At a glance
Expert’s rating
Pros
- Fully compatible with Find My network
- Separate high-decibel alarm for motion, armable via Bluetooth button or app
- Attached to a standard water-bottle mounting, it can be hidden or overt.
- Through LEDs, displays battery status and alarm status.
- IP66 Water and dust resistance
Cons
- To use, you must register by email
- To mount easily, you will need to keep a small custom screwdriver
Our Verdict
You can track your bike using Find My, and it will also send an ear-piercing alarm when you jostle.
Finding your item on Find My Items has been a difficult process. Apple’s crowdsourced network of all its owners’ iPhones, iPads, and Macs (that haven’t opted out) provides robust tracking as long as somebody’s device is occasionally nearby. Many travelers discovered in the summer of 2022 that an Apple AirTag or third-party Find My item in their luggage meant the difference between a “lost” bag and one they could tell an airline where to find it.
But the tradeoff is that makers of Find My items have to conform to an array of Apple’s rules and technology choices designed to balance tracking our stuff and the privacy and safety of others. For instance, Find My items that are away from the paired iPhone or iPad for between 8 and 24 hours will make a loud noise if moved, potentially alerting someone that there’s a tracker near them. Likewise, if an AirTag or other item is near you while you’re moving about and the owner’s device isn’t, you’ll get a notification of an item moving with you—and can play a sound on it to help find it.
Knog adheres to these rules its bike-tracking/bike-alarm ScoutIt is also affordable, but it comes with an additional benefit that makes it worth the extra cost. Separately from Find My, you can activate an 85-decibel motion alert. While the Bluetooth range is within reach, you can either press a button on your device or use the Knog app’s software button. After activation, even the slightest movement triggers an ear-piercingly loud alarm pattern. If you’re nearby with your phone, you receive a notification, and hear an alarm sound if the app is open. At a tap, you can disable your phone.
When added to Find My, you can also track the Scout’s current location whenever you have an internet connection or are within Bluetooth range.
You can conceal Scout when mounting Scout to your bike. You can cover it by removing the bright yellow cover. Next, screw in a water-bottle enclosure. It is possible to leave the cover on if you do not want others to notice it. Knog’s unique tamper-resistant screws and the hard plastic case protect against casual removal or disabling.
The company provides solid step-by-step instructions on setting up the Scout, which is a bit more complicated than a standard Find My device due to the Scout’s dual nature. Oddly, Knog doesn’t link to The iOS app required but tells owners to search for it on the App Store. That blip aside, it’s straightforward to set up and use.
Registering with the app requires an email address. Adding insult to complexity, an “Opt in to marketing communications” box is prechecked. The company doesn’t support Sign in with Apple, which would be a natural way to balance privacy and registration confirmation.
Knog has all the details right, from hardware to installation to the app. Instead of using replaceable batteries, Scout has a USB C port with a tight rubber seal that allows you to attach a cable. Knog suggests that you can expect to last six months between charges. You can recharge the Scout without taking it off your bike. It has IP66 water resistance, suitable for the kind of rain and dust intrusion you might expect on a bike, and an operating temperature range of -4°F to 122°F (-20°C to 50°C).
It even offers some of the cleverest packaging I’ve ever seen. The Scout comes inside a multilayered cardboard block and a die cut insert. You can remove the Scout and find a cover underneath with a finger hole. Drag it up and lift it up. This cover shows the outline of the anti-tamper screwdriver and provides a QR code that can be used to scan for further instructions. The cover should be removed and the screwdriver will be found in its own cutout. The screws are driven into each side of the cardboard block. This is a remarkable product that can be easily recycled.
Bottom line
The Knog offers the best of two worlds: a loud alarm triggered by motion to scare off bike thieves paired with crowdsourced global tracking in an optionally hidden form factor when the alarm isn’t active or isn’t enough to keep a rustler at bay.
