Groove Wallet Trace Review: Find My Tracking Built Into a Slim Wallet

Introduction

If you are someone who misplaces your wallet constantly, or worries about it being stolen, the usual answer has been to slide an AirTag into your everyday carry. Groove Life has taken a different route with the Groove Wallet Trace, a new version of its popular aluminum wallet with Find My tracking built right in, so there is no separate tracker bulking up your pocket.

What Is the Groove Wallet Trace?

The Groove Wallet Trace looks and behaves almost exactly like the original Groove Wallet, but it houses a slim tracker card inside the wallet body. The card works with Apple’s Find My app: if you lose the wallet, you can open Find My and ring the card or see its location, much as you would with an AirTag.

There is one important nuance. Apple does not license its Ultra Wideband technology to third parties, so the card does not behave exactly like a real AirTag. You can ring it through the Find My app and it will show location within about 10 feet; outside that range, the app simply shows the last known location. Pairing is straightforward: press and hold the card’s power button for about three seconds until it beeps twice, then add it in the Find My app like any other accessory.

How It Compares to the Original Groove Wallet

Functionally, the Trace matches the original wallet. It holds up to six cards depending on thickness and whether they are embossed, and the full front plate slides up to deploy them. The main visible change is the finish: the original uses an anodized aluminum look, while the Trace has a brushed aluminum finish that looks genuinely premium. The logo placement has also shifted slightly, and the Trace is a touch thicker to house the tracker card.

That thickness difference is easy to dismiss. The original measures 0.34 inches (about 8.5 mm) and the Trace 0.39 inches (about 9.9 mm), a difference of just 1.4 mm that you will never notice in a pocket. On the scale, the Trace is exactly 3 ounces (86 g) with nothing in it but the tracker card, while an original with a leather sleeve weighs 3.4 ounces (98 g).

The Trace also remains compatible with the leather sleeve accessory. The included money clip can be removed with two screws and swapped for the sleeve, which adds an extra pocket and an elastic cash strap that, in everyday use, works better than a money clip.

Inside the Wallet: A Hidden Magnetic Plate

One detail worth knowing: the bottom plate that covers the tracker card is held on by magnets, not screws. Slide a card into the small gap at the bottom and the plate pops right off, giving quick access to the tracker card and the clever internal stepped arm that fans your cards out.

Reinstalling the plate is simple once you know the trick: line up the small lip so it slides under the Groove Life logo, then press it into place. The card itself is recessed so it fits neatly, power button facing down, with the brushed aluminum facing outward.

Battery Life: The Key Trade-off

The tracker card is powered by a battery with no charging option. Groove Life estimates about a year and a half of battery life. The catch: the company does not currently sell replacement cards, and at this wallet’s price nobody should have to buy a whole new wallet just to restore tracking. Hopefully replacement tracker cards become available soon.

Wallet Functionality: Same Design, Same Habits

As a wallet, the Trace delivers the same experience as the original. Six flat cards load easily, sliding the plate up fans them out in a stepped, staggered row, and nothing falls out when the wallet is shaken. A spring-loaded internal arm with a rubber tip grabs the cards as you retract the plate, so they stay secure once inside.

The money clip handles folded bills fine, but the leather sleeve remains the better option for carrying extra cards and cash. Groove Life also includes spare screws for the money clip and the wallet body, which is a thoughtful touch given how tiny they are, and the wallet carries the same 94-year warranty as before.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Two previous criticisms of the original Groove Wallet carry over to a degree. The plate can occasionally stick in the up position with cards loaded, and the anodized top plate on the original was so slick that thumbs sometimes slipped when deploying cards. The Trace addresses the second issue with a textured, rubber-feeling sticker on the front plate, included with the wallet along with a guide card to help align it. It slightly interrupts the clean brushed aluminum aesthetic, but it makes a real difference in grip. The stuck-plate issue never appeared over more than a week of use with cards inside.

At $125, the Trace costs roughly $40 more than the original Groove Wallet. That premium is reasonable for built-in tracking, but it is exactly why the lack of a purchasable replacement tracker card is the one real question mark. Beyond that, this is a well-executed upgrade and a genuinely smart idea: all the Find My functionality of an AirTag without the bulk.

Conclusion

The Groove Wallet Trace is a strong pick for anyone who has ever threaded an AirTag into a wallet and hated the extra thickness. Tracking works as advertised, the wallet itself performs just like the original, and the brushed aluminum finish plus grip sticker make it easier to live with. Just go in knowing the tracker card has a fixed lifespan, and that replacement cards are not yet available separately.