Microchips vs GPS Trackers and Airtags

A microchip cannot tell you where your pet is: it is a permanent ID number that a vet or a shelter reads with a scanner, not a tracker on a map.

Trackers such as a GPS collar or an AirTag do the opposite: they show you a location, but they hang off the collar, so they come off when the collar does. They solve different halves of the same problem, which is why most people end up using both.

What each one actually does

• Microchip. Implanted under the skin and stays for life. No battery, nothing to charge, cannot fall off. Only readable by someone with a scanner, and only useful if the registration behind it is current.

• GPS tracker. Attaches to the collar and reports a live location to your phone. Needs charging, usually needs a subscription, and is only on the pet while the collar is.

• Bluetooth tag, such as an AirTag. Not GPS. It reports its position when it passes near someone else's phone, so it works well in a busy area and poorly in an empty one. Also collar-mounted.

Why a microchip is still the one that gets pets home

When a stray is picked up, the finder does not have your phone. They take the pet to a vet or a shelter, and the first thing that happens there is a scan. That is the moment the microchip earns its place, and it works whether or not the collar survived, the battery lasted, or the pet was found somewhere with phone signal.

The catch is that a scan only helps if the contact details attached to the chip are current. See updating your contact and emergency contact details.

Using both

A tracker can tell you which street to search tonight. A microchip is what brings your pet back if the tracker is lying in a hedge. Neither replaces a visible collar tag, which is what lets a neighbor phone you directly without going anywhere near a scanner.

Sign in to your Adopterluv account to check what your microchip currently points at, or read what microchips do (and don't do).