Those needing to keep track of something living a tough life should consider the Rolling Square AirNotch Pro. It does the same thing as an Apple AirTag, but beats Apple’s tracker tag with sheer volume and a few other tricks, too.
It’s rugged, and connects to Apple’s Find My network so no additional app is needed to locate the tag with an iPhone.
I tested AirNotch Pro for months. Here’s what I found.
Rolling Square AirNotch Pro review
Hunting around your home for the misplaced car keys feels so frustrating, especially when it wasn’t you that misplaced them, it was your spouse or teenager. Tracker tags are the solution. Put one on any item that gets misplaced, and your iPhone will lead you right to it.
It’s a common enough problem that Apple created the Find My system and built it into iPhone and other devices. It also released AirTag, its own tracker tag.
Rolling Square’s AirNotch Pro strives to be more findable than AirTag with a couple of loud speakers, better battery life, a glow-in-the-dark case and a feature that Apple should have put in own product: a loop.
Equipped with dual buzzers (20mm and 15mm) on opposite sides, the Bluetooth tracker tag delivers a loud, clear sound in all directions. Easily trigger an alert through the Apple Find My app or Siri to find your items even in tight spaces.
- Very loud alerts
- Long battery life
- Rugged
- Not very pretty
Table of contents: PRODUCT NAME review
- 1. OMG, it’s really LOUD
- 2. Built-in loop
- 3. Longer battery life
- 4. Glows in the dark
- Where AirNotch Pro and AirTag tie
- Where AirTag wins
- Rolling Square AirNotch Pro review: Final thoughts
- Pricing
1. OMG, it’s really LOUD
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
If you (or your teenager) misplace your keys, you can go into the Find My app on your iPhone and set off an audible alarm on the AirNotch Pro to help you locate your key ring. The same is true with an AirTag, but Rolling Square put a couple of very loud buzzers (20mm and 15mm) on opposite sides of the accessory. The sound isn’t easy to muffle.
In my real-world testing, the AirNotch Pro is undoubtedly louder than an AirTag when they’re two rooms away.
2. Built-in loop
The Rolling Square AirNotch Pro includes a simple loop so it’s easy to connect to your luggage, your dog’s collar, your keyring… whatever.
AirTag? Nope. When you buy Apple’s tracker tag, be sure to also pick up a holder that adds a loop.
3. Longer battery life
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Both AirNotch Pro and AirTag run off replaceable batteries. The difference is that the third-party tag makes room for two of them. Rolling Square says these last for up to 20 months.
Apple says the single battery in an AirTag lasts about a year before it needs replacing.
4. Glows in the dark
Rolling Square designed the AirNotch Pro with some glow-in-the-dark strips. It’s a nice idea, but I haven’t run into a situation where it’s actually useful. Still, I have to award them a point for thinking outside the box.
Where AirNotch Pro and AirTag tie
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
I put the AirNotch Pro and the AirTag in my back bedroom, then went to the far side of my house and connected to them. Based on that real-world test, I say it’s a tie for range.
That said, be careful what cover you put on your AirTag. Go too bulky and it’ll reduce the range. That’s not a problem with AirNotch Pro.
And both tracker tags are rugged. Rolling Square built its product with ribbed ABS plastic shells, and it’s sealed with Torx screws. Apple’s fits inside a two-part aluminum shell.
Plus, the basic functionality of the two tracker tags is identical. Both work with the Find My app so you can (usually) locate them anywhere, and both offer my favorite feature: a reminder when you’ve left something behind. I don’t often lose things, but I do sometimes forget them, and anything with an AirNotch Pro will send me an alert if it gets left behind.
Where AirTag wins
You can use recent iPhone models to track down an AirTag with ultra-wideband technology. The Find My app can display an arrow that points to the tag, and even list the distance. AirNotch Pro does not have UWB, so this feature is not available — it depends solely on Bluetooth for tracking.
Also, AirNotch Pro is, well, kind of ugly. Perhaps a better phrase is “industrial looking,” and the design makes it rugged (as noted). But it’s sure not pretty.
Rolling Square AirNotch Pro review: Final thoughts
A loud pair of speakers that’re difficult to muffle is the standout feature of this tracker tag. Volume is important when trying to find something that might have been left in the pocket of a pair of pants hanging in a closet down the hall.
★★★★☆
Pricing
The Rolling Square AirNotch Pro costs $29.99 — about the same as an AirTag.
Buy it from: Amazon
Please note that there are separate versions of the tracker tag for iPhone and Android. Be sure to buy the right one.
Equipped with dual buzzers (20mm and 15mm) on opposite sides, the Bluetooth tracker tag delivers a loud, clear sound in all directions. Easily trigger an alert through the Apple Find My app or Siri to find your items even in tight spaces.
- Very loud alerts
- Long battery life
- Rugged
- Not very pretty
Rolling Square provided Cult of Mac with a review unit for this article. See our reviews policy, and check out more in-depth reviews of Apple-related items.
