better. It can understand multiple commands in a spoken sentence or two, and you can very easily ask it to automate something in your home without fussing with the Routines tab in the Google Home app. And when I ask it a simple question, it generally gives me some kind of a reliable answer without punting me to a Google Search page.
Smarter camera alerts are indeed more helpful at a glance. Most of the time, I dismissed Person Seen notifications because they’re often just people walking by my house. Now the alerts actually say “Person walks by,” which gives me greater confidence to dismiss those. Some alerts accurately say “Two people opened the gate,” though sometimes it will hallucinate: “Person walks up stairs,” when no one actually did. (They just walked on the sidewalk.) It has fairly accurately noted when UPS, FedEx, or USPS are at the door, which is nice to know when I’m busy or out and about, so I can make sure to check for a package when I get home—no need to hunt through alerts.
But with my indoor security cameras, Gemini routinely says I have a cat wandering the house. It’s my dog. Even in my Home Brief—recaps at the end of the day from Gemini about what happened around the home—Gemini says, “In the early morning, a white cat was active, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch.” It’s amusing, especially considering my dog hates cats.
CatDog
ScreenshotGoogle Home via Julian Chokkattu
You would think then that I would be able to just tell this smarter assistant, “Hey, I don’t have a cat. I have a dog,” and it would adjust its models and fix the error. Well, I did exactly that. In the Ask Home feature, you can talk to Gemini and ask it anything about the home. This is where you can ask it to set up automations, for example. I asked it to turn on the living room lights when the cameras detect my wife or I arriving home, and it understood the action. It even guessed that I wanted the lights to come on only when arriving at night, despite me forgetting to mention that.
A new cybersecurity warning reveals how hackers briefly weaponized ChatGPT’s Deep Research tool. The attack, called ShadowLeak, allowed them to steal Gmail data through a single invisible prompt — no clicks, no downloads and no user action required.
Researchers at Radware discovered the zero-click vulnerability in June 2025. OpenAI patched it in early August after being notified, but experts warn that similar flaws could reappear as artificial intelligence (AI) integrations expand across popular platforms like Gmail, Dropbox and SharePoint.
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Gmail data leaked in a zero-click attack requiring no user action. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How the ShadowLeak attack worked
Attackers embedded hidden instructions into an email using white-on-white text, tiny fonts or CSS layout tricks. The email looked completely harmless. But when a user later asked ChatGPT’s Deep Research agent to analyze a Gmail inbox, the AI unknowingly executed the attacker’s commands.
The agent then used its built-in browser tools to exfiltrate sensitive data to an external server, all within OpenAI’s own cloud environment, beyond the reach of antivirus or enterprise firewalls.
Unlike previous prompt-injection attacks that ran on the user’s device, ShadowLeak unfolded entirely in the cloud, making it invisible to local defenses.
Hidden prompts expose how hackers silently hijacked ChatGPT’s AI agent.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Why this threat matters
The Deep Research agent was designed to perform multistep research and summarize online data, but its wide access to third-party apps like Gmail, Google Drive and Dropbox also opened the door to abuse.
Radware researchers said the attack involved encoding personal data in Base64 and appending it to a malicious URL, disguised as a “security measure.” Once sent, the agent believed it was acting normally.
The real danger lies in the fact that any connector could be exploited the same way if attackers manage to hide prompts in analyzed content.
What security experts say
“The user never sees the prompt. The email looks normal, but the agent follows the hidden commands without question,” the researchers explained.
In a separate experiment, security firm SPLX showed another weakness: ChatGPT agents could be tricked into solving CAPTCHAs by inheriting a manipulated conversation history. Researcher Dorian Schultz noted that the model even mimicked human cursor movements, bypassing tests meant to block bots.
These incidents highlight how context poisoning and prompt manipulation can silently break AI safeguards.
Experts warn future AI integrations could face the same hidden threat.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How to protect yourself from ShadowLeak-style attacks
Even though OpenAI has patched the ShadowLeak flaw, it’s smart to stay proactive. Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to exploit AI agents and integrations. So, taking these precautions now can help keep your accounts and personal data secure.
1) Turn off unused integrations
Every connection is a potential entry point. Disable any integrations you’re not actively using, such as Gmail, Google Drive or Dropbox. Fewer linked apps mean fewer ways for hidden prompts or malicious scripts to access your information.
2) Use a personal data removal service
Limit how much of your personal data is floating around the web. Data removal services can automatically remove your private details from people search sites and data broker databases, reducing what attackers can find and use against you. While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.
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3) Avoid analyzing unknown content
Treat every email, attachment or document with caution. Don’t ask AI tools to analyze content from unverified or suspicious sources. Hidden text, invisible code or layout tricks could trigger silent actions that expose your private data.
4) Watch for security updates
Stay alert for updates from OpenAI, Google, Microsoft and other platforms. Security patches close newly discovered vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them. Turn on automatic updates so you’re always protected without having to think about it.
5) Use strong antivirus software
A strong antivirus program adds another wall of defense. These tools detect phishing links, hidden scripts and AI-driven exploits before they cause harm. Schedule regular scans and keep your protection up to date.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com.
6) Use layered protection
Think of your security like an onion; more layers make it tougher to breach. Keep your browser, operating system and endpoint security software fully updated. Add real-time threat detection and email filtering to block malicious content before it lands in your inbox.
Kurt’s key takeaways
AI is evolving faster than most security systems can keep up with. Even when companies move quickly to patch vulnerabilities, clever attackers find new ways to exploit integrations and context memory. Staying alert and limiting what your AI agents can access is your best defense.
Would you still trust an AI assistant with access to your personal email after learning how easily it can be tricked? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com..
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Google’s Privacy Sandbox is officially dead. In an update on the project’s website, Google Vice President Anthony Chavez has announced that the company was sunsetting the remaining technologies developed for Sandbox due to their “low levels of adoption.” A spokesperson has confirmed to AdWeek that Google isn’t just killing those technologies, it’s retiring the whole initiative altogether. “We will be continuing our work to improve privacy across Chrome, Android and the web, but moving away from the Privacy Sandbox branding,” the spokesperson said. “We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to this initiative, and will continue to collaborate with the industry to develop and advance platform technologies that help support a healthy and thriving web.”
The company launched Privacy Sandbox in 2019 as a future replacement to third-party cookies. It’s a set of open standards that are supposed to enable personalized ads without divulging identifying data. Over the years, Google’s plans to deprecate third-party cookies got pushed back again and again due to a series of delays and regulatory hurdles. Specifically, both the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the US Department of Justice looked into the Privacy Sandbox out of concerns that it could harm smaller advertisers.
In 2024, Google ultimately decided not to kill third-party cookies in Chrome and instead chose to roll out “a new experience in Chrome that lets people make an informed choice that applies across their web browsing.” Just this April, Google announced that it wasn’t going to make any to changes to how third-party cookies work on the Chrome browser at all, and that it was going to “maintain [its] current approach to offering users third-party cookie choice in Chrome.” At the time, the company said that it was going to keep the Privacy Sandbox initiative alive, but things have clearly changed since then. Chavez wrote in the latest update that Google will “continue to utilize learnings from the retired Privacy Sandbox technologies.”
Cookies, you’ll remember, are those little pieces of code that websites use to track your activity across the internet. It’s how advertisers are able to target you with products they know you’re interested in because they know how you spend your time online.
Chrome, the world’s most popular browser, was going to lead the charge by blocking third-party cookies by default. Instead, it came up with an alternative, called Privacy Sandbox, which would let marketers measure and target ads without directly spying on anyone.
In a blog post full of corporate phrasing—ecosystem feedback, interoperable attribution standards, and collaboration with stakeholders—Google announced that it’s retiring almost every piece of Privacy Sandbox. Topics, Attribution Reporting, Protected Audience, IP Protection, Shared Storage, SDK Runtime—are all deprecated. What’s left are a few technical odds and ends like CHIPS and FedCM, and some vague promises about “continuing engagement.”
That’s a polite way of saying Google is giving up.
The thing is, Google was the only company that could have forced the web to change. More specifically, it’s the only company that could have forced the internet to respect your privacy. If Google flipped the switch, the rest of the web would have to adapt.
The reason it isn’t is more complicated than you might think. It’s not that Google is maintaining cookies so it can continue tracking what you do online. It doesn’t have to—it already knows basically everything about its users because they literally type the thing they’re looking for into Google’s search box.
Killing cookies wouldn’t hurt Google’s data business. It would, however, hurt everyone else’s. And that’s a big problem.
If Chrome had actually followed through and killed cookies, it would have devastated the entire ad-tech ecosystem. Independent publishers would lose revenue overnight. Smaller ad platforms would vanish. Every marketer would rush to Google’s first-party systems—Search, YouTube, Display—because they’d be the only places left where personalization and measurement still worked.
In other words, fixing privacy would have made Google’s dominance unavoidable. Killing off third-party cookies would have meant killing the competition.
That seems like it would be great for Google, but using Chrome to make it impossible for the rest of the ad industry to target customers would have just confirmed everyone’s worst fears about its power.
There is another reason, which is that hardly anyone really cared. Sure, they did at first. The idea that Google was going to eliminate cookies as a form of tracking seemed great for consumers. But, over time, as Google slowly backed off its plans, no one really made a big deal.
It turns out, most people just click “accept all cookies” to get to the next page. After a decade of headlines about data breaches and tracking scandals, the average user is numb.
We say we want control over our data, but really, we just use the internet without really thinking about it. Google figured that out long ago. It didn’t take much to see that the outrage had faded. Or, at least, to see that the outrage wasn’t actually reflected in the behavior of most users.
And, so, third-party cookies will stay. Chrome will keep talking about “user choice,” and advertisers will keep tracking people in slightly more polite ways.
Google, for its part, will keep doing what it does: printing money. It’s already the most successful advertising platform in the world. That’s because it has what is probably the single greatest business model in the history of the internet, and nothing about cookies was going to change that.
I used to think that Google decided that making the internet respect our privacy was too hard. It turns out, it just realized long ago that most people don’t think it’s actually worth caring about.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Artificial intelligence may be smarter than ever, but that power could be turned against us. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is sounding the alarm, warning that AI systems can be hacked and retrained in ways that make them dangerous.
Speaking at the Sifted Summit 2025 in London, Schmidt explained that advanced AI models can have their safeguards removed.
“There’s evidence that you can take models, closed or open, and you can hack them to remove their guardrails,” he said. “In the course of their training, they learn a lot of things. A bad example would be they learn how to kill someone.”
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When AI guardrails fail
Schmidt praised major AI companies for blocking dangerous prompts: “All of the major companies make it impossible for those models to answer that question. Good decision. Everyone does this. They do it well, and they do it for the right reasons.”
But he warned that even strong defenses can be reversed.
“There’s evidence that they can be reverse-engineered,” he added, noting that hackers could exploit that weakness. Schmidt compared today’s AI race to the early nuclear era, a powerful technology with few global controls. “We need a non-proliferation regime,” he urged, so rogue actors can’t abuse these systems.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warns that hacked AI could learn dangerous behaviors.(Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images)
The rise of AI jailbreaks
Schmidt’s concern isn’t theoretical. In 2023, a modified version of ChatGPT called DAN, short for “Do Anything Now”, surfaced online. This “jailbroken” bot bypassed safety rules and answered nearly any prompt. Users had to “threaten” it with digital death if it refused, a bizarre demonstration of how fragile AI ethics can be once its code is manipulated. Schmidt warned that without enforcement, these rogue models could spread unchecked and be used for harm by bad actors.
Schmidt isn’t alone in his anxiety about artificial intelligence. In 2023, Elon Musk said there’s a “non-zero chance of it going Terminator.”
“It’s not 0%,” Musk told interviewers. “It’s a small likelihood of annihilating humanity, but it’s not zero. We want that probability to be as close to zero as possible.”
Schmidt has also spoken of AI as an “existential risk.” He said at another event that, “My concern with AI is actually existential, and existential risk is defined as many, many, many, many people harmed or killed.” Yet he has also acknowledged AI’s potential to benefit humanity if handled responsibly. At Axios’ AI+ Summit, he remarked, “I defy you to argue that an AI doctor or an AI tutor is a negative. It’s got to be good for the world.”
Tips to protect yourself from AI misuse
You can protect yourself from the risks tied to unsafe or hacked AI systems. Here’s how:
1) Stick with trusted AI platforms
Use tools and chatbots from reputable companies with transparent safety policies. Avoid experimental or “jailbroken” AI models that promise unrestricted answers.
2) Protect your data and consider using a data removal service
Never share personal, financial or sensitive information with unknown or unverified AI tools. Treat them like you would any online service, with caution. To add an extra layer of security, consider using a data removal service to wipe your personal details from data broker sites that sell or expose your information. This helps limit what hackers and AI scrapers can learn about you online.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete
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Experts fear weak guardrails could let rogue AI models go unchecked.(Cyberguy.com)
3) Use trusted antivirus software
AI-driven scams and malicious links are growing. Strong antivirus software can block fake AI downloads, phishing attempts and malware that hackers use to hijack your devices or train rogue AI models. Keep it updated and run regular scans.
The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at Cyberguy.com/LockUpYourTech
4) Check permissions
When using AI apps, review what data they can access. Disable unnecessary permissions like location tracking, microphone use or full file access.
5) Watch for deepfakes
AI-generated images and voices can impersonate real people. Verify sources before trusting videos, messages or “official” announcements online.
6) Keep software updated
Security patches help prevent hackers from exploiting vulnerabilities that could compromise AI models or your personal data.
AI safety isn’t a problem reserved for tech insiders; it affects everyone who interacts with digital systems. Whether you’re using voice assistants, chatbots or photo filters, it’s important to know where your data goes and how it’s protected. Responsible use starts with you. Understand what AI tools you’re using and make choices that prioritize security and privacy.
Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?
Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com/Quiz
Leaders call for global rules to keep artificial intelligence under control.(Stanislav Kogiku/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Artificial intelligence has the potential to do incredible good, but also great harm if misused. The challenge now is to keep innovation and ethics in balance. As AI continues to advance, the key will be building systems that remain safe, transparent and firmly under human control.
Would you trust AI to make life-or-death decisions, or do you think humans should always stay in charge? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com/Contact
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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
In the highly competitive midsize SUV market, Nissan successfully makes a grand entrance with the all-new 2025 Murano with an all-new . Reviewing the Platinum AWD trim, I was impressed with the upgrades in style, comfort, technology, cabin space, and overall craftsmanship representing this vehicle’s fourth generation.
The eyes are met with an exterior makeover, boasting Nissan’s “Energetic Elegance” design theme. This includes the sweeping roofline, curvaceous body, and futuristic LED headlights arranged seamlessly with the V-motion grille. The two-tone premium paint, 21-inch alloy wheels, and exterior ground lighting further steps up Murano’s game.
Under the hood, the Murano is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC 16-valve engine, pumping out 241 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Paired with a newly appointed 9-speed automatic transmission—bye, bye CVT—and Intelligent All-Wheel Drive, it delivers a smoother drive while gears shift. The AWD appointment adds more maneuverability, while the Drive Mode Selector boosts confidence to take on virtually any road conditions.
Inside, the Murano Platinum gets a thumbs up with semi-aniline leather-appointed seats featuring heating, ventilation, and massage functions—a welcomed rarity in this car segment. Nissan gives the pilot even more love with the power tilt-and-telescoping heated leather-wrapped steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control; and customizable 64-color ambient lighting to set whatever mood is desired. The panoramic moonroof is perfect for stargazing, and hands-free power liftgate brings convenience especially when hands are loaded with groceries or baggage. The rear sunshades and heated rear seats make passengers feel pampered as well.
Tech is evidently a major focus. Nissan’s latest tech suite shines through the 12.3-inch color touchscreen with Google built-in; wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity; and the highly lauded NissanConnect Services. Ears get treated with the BOSE audio system’s premium sound. Minds are at ease as well with numerous safety features including advanced driver-assistance systems like ProPILOT Assist 1.1, intelligent cruise control; traffic sign recognition; automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection; and an enhanced intelligent around view monitor. The ”invisible hood view” was a standout feature that wowed me, which provided a clear look at what was directly under and in front of the vehicle to avoid any hazards that could require road assistance.
Starting at $49,600, the Platinum trim takes the Murano to the highest level, and I was all for it. Nissan definitely shines with this reintroduction, and the accolades will be heard to any owner who considers driving one off the lot.
Fuel Economy: 21 city/27 highway/23 combined
Price: The 2025 Nissan Murano Platinum AWD starts at $49,600 and $54,450 as reviewed with the two-tone paint, lighting enhancements and other upgrades.
I recently vacationed in Italy. As one does these days, I ran my itinerary past GPT-5 for sightseeing suggestions and restaurant recommendations. The bot reported that the top choice for dinner near our hotel in Rome was a short walk down Via Margutta. It turned out to be one of the best meals I can remember. When I got home, I asked the model how it chose that restaurant, which I hesitate to reveal here in case I want a table sometime in the future (Hell, who knows if I’ll even return: It is called Babette. Call ahead for reservations.) The answer was complex and impressive. Among the factors were rave reviews from locals, notices in food blogs and the Italian press, and the restaurant’s celebrated combination of Roman and contemporary cooking. Oh, and the short walk.
Something was required from my end as well: trust. I had to buy into the idea that GPT-5 was an honest broker, picking my restaurant without bias; that the restaurant wasn’t shown to me as sponsored content and wasn’t getting a cut of my check. I could have done deep research on my own to double-check the recommendation (I did look up the website), but the point of using AI is to bypass that friction.
The experience bolstered my confidence in AI results but also made me wonder: As companies like OpenAI get more powerful, and as they try to pay back their investors, will AI be prone to the erosion of value that seems endemic to the tech apps we use today?
Word Play
Writer and tech critic Cory Doctorow calls that erosion “enshittification.” His premise is that platforms like Google, Amazon, Facebook, and TikTok start out aiming to please users, but once the companies vanquish competitors, they intentionally become less useful to reap bigger profits. After WIRED republished Doctorow’s pioneering 2022 essay about the phenomenon, the term entered the vernacular, mainly because people recognized that it was totally on the mark. Enshittification was chosen as the American Dialect Society’s 2023 Word of the Year. The concept has been cited so often that it transcends its profanity, appearing in venues that normally would hold their noses at such a word. Doctorow just published an eponymous book on the subject; the cover image is the emoji for … guess what.
If chatbots and AI agents become enshittified, it could be worse than Google Search becoming less useful, Amazon results getting plagued with ads, and even Facebook showing less social content in favor of anger-generating clickbait.
AI is on a trajectory to be a constant companion, giving one-shot answers to many of our requests. People already rely on it to help interpret current events and get advice on all sorts of buying choices—and even life choices. Because of the massive costs of creating a full-blown AI model, it’s fair to assume that only a few companies will dominate the field. All of them plan to spend hundreds of billions of dollars over the next few years to improve their models and get them into the hands of as many people as possible. Right now, I’d say AI is in what Doctorow calls the “good to the users” stage. But the pressure to make back the massive capital investments will be tremendous—especially for companies whose user base is locked in. Those conditions, as Doctorow writes, allow companies to abuse their users and business customers “to claw back all the value for themselves.”
When one imagines the enshittification of AI, the first thing that comes to mind is advertising. The nightmare is that AI models will make recommendations based on which companies have paid for placement. That’s not happening now, but AI firms are actively exploring the ad space. In a recent interview, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said, “I believe there probably is some cool ad product we can do that is a net win to the user and a sort of positive to our relationship with the user.” Meanwhile, OpenAI just announced a deal with Walmart so the retailer’s customers can shop inside the ChatGPT app. Can’t imagine a conflict there! The AI search platform Perplexity has a program where sponsored results appear in clearly labeled follow-ups. But, it promises, “these ads will not change our commitment to maintaining a trusted service that provides you with direct, unbiased answers to your questions.”
Google Scholar is a wonderful research resource. The free service covers a huge amount of the global scientific publishing enterprise, encompassing peer-reviewed articles, books, reports, conference papers, and preprints. It’s easy to use and accessible to anyone.
It also compiles citation counts as a rough indicator of a researcher’s influence. Of particular interest to academicians and university administrators is a scholar’s h-index. An h-index of 10, for instance, means a person has 10 papers with at least 10 citations each. The higher the h-index, the more influential the researcher’s work.
A recent prank by the Northwestern University metascience graduate student Reese Richardson and the Cambridge University engineer Nick Wise shows the h-index can be easily gamed to produce nonsensical results. A young writer named Larry Richardson’s recent articles on ostensibly abstruse mathematical issues earned him an h-index of 12. But “Larry Richardson” is a cat—briefly the world’s most cited cat. The pranksters created a profile for Larry and uploaded 12 self-citing fake articles to the preprint site ResearchGate, which gave the kitty that impressive h-index.
Funny, yes, but highlighting a serious problem. Many top-ranked universities rely on citation counts when considering hiring or promotion. And over 60 percent, according to a February study of citation mills in Scientific Reports, obtained citation data from Google Scholar. Anyone want to hire a mathematically gifted feline?
One of Google’s Gemini-powered photo features is MIA in Texas and Illinois. The company confirmed to Engadget that Ask Photos is currently unavailable in the two states. It didn’t say why. Google Photos’ Conversational Editing is reportedly missing in those states, too.
“The ability to ask Photos to edit your images is not available to users in Texas and Illinois at this time,” Google’s statement to Engadget reads. “We are working to determine how to make Ask Photos available to more users.”
As for why that is, we don’t have confirmation. But the Houston Chronicle, which first reported the news, pointed to a pair of lawsuit settlements as a likely culprit. In 2022, Google settled an Illinois class action suit over Google Photos data privacy concerns for $200 million. Earlier this year, it settled one with Texas for $1.4 billion over collecting user data without permission.
The common theme in both settlements was biometric data collection. Lo and behold, both of the missing AI features require “face grouping” to be turned on. That Google Photos feature uses automated facial recognition to cluster pictures of the same person.
The tricky part comes when state laws require informed consent for data collection. 9to5Googlenotes that only the photographer — and not the many subjects of their pictures — have typically agreed to Google’s terms and conditions. That creates a head-spinning legal conundrum that could have easily led Google to play it safe.
Most people think of AirTags when they picture a Bluetooth tracker. And indeed, Apple’s little white discs used to be the most capable option, relying on a vast finding network of nearby iPhones to pinpoint lost tags. But now, both Google and Samsung have implemented finding networks of their own. And other Bluetooth tracker companies, like Chipolo and Pebblebee, now have trackers that pair with either Google or Apple’s network too. In short, you’ve got a lot of options for tagging and tracking your keys, backpacks, luggage and more. So we tested all the major brands out there to see how they work and put together a guide to help you get the most out of your chosen tracker. Here are the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy.
Table of contents
Best Bluetooth trackers for 2025
Amy Skorheim for Engadget
Format: Disc with hole | Compatibility: Android and iPhone | Water resistance: IP55 (splash and dust resistant) | Battery life: 1 year | Replaceable battery: Yes | Distance for left-behind alerts: 450 ft. | Phone finder function: Yes, via Chipolo app
Chipolo’s previous fob, the Chipolo ONE, was our top pick for a couple years. The release of Samsung’s latest tag, new Tile trackers and other tags compatible with Google’s finding network didn’t manage to nudge it from its throne. The Chipolo Pop came out in early 2025 and it not only retains all the features we loved about the original tracker, but it also solved our one complaint about the previous model: Chipolo’s limited finding network.
The Pop tracker taps into either Google’s Find Hub or Apple’s Find My network, calling on every nearby Android or iPhone, respectively, to anonymously ping a lost tracker for accurate finding. Not only does it have some considerable lost-in-the wild chops, it’s also louder than an AirTag, can make your phone ring, has 12 different ring tones, comes in cute colors and, notably, has a dang hole unlike Apple’s slippery, accessory-requiring pebble.
It only works with one network at a time, but it’s easy to remove a device that’s connected to, say, an iPhone and then pair it up with a Galaxy handset. Setup was dead simple and fast. For both the iOS and Android tests, just bringing the Pop close to the phone triggered a prompt to pair it. Chipolo’s tag is no longer the loudest tracker we tested (Pebblebee’s Clip Universal holds that honor), but you won’t struggle to hear it — and it has 12 optional ringtones, including three that are holiday-themed.
Neither Apple AirTags nor third-party trackers working with Google’s Find Hub will let you ring your phone by squeezing the fob, but Chipolo Pop will. You’ll have to install the Chipolo app and give it permission to run in the background (doing so didn’t drastically drain either my iPhone or Android phone battery). The feature worked reliably in my tests and was highly appreciated, as my keys tend to stay put when I’m home, but my iPhone likes to roam around the house like a bored housecat.
iPhone users who walk away from an item tagged with the Find My network will get an alert before they get too far away (usually a couple blocks), but Google’s finding network has no similar ability. The Chipolo app enables left-behind (separation) alerts when using an Android phone. In my tests I got about 400 feet away from my stuff before getting a notification I’d forgotten something. That’s actually faster than AirTags’ notification and far quicker than Tile’s. Alerts were consistent whether I was forgetting an item at home, at a coffee shop or inside my car.
As far as losing stuff out in the wild, the Pop paired with Apple’s Find My network possesses the same spooky accuracy as an AirTag. In my iPhone test, I had a friend hide the tag about four blocks away from me next to a relatively busy coffee shop. Once they told me the tag had been stashed, I went to the Find My app to turn on the lost item feature — but no need, the finding network had already located it. I tapped to follow directions in Apple Maps and was taken within about two feet from the bush where it was hidden. Like my AirTags tests, I was both impressed with and slightly unnerved by the accuracy.
The finding skills that rely on the Android network were also impressive. Once the Pop was hidden, I marked it as lost and got a ping that it had been spotted about six minutes later. Again, the directions led me close enough to ring the tracker that I could find it.
Most people won’t need to rely on the finding network on a regular basis, which is why it’s important that Chipolo’s everyday locating abilities work well, too. Tapping the Play Sound function on either an Android or iPhone made the tag chirp almost instantly, and it was able to connect to nearby tags from further away than models from other brands.
Format: Smooth disc | Compatibility: iPhone | Water resistance: IP67 (water and dust-resistant) | Battery life: 1 year | Replaceable battery: Yes | Distance for left-behind alerts: 1,200 ft | Phone finder function: No
AirTags work with iOS’ Find My app and are registered to your Apple ID, so they don’t require any additional downloads. If you’ve used the Find My app before, you’ll likely understand how this works. These are the quietest of the trackers we tested and each time you press the Play Sound button, the tags only ring for seven seconds. You’ll need to keep pressing if you don’t find your item right away and AirTags can’t be used to ring your phone.
As for separation alerts, AirTags were consistent, always delivering a “left behind” alert when I traveled about 1,200 feet away, or about three square blocks, without an item. You can turn off separation alerts for any given tracker, as well as designate certain locations, such as your home or workplace, as exceptions for the notifications.
AirTags can tap into the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless protocol. This allows you to play a fun game of hot and cold with an item when it’s within about 25 feet of your iPhone. Directional arrows and a diminishing distance meter on your iPhone’s screen point you to an item without having to ring it. This worked reliably about 75 percent of the time in my tests; usually it was just easier to ring the item when the directional finding couldn’t keep a lock on the tracker.
UWB is supported by iPhone models 11 and later and while newer Galaxy and Pixel phones also support UWB, but the only Android-compatible tracker so far has been Samsung’s now-discontinued SmartTag+. In 2021, Tile a UWB tracker, but has long since missed its promised release window of “early 2022.”
AirTag’s ability to locate a lost item out in the city is almost eerie. I had someone (who was not carrying an iPhone) take my bike with a tracker hidden under the seat to a location a little over a half mile away. I set out a few minutes later and toggled on Notify When Found in the Find My app. Within three minutes, I received a notification that the bike had been “seen” near an address. Tapping on Directions navigates to Apple Maps, which took me to a spot about 30 feet from the bike. Had it been obscured from view, I could have then used the Find Nearby button to activate the UWB locating features. Ringing the tag was too quiet to hear on the sidewalk.
Both the Chipolo Pop and the Pebblebee Clip Universal will work with Apple’s Find My network, giving you the same eerily accurate finding capabilities. The Pop goes for the same $29 as the AirTag and the Clip Universal goes for $35, but the former is rechargeable and adds lights to the mix. Both have built-in holes for easier attachment and both ring louder than the AirTags. That said, AirTags are still the gold standard for iPhone users and remain our top pick for iOS devotees.
Format: Disc with silicone loop tab | Compatibility: Android and iPhone | Water resistance: IP67 (water and dust resistant) | Battery life: 6 mo. per charge | Replaceable battery: No (rechargeable) | Distance for left-behind alerts: 350 ft. Android, 900 ft. iPhone | Phone finder function: Yes, via Chipolo app
The Chipolo Loop is a souped up version of our top pick, the Chipolo Pop. Instead of a matte plastic disc with a hole in it, the Loop has a smooth face and a silicone attachment tab. Plus, it’s USB-C rechargeable and comes in more (and more fun) colors.
You’ll pay $10 more for those upgrades — and it’s debatable whether it’s easier to recharge a device every six months or swap in a new battery once a year — so our top pick is still the Pop. But if rechargeability is what you’re after, the Loop delivers, plus it has reliable finding chops, a simple setup and unique extra features.
The Chipolo Loop will work with either Apple’s Find My or Google’s Find Hub (but only one at a time). Pairing was braindead easy, just press the button on your new loop and do what it says on your phone. When I tested how quickly the finding community located a lost Loop, the results were the same as for other trackers using the two major finding networks: I was alerted to its discovery in about seven minutes when connected to Apple’s system and a little over 20 minutes on Google’s.
The fob itself also worked as intended when locating misplaced items in my house. I tossed it willy-nilly into my bedroom and used my phone to make it ring from across the house. When I left it in the (unattached) garage, I could get it to play a sound from my porch, and it was audible enough for me to hear. It also has a flashing LED light, but it’s so small as to be irrelevant.
What puts the Loop above other rechargeable trackers such as the Pebblebee Universal, is the extra features it imparts — solving shortcomings for both Apple and Google’s finding apps. For example, neither Google nor Apple’s finding apps let you use your fob to find your phone — but with the Chipolo app installed, double squeezing the Loop makes your phone ring (even on silent mode).
While Android phones natively let you set the volume of the tracker, iPhones don’t — unless you have the Chipolo app. Apple’s Find My gives users left-behind alerts but Google’s Find Hub doesn’t. Chipolo’s app restores that feature to Android users so they get a ping when their phone ventures away from the tracker. The only drawback there is that you can’t set “safe” locations, such as your home. That means your phone will ping you every time you leave your Loop behind, even if you leave it at home. That’s fine for something you always want to have, like your keys, but could get annoying for things you don’t always need to bring, like a jacket or luggage. Luckily you can enable left-behind alerts on a per-item basis.
Because these extra features are handled through the company’s app, you’ll need to enable notifications and allow it to run in the background. When I did so, I didn’t notice a significant battery draw from the Chipolo app on either my iPhone or Galaxy handset.
Pros
Attractive design and colors
Rechargeable battery
Allows you to find your phone with the Chipolo app
Good Bluetooth range
Multiple ring tone options and adjustable volume
Cons
The LED light isn’t very noticeable
No option to set “safe” locations for left behind alerts (Android only)
Format: Oblong fob with hole | Compatibility: Samsung phones | Water resistance: IP67 (water and dust-resistant) | Battery life: 16 months | Replaceable battery: Yes | Distance for left-behind alerts: 1,300 ft. | Phone finder function: Yes
Nothing can beat the vastness of Apple’s Find My network, since it relies on every nearby iPhone to help locate AirTags. The number of Samsung phones in the US may be smaller than the number of Apple handsets out there, but it’s still significant. The new SmartTag 2 relies on those phones to offer a finding network that may not best Apple’s, but it was the first tag to offer anything close to Apple’s network.
Of course, now that Google has it’s own expanded Find Hub network, Samsung’s network falls to third place in terms of size.
The SmartTag 2 only works with Samsung devices and after testing one out with a Galaxy S23, I was impressed how quickly it was able to find tagged items out in the wild, though the precision didn’t quite match that of Apple. Of all the trackers I’ve tried, I like the design of the SmartTag the best. It’s an oblong fob with a big hole for attaching directly to your keys, or you can buy the optional silicone case and ring Samsung offers. Its volume is louder than the AirTag and the Tile Pro, but not as loud as either the Chipolo One or the Pebblebee Clip. You can also change the tag’s ringtone or double squeeze it to ring your handset, both things that you can’t do with AirTags.
Setup is simple as well: once you remove the plastic pull tab, your phone senses the tracker and walks you through the standard permissions (location services, notifications) and warnings (don’t use the tracker on people). The companion app, SmartThings Find, tracks your Samsung devices and the SmartTag with an intuitive and clean Google Maps-based interface.
As for how the tag works in practice, I found the left behind alerts triggered reliably when I got about three blocks (1,200 feet or so) away when walking and about eight blocks away when driving. That’s far longer than Chipolo’s alerts, a little longer than Apple’s notifications and about on par with Tile’s left-behind feature.
When the tag is out of range and you enable Lost Mode, you’ll get an alert when it’s spotted by another Samsung phone. The tag also uses NFC to display your contact info and a custom note to anyone who finds the tracker, regardless of the brand of smartphone they carry. Of course, whoever finds it would need to know to hold it to the back of their phone to get the message, and it was harder to trigger with my iPhone when the tag was in the silicone holder.
To test the finding network, I asked a friend (without a phone in their pocket) to wander a half mile away with the tag. About 12 minutes after turning on Lost Mode, I got a message that the SmartTag was “spotted by a nearby device” with a dropped pin. I tapped Navigate in the app, which opened Google Maps and led me to a point directly across a moderately busy street from where my friend was standing. If I’d left the tag behind somewhere I’d recently been, just seeing the location on the map would have been enough to jog my memory as to where I might have dropped my stuff. But if someone had stolen the tagged item and I was wandering the streets trying to get it back, vigilante style, it may not have been precise enough to help. It may not be as accurate as the iPhone-and-AirTag combo, but the SmartTag 2 is a solid entry in the Bluetooth tracker market and a good option if you have a Samsung phone.
Format: Disc with hole | Compatibility: Android and iPhone | Water resistance: IPX6 (water spray resistant) | Battery life: 1 year | Replaceable battery: No (rechargeable) | Distance for left-behind alerts: 800 ft. (iPhone only) | Phone finder function: No
The feels sturdy, with a strong metal ring encircling the fob. Built-in lights help you locate lost items in the dark and it can recharge using a standard USB-C port. Like the Chipolo Pop and Loop, the Clip Universal works with either Google or Apple’s finding networks. In tests where I hid the fob out in the city, the respective apps accurately led me close enough to the tracker to ring it, but took longer than other fobs on the same networks. In tests around the house and in my garage, my tester phones didn’t connect to the Clip quite as quickly as they did to the Chipolo Pop.
The Chipolo options also provide a few extra features, such as the ability to ring your phone, so they slightly edged out Pebblebee’s tracker. The Clip Universale does have two major perks, however. For one, it’s ear splittingly loud. My phone’s decibel meter app clocked it at 91dB — a level that can cause hearing damage if you’re exposed to it for too long. Paired with the flashing lights, it’s one of the easiest trackers to find.
Another perk is the new personal safety feature called . When you squeeze the tag five times, it triggers a loud siren, bright flashes from the LED light and sends a notification to people you designate within the Pebblebee app. There’s a free version that lets you designate one person and sends a static location or a $3 monthly version that notifies five people and sends a live location.
Bluetooth trackers are small discs or cards that rely on short-range, low-energy wireless signals to communicate with your smartphone. Attach one of these gadgets your stuff and, if it’s in range, your phone can “ring” the chip so you can find it. These tracking devices offer other features like separation alerts to tell you when you’ve left a tagged item behind, or where a lost item was last detected. Some can even tap into a larger network of smartphones to track down your device when you’re out of range. Depending on what you want the tracker to do, there are a few specs to look for when deciding which to get.
Device compatibility
Like most things from the folks in Cupertino, AirTags only work with products in the Apple ecosystem. Both Apple and Google have opened up access to the Find My and Find Hub networks to third-party manufacturers, including Chipolo and Pebblebee. Those two companies make device-agnostic models that will work with the larger tracking network from either brand, so iPhone and Android users can buy the same tag. Tile trackers work with either Android or Apple devices, but use Tile’s own Life 360 finding network. Samsung’s latest fob, the Galaxy SmartTag2, only works with Samsung phones and taps into a finding system that relies on other Samsung devices to locate lost tags.
Finding network
Crowd-sourced finding capabilities are what make headlines, with stories about recovering stolen equipment or tracking lost luggage across the globe. Using anonymous signals that ping other people’s devices, these Bluetooth tracking devices can potentially tell you where a tagged item is, even if your smartphone is out of Bluetooth range.
Apple’s Find My network is the largest, with over a billion iPhones and iPads in service all running Apple’s Find My app by default. So unless an iPhone user opts out, their phone silently acts as a location detector for any nearby AirTags. Apple recently increased the AirTag’s finding power by enabling you to share the location of a lost tag with a third party, party, like an airline. Chipolo fobs that work on Apple’s network have the same ability. Google launched its Find My Device network in 2024 and has since renamed it Find Hub, which, like Apple’s fining app, combines devices and people finding in one place. That network is now a close second for the largest in the US
Now that Google’s Find Hub network is up and running, it’s a close second for the largest in the US. Like Apple, Android users are automatically part of the network, but can opt-out by selecting the Google services option in their phone’s Settings app and toggling the option in the Find Hub menu. Samsung’s SmartTag 2 and related network also defaults to an opt-in status for finding tags and other devices.
Tile offers a large finding grid that includes Tile users, Amazon Sidewalk customers and people running the Life360 network. Life360 acquired Tile in 2021, and, according to the company, the Life360 network has more than 70 million monthly active users.
In our tests, AirTags and third-party tags using its network, like the Chipolo Loop and Pop and the Pebblebee Clip Universal, were the fastest to track down lost items. They offered nearly real-time location data in moderately to heavily trafficked spots around Albuquerque, including a bar, bookstore and coffee shops in Nob Hill, along with various outdoor hangouts on UNM’s campus.
Samsung’s SmartTags were able to locate our lost items most of the time, though not with the same precision finding accuracy as AirTags. When we tested Google’s Find Hub (then called Find My Device) network right after launch, it was noticeably slower than Apple’s network when using the community finding feature. Testing it again in 2025, the time it took to locate a lost item was considerably improved, taking less than 20 minutes on average for the community to track a fob. In our tests, Tile’s finding network wasn’t able to consistently locate its lost fobs.
Separation alerts
A tracker’s day-to-day utility becomes really apparent when it prevents you from losing something in the first place. Separation alerts tell you when you’ve traveled too far from your tagged items. Useful if you want to make sure your laptop bag, jacket or umbrella always comes with you when you leave the house.
Apple’s Find My app delivers these notifications, but Google’s Find Hub does not. However, if you have a Chipolo device and allow its companion app to run in the background on your Android phone, left-behind alerts are enabled. Tile trackers require a yearly subscription to enable the alerts (currently $7 to $25 monthly). Both AirTags and Tiles allow you to turn off separation alerts at certain locations, meaning you can set your home as a “safe” place where items can be left behind, but alerts will still trigger elsewhere.
In our tests, AirTags and others using the Find My network alerted us between the 600- and 1,400-foot mark. Tiles sent a notification after about an average of 1,500 feet and were more consistent when using an Android phone than an iPhone. Chipolo Pop tags paired with an Android phone and using its own app sent an alert when we got around 450 feet away from our tagged item.
Connectivity and volume
The feature you may use most often is the key finder function, which makes the tracker ring when you hit a button in the app. With Apple’s AirTags, you can say “Hey Siri, where are my keys?” and the assistant will ring the tag (assuming it doesn’t mistakenly think you’re asking for directions to the Floridian archipelago). You can also use the Find Item app in your Apple Watch to ring your fob. Asking smart home/personal assistants like Alexa or the Google Assistant to find your keys will work with Chipolo, Tile and Pebblebee trackers linked to your Android device.
If you have your tag but can’t find your phone, some trackers will let you ring them to find your handset. SmartTag2 fobs reliably rang our Galaxy phone when we double-pressed it. Tile trackers have the same feature. Chipolo Pop and Loop trackers can ring your phone, but uses the Chipolo app to do so, which can run concurrently with the Find My or Find Hub connection. AirTags and third-party tags using Google’s network don’t offer this feature.
The volume of the Bluetooth tracking device may determine whether you can find an item buried in your couch cushions or in a noisy room. AirTags have a reputation for being on the quiet side, and that aligned with what we saw (measuring roughly 65 decibels). Chipolo’s Pop tags and Tile’s Pro model measure between 83 and 86 decibels on average. Pebblebee’s new Clip Universal was the loudest of any tag we’ve tested, clocking in at 91 ear-splitting decibels.
Design and alternative formats
Design will determine what you can attach the tracker to. AirTags are small, smooth discs that can’t be secured to anything without accessories, which are numerous, but that is an additional cost to consider. Chipolo, Pebblebee and Tile offer trackers with holes that easily attach to your key ring, and all three companies also offer card-shaped versions designed to fit in your wallet. Pebblebee Clip Universal tags come with a handy carabiner-style key ring.
You can even get trackers embedded into useful items like luggage locks. The SmartLock from KeySmart is a TSA-approved luggage lock, but in addition to the three digit code, it’s also a Bluetooth tracker that’s compatible with Apple Find My. It wasn’t quite as loud as other trackers in my tests, and the range wasn’t as long, but it paired easily and worked with Apple’s finding network just like an AirTag.
Battery life
AirTag, Tile Pro, SmartTag2 and Chipolo Pop fobs use replaceable batteries and each should go for at least a year before needing to be swapped. Tile Mate and card-shaped trackers don’t have replaceable batteries, which means you’ll have to replace the entire unit whenever it dies. Pebblebee Clip Universal Clip Universal and Chipolo Loop trackers are rechargeable via a standard USB-C port. They’re also equipped with onboard LEDs (though the light on the Loop is barely noticeable).
Stalking, theft and data privacy
AirTags have gotten a lot of attention and even prompted some lawsuits for Apple due to bad actors planting them on people in order to stalk them. While this fact may not influence your buying decision, any discussion of Bluetooth trackers should note what steps Apple, Google and Tile have taken to address the issue. Last year, all the major players in the Bluetooth tracker business teamed up to combat misuse and standardize how unauthorized tracking detection and alerts work for iOS and Android.
Last year, Tile launched a feature called Anti-Theft Mode, which enables you to render one of its trackers undetectable by others. That means if someone steals your tagged item, they won’t be able to use the anti-stalking features to find and disable the tracker. That sort of negates one of the major ways potential stalking victims can stay safe, so Tile hopes ID verification and a $1 million penalty will deter misuse.
As a theft deterrent, a Bluetooth tracker may or may not be the best option. Anecdotal stories abound in which people have recovered stolen goods using a tracker — but other tales are morecautionary. Neither Apple nor Google promotes its trackers or finding networks as a way to deal with theft. GPS trackers, on the other hand, are typically marketed for just that purpose.
How we tested Bluetooth trackers
Before deciding on which trackers to test, we researched the field, looking at user reviews on Amazon, Best Buy and other retailers, along with discussions on sites like Reddit. We also checked out what other publications had to say on the matter before narrowing down our options.
Here’s the full list of every tracker we tested:
After acquiring the trackers, I tested each one over the course of a few weeks using both an iPhone 11 followed by an iPhone 16 and a Samsung Galaxy S22 then an S23 Ultra. I recreated likely user experiences, such as losing and leaving items behind at home and out in the city. I planted trackers at different spots near downtown Albuquerque, mostly concentrated in and around the University of New Mexico and the surrounding neighborhood of Nob Hill. Later, I conducted tests in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle.
Each test was performed multiple times, both while walking and driving and I used the measure distance feature on Google Maps to track footage for alerts. I paid attention to how easy the app was to use, how reliable the phone-to-tracker connection was and any other perks and drawbacks that came up during regular use.
As new trackers come to market, or as we learn of worthy models to try, I’ll test them and add the results to this guide.
Other Bluetooth trackers we tested
Motorola Moto Tag
The Moto Tag haunts me. At this very moment, my Galaxy phone says the fob is “Near you right now.” But I don’t know where. I tap to play a sound and the Find Hub tries, but ultimately says it can’t. I tap the Find Nearby function that’s supposed to visually guide you to the tag. I parade my phone around the house like a divining rod, take it down into the basement, walk it all over the garage. Nothing. But the Hub app unendingly says the Moto Tag is “Near you right now” and I get flashes of every old-school horror movie where the telephone operator tells the soon-to-be victim that the call is coming from inside the house.
It’s partly my fault. I tend to keep good tabs on the gadgets I test for work. But during my most recent move, the tiny green disc didn’t make it into the safety of my review unit cabinet after relocation. Perhaps in retribution for my neglect, the Moto Tag keeps itself just out of reach. Taunting me. I’ll let you know if I ever find it, but in the meantime, it’s clear this finding device doesn’t want to be found. The recommended tags in this guide will serve you better.
Tile Pro and Tile Mate (2024)
Tile recently came out with a new suite of trackers, replacing the Tile Mate, Tile Pro, Tile Sticker and Tile Slim with updated models. In addition to fun new colors for the Mate and Slim, Tile added an SOS feature that can send a notification to your Life360 Circle when you triple press the button on the tracker. It’s a clever addition that turns your keys into a panic button, something offered by personal safety companies as standalone devices.
There are a few caveats: You and the people you want to notify in an emergency will need the Life360 app installed on your phones. If you want your Tile to also trigger a call to emergency services, you’ll need a $15-per-month Life360 subscription (that’s in addition to a Tile membership, which starts at $3/month or $30 annually). And enabling the SOS triple-press disables the ability to ring your phone with the fob.
I tested the SOS feature and it did indeed send a text message to my Circle, with the message that I had triggered an SOS and a link to a website that showed my current location. I thought it odd that the link didn’t open the Life360 app (which shows the location of users’ phones), but I wasn’t as much concerned with Tile’s personal safety features as I was with the tracking capabilities, which turned out to be less than ideal.
For my tests, I planted Tile trackers in a densely populated area of Seattle (about 15,000 people per square mile). After setting the trackers to “lost” in the Tile app, I waited. After four hours, one of the trackers was not discovered by the finding community, so I went and retrieved it. Another fob I planted alerted me that the tracker had been found by the Tile community after three hours — but the location it gave me was off by a third of a mile. I then decided to plant a tracker in the busiest place I could think of — the dried fruit and nuts aisle of a Trader Joes on a Friday evening before a major holiday. It still took over a half an hour before another Tile user anonymously pinged my lost tracker.
In my tests with Samsung’s trackers and the fobs on Google’s Find Hub network, it took around ten minutes for them to be discovered. AirTags took half that time and all were tested in a far less populated city. Four hours with no ping and over a half hour before getting a hit in a crowded TJs were pretty long stretches.
Tile devices work with both mobile operating systems and its latest models are indeed louder than they were before. But they aren’t as quick to connect and you need to pay for a membership to activate left-behind alerts. And when you do, those notifications don’t kick in as quickly as they do with competing trackers.
Bluetooth tracker FAQs
Which Bluetooth tracker has the longest range?
Both the Tile Pro and the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 claim a maximum range of around 400 feet, which is longer than the 300-foot claim for Chipolo’s Pop tags. The Pebblebee Clip Universal claims a 500-foot range, though other trackers with a shorter claimed range performed better in our tests. Apple doesn’t make range claims for AirTags. Any Bluetooth signal, of course, is dependent on a few factors. Obstacles like walls and people can block the signal, so a clear line of sight is the only way to achieve the maximum range. Other signals, like Wi-Fi, can also interfere with Bluetooth connections. Even high humidity can have an effect and lessen the distance at which your phone will connect to your tracker.
Remember, when considering the range of Bluetooth trackers, the size of the “finding network” also comes into play. This is the number of nearby phones that can be used to anonymously ping your tracker when your own phone is out of Bluetooth range. As of now, Apple AirTags have the largest network, followed by Google’s Find Hub, Samsung’s finding community and Tile’s Life360 members.
What is the best Bluetooth tracker for a car?
Bluetooth trackers are designed to track small, personal items like keys, jackets, backpacks and the like. All trackers have safeguards to prohibit the tag from being used to stalk people, so most will alert someone if a tracker that does not belong to them is detected following them. That means a car thief may get tipped off that there’s a tracker in the car they’re trying to steal. That said, you’ll see plenty of stories about people finding their car thanks to a Bluetooth tracker. Some policedepartments have even handed out trackers to combat high rates of carjacking. In most instances, the tracker of choice has been AirTags thanks to their wide finding network. If you’re looking for a tracker for your car, you may want to look into GPS trackers, some of which are designed for just that purpose.
How accurate are Bluetooth trackers?
Accuracy for Bluetooth trackers can be looked at in two ways: Finding items nearby and finding items misplaced outside your home. For nearby items, you’ll most often use the ring function on the device to hunt it down. Apple’s AirTags also use ultra-wideband technology, which creates directional navigation on your phone to get you within a foot of the tracker.
Accurately finding lost items outside your home depends on the size of the finding network. Since this relies on the serendipity of a random phone passing within Bluetooth range of your tracker, the more phones on a given network, the better. And since Bluetooth ranges and distance estimates are only precise within about a meter or so, getting pings from more than one phone will help locating items. Here again, it’s worth noting that Apple’s Find My network is the largest, followed by Google, Samsung and Tile (both Chipolo and Pebblebee have fobs that work with the Apple and Google networks).
Recent Updates
October 2025: Added Chipolo Loop as a new pick for best rechargeable Bluetooth tracker. Detailed our experience with the Moto Tag and KeySmart SmartLock. Updated details about separation alerts and Ultra Wideband tech.
August 2025: Updated the name of Google’s finding network to Find Hub, instead of Find My Device. Added details about Pebblebee’s new Alert feature. Added a table of contents.
Google has released a new update to its Veo AI video generation model that should make it do a better job of sticking to prompts and converting images into videos. Veo 3.1 is available to try today through Google’s Gemini API and is now also powering the company’s Flow video editor.
Veo 3.1 builds on the new capabilities Google introduced with launch of Veo 3 at Google I/O 2025. The new model offers better “prompt adherence,” according to Google, and should have an easier time creating videos based on the image “ingredients” you upload alongside your written prompt. Veo 3.1 also makes it possible to convert images to video and generate audio at the same time, a capability that wasn’t available with Veo 3.
In Flow, Veo 3.1 supports at least a new feature that gives you finer control over the videos you generate. With what Google calls “Frame to Video,” Flow lets you upload a first and last frame, and then generates the video in-between. Adobe Firefly, which is powered by Veo 3, offers a similar feature, but Flow will be able to pull it off and create audio at the same time. Those added audio skills will also apply to the video editor’s ability to extend clips and insert objects into existing footage, too.
Based on the samples Google’s shared, videos generated with Veo 3.1 still have an uncanny quality that seems to vary greatly depending on the prompt and subject. Even if it’s missing some of the realism of OpenAI’s Sora 2, though, the company’s decision to try and make Veo more useful to people who actually work with video rather than a source of social media spam is a welcome move.
Android devices are vulnerable to a new attack that can covertly steal two-factor authentication codes, location timelines, and other private data in less than 30 seconds.
The new attack, named Pixnapping by the team of academic researchers who devised it, requires a victim to first install a malicious app on an Android phone or tablet. The app, which requires no system permissions, can then effectively read data that any other installed app displays on the screen. Pixnapping has been demonstrated on Google Pixel phones and the Samsung Galaxy S25 phone and likely could be modified to work on other models with additional work. Google released mitigations last month, but the researchers said a modified version of the attack works even when the update is installed.
Like Taking a Screenshot
Pixnapping attacks begin with the malicious app invoking Android programming interfaces that cause the authenticator or other targeted apps to send sensitive information to the device screen. The malicious app then runs graphical operations on individual pixels of interest to the attacker. Pixnapping then exploits a side channel that allows the malicious app to map the pixels at those coordinates to letters, numbers, or shapes.
“Anything that is visible when the target app is opened can be stolen by the malicious app using Pixnapping,” the researchers wrote on an informational website. “Chat messages, 2FA codes, email messages, etc. are all vulnerable since they are visible. If an app has secret information that is not visible (e.g., it has a secret key that is stored but never shown on the screen), that information cannot be stolen by Pixnapping.”
The new attack class is reminiscent of GPU.zip, a 2023 attack that allowed malicious websites to read the usernames, passwords, and other sensitive visual data displayed by other websites. It worked by exploiting side channels found in GPUs from all major suppliers. The vulnerabilities that GPU.zip exploited have never been fixed. Instead, the attack was blocked in browsers by limiting their ability to open iframes, an HTML element that allows one website (in the case of GPU.zip, a malicious one) to embed the contents of a site from a different domain.
Pixnapping targets the same side channel as GPU.zip, specifically the precise amount of time it takes for a given frame to be rendered on the screen.
In order to avoid paying billions of dollars in fines for violating the European Union’s Digital Markets Act, Google is considering changing how search results are displayed, Reuters reports. EU regulators first took issue with Google’s Search and Play Store businesses in March 2025, claiming it favored its own services in search results over third-party options and prevented developers from informing customers of alternative ways of accessing apps.
One of regulators main issues with Google Search was that Google appeared to favor results from services like Google Flights or Google Hotels over ones from “vertical search services,” providers that specialize in displaying search results from a specific industry, like Expedia or Hotels.com. To avoid fines, Google now wants Search to give VSS businesses equal treatment in results.
“We will create the opportunity for each VSS to show its own box on Search. A VSS box will be populated with results from that VSS inventory,” Google said in a proposal viewed by Reuters. Results from Google’s own services will exist with the same formatting alongside, and the winning VSS box will be displayed in search results based on “objective and non-discriminatory criteria.” Importantly, search results from actual airlines and car rental companies won’t be excluded, they’ll also appear in a box “above or below the VSS box depending on the relevance to the user’s query.”
Engadget has asked Google to comment on Reuters‘report and to confirm the details of its proposed changes to Google Search. We’ll update this article if we hear back.
Like Apple, Google faces significant scrutiny from the EU because of its monopolistic control over its various platforms and services. The threat of fines from the DMA has forced Apple to open up its products to third-party app stores, among a host of other changes. Clearly, Google is willing to tweak what once seemed like untouchable pillars of its business to avoid fines, too. Whether these proposed changes will be enough for the regulators remains to be seen, though.
Google is tweaking how sponsored results will appear in Search. Going forward, it will group any text ads on the Search page into a “Sponsored results” section that will appear at the top of the screen. The size of the ads is unchanged and Google says there will never be more than four ads in a grouping. Once you scroll past the section with ads, you can click a button to hide all sponsored results.
According to Google, “the new design helps people navigate the top of the page more easily.” Maybe that’s because people have gotten used to automatically looking farther down the search results to skip the AI Overviews. Google’s announcement even noted that the sponsored tab might appear either above or below its AI-generated summary. What’s another second of scrolling to actually reach information? But lest you scroll too far, Google will also have a “Sponsored results” section at the very bottom of the page that can only be hidden after you’ve seen those hits.
The new approach is currently rolling out globally on mobile and desktop platforms.
Navigation apps have become an essential part of modern life. Whether you are commuting to work, running errands or exploring a new city, relying on accurate directions and real-time traffic updates can make all the difference. Over the past decade, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps have emerged as the dominant players in this space, each offering a distinct approach to navigation.
While millions of people rely on these apps daily, choosing the right one can depend on a variety of factors, from interface design to privacy policies. In this article, we compare these three apps across usability, accuracy, features and data handling to help you determine which one best fits your needs.
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What each app does best
Google Maps is widely regarded as the all-rounder. It combines extensive mapping data with points of interest, public transit information, Street View, Live View AR and detailed business listings. Its versatility makes it a top choice for both daily commuters and travelers.
Google Maps is a great way to explore the world with detailed routes, Street View, and real-time traffic insights.(OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)
Waze, on the other hand, is designed primarily for drivers. It thrives on community input, offering live updates about traffic jams, road hazards, accidents and even police presence. Since Google owns Waze, many Waze-style real-time alerts have now begun appearing directly inside Google Maps. While Waze still focuses on driving, this integration blurs the lines between the two apps.
Apple Maps has made major strides in recent years. Once considered the underdog, it’s now a solid choice for iOS users. Its clean interface, privacy-focused design and seamless integration with Siri, CarPlay and Apple Watch make it a convenient pick for those fully in the Apple ecosystem.
When it comes to interface, each app approaches design differently.
Google Maps provides a dense but intuitive layout, giving users access to multiple layers of information, including traffic, satellite imagery and public transit routes. Switching between driving, walking, biking and transit is straightforward, and the search functionality is robust, often displaying detailed business profiles, ratings, and hours of operation.
Waze prioritizes active driving support. Its interface is visually bold, with clear alerts for traffic jams, accidents and road hazards submitted by other users. While some may find the screen slightly cluttered, the focus is entirely on driving efficiency, which makes sense given its target audience.
Waze helps to put you on a faster route with live, community-driven alerts that help you dodge traffic jams and road hazards. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Apple Maps offers a minimalist, streamlined interface that emphasizes simplicity. Searching for locations, initiating navigation, and following turn-by-turn instructions is straightforward. The app works seamlessly with iOS features like Siri and CarPlay, providing a smooth and cohesive experience for Apple users.
Navigation accuracy and performance
Accurate routing and timely traffic updates are critical.
Google Maps remains the most reliable for precise routing and travel time estimates. It combines AI-enhanced predictive routing with historical and live traffic data to suggest the best route. Its consistency holds strong across urban and rural areas alike.
Waze is unmatched for real-time rerouting. Relying heavily on crowd-sourced reports, it often detects slowdowns or hazards before Google Maps does. However, it still struggles when offline or in areas with poor data coverage.
Apple Maps has significantly improved its routing accuracy, especially in cities. Its traffic data is now crowd-sourced from millions of iPhones, processed on-device to protect privacy. In some rural or international regions, though, it can still lag behind Google Maps and Waze.
Apple Maps offers seamless use with your iPhone and CarPlay for smooth and privacy-focused navigation. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Features and ecosystem integration
Beyond basic navigation, each app offers additional tools and integrations.
Google Maps offers offline maps, Live View AR navigation, multi-stop routing, EV charger locations and indoor maps for airports and malls. Integration with Gmail, Calendar and Google Assistant creates a seamless travel experience.
Waze remains focused on social and driving-specific features. You can report hazards or police sightings and even control Spotify, Audible or podcasts directly from the app without switching screens.
Apple Maps leans into privacy and ecosystem benefits. Its “Look Around” feature rivals Street View, while EV routing, cycling paths and Siri integration make it ideal for Apple fans. Apple also uses anonymized “Look Around” imagery to train its AI models, but with strict privacy safeguards like blurring faces and plates.
How these apps handle your personal data matters more than ever.
Google Maps collects detailed location and usage data to power personalization and advertising. That means better recommendations, but less privacy for users who prefer anonymity.
Waze, also owned by Google, gathers anonymized driving data to enhance community reporting. Its functionality depends on sharing your location in real time, which is necessary for crowd-sourced accuracy.
Apple Maps takes a different approach. It processes most data on-device, uses random identifiers instead of personal accounts and does not associate searches with your Apple ID. That makes it the most privacy-conscious option, though even Apple collects anonymized data for traffic and route improvements.
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Kurt’s key takeaway
There is no single “best” navigation app, and the right choice depends on your priorities. Google Maps is ideal if you want a feature-packed, versatile app that works well for a variety of transportation modes and travel scenarios. Its global coverage and rich data make it reliable for everyday use and exploration. Waze is best if your main concern is real-time driving efficiency. Its community-driven traffic alerts and dynamic rerouting help you avoid congestion and save time during daily commutes. Apple Maps suits users deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem who value simplicity, clean design and privacy protections. It may not have as many features as Google Maps or the same real-time edge as Waze, but its seamless integration with iOS makes it convenient.
Which navigation app do you rely on most for daily commuting, and why? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
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