I have an AirTag attached to my keyring to keep track of my keys, but an AirTag isn’t quite practical for fitting inside a wallet. That’s where the SwitchBot Wallet Finder comes into play. (Currently, it’s available for 30% off due to Black Friday, making it a better deal than usual!)
Featuring a slim, credit-card design, the SwitchBot Wallet Finder syncs with the Find My app on your iPhone, allowing you to track its location. Additionally, it has a speaker that enables you to make it beep, aiding in the search for your wallet when it inevitably gets misplaced at home.
Setup
Setting it up is incredibly straightforward. While it technically supports its own application and Android devices, I have exclusively used it with the Apple Find My app on my iPhone without downloading the SwitchBot app. To configure it, simply open Find My, select Add Item, and then press and hold the button on the Wallet Finder for a few seconds.
You can then assign a name and emoji to help identify it later. The default suggestion was ‘Benjamin’s Keys,’ but I changed it to ‘Benjamin’s Wallet,’ picked a relevant emoji, pressed Continue, and that was it! It fits perfectly into one of the card slots in my wallet.
How it tracks location
Just to clarify, Find My accessories don’t feature GPS. Instead, they send out a low-energy Bluetooth signal that nearby Apple devices — such as iPhones, iPads, and Macs — can detect. The location is securely transmitted to the Find My network, helping you to locate and retrieve your lost item.
Even if you’re far away, as long as someone with an Apple device is within range, you’ll still see your wallet’s location on the Find My map. There are no recurring subscription fees or other costs to worry about (unlike some other brands).
As evidenced by the success of AirTags, the Find My network is highly effective, and the SwitchBot Wallet Finder performs equally well. If your wallet is immobile and close to one of billions of iOS devices globally, its location will appear quickly in Find My. If it’s in motion, the location updates are slightly delayed compared to real-time.
You also have the option to mark your wallet as lost using the Find My app. If someone finds your wallet, they can use the Identify Found Item feature in Find My, which will provide them with your contact information to help return it to you. The upcoming iOS 18.2 update will even include a feature to create a shareable link that can help others assist in tracking down lost items.
Finding nearby using the speaker
Unlike AirTags, the Wallet Finder doesn’t have an ultra-wideband radio. Therefore, it lacks the Precision Finding capability that AirTags offer when in close proximity.
Nonetheless, the built-in speaker in the Wallet Finder is more than adequate for locating your misplaced wallet. When within Bluetooth range, the card emits a sufficiently loud sound. It is somewhat quieter than the tone emitted by an AirTag and may be muffled inside a closed wallet, but it is still loud enough to be heard from a reasonable distance.
For those (embarrassingly frequent) occasions where I’ve misplaced my wallet at home, I can easily open the Find My app, hit ‘Play Sound,’ and hear it ring out from whichever room it’s in.
The Find My app is also compatible with Siri, offering an extra layer of convenience. For instance, I can simply ask my HomePod, ‘where’s my wallet?’ and it will begin pinging the card for me.
Safety and tracking
Just like AirTags, the Wallet Finder is intended as a tool for recovering lost items. It is not built for issues related to theft or the malicious tracking of individuals. If the device is separated from its owner for too long, the speaker will activate to draw attention to its whereabouts, and ‘Unknown Item Moving With You’ alerts will trigger on nearby iPhones.
It’s important to note that someone else who has the Wallet Finder can deactivate its Find My connection by executing a specific shutdown sequence.
Conclusion
If utilized for its designed purpose, the SwitchBot Wallet Finder proves to be highly effective and offers great value. While it’s primarily made to fit inside a wallet, it even features a built-in hole for those who might want to attach it to a lanyard or keychain. I highly recommend it.
The only potential drawback is that the Wallet Finder lacks a battery replacement option. It is a single-use device, rated for about three years of use. However, given the value of the contents of your wallet, it likely makes sense financially to simply purchase another one once it eventually wears out. You just have to be mindful of the environmental impact.
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