Utag Lets You Use Samsung’s Smarttags Trackers With Any Android Device

Samsung’s SmartTags trackers and Galaxy Find web relationship akin functionality to Apple’s AirTags and Find My network, including precision uncovering utilizing ultra wideband (UWB) radios. The downside is that they only activity pinch Samsung Galaxy devices. A free open-source app called uTag (short for Universal Tag), developed by Kieron Quinn, lets Samsung’s SmartTags trackers activity pinch Android devices that tally Android 11 aliases later.

Samsung’s SmartThings app, which is utilized to configure and powerfulness various smart location devices, is compatible pinch immoderate Android aliases iOS device. However, nan app includes a package check, truthful that you tin only group up a SmartTag locator erstwhile nan app is moving connected a Samsung Galaxy device. Certain features of nan SmartThings app — including SmartThings Find, which lets you measurement nan location of SmartTags connected a practice — too spot connected package that’s only disposable connected Galaxy devices done Samsung’s One UI personification interface.

uTag replaces SmartThings’ hunt and practice functionality pinch a companion Android app that replicates astir of nan features successful Samsung’s apps. These spot notifications for erstwhile a Tag is adjacent behind, sharing its location pinch others, triggering its ringtone, and viewing its location history.

In summation to utilizing a SmartTag connected a non-Galaxy device, uTag is nan “first tag hunt app connected non-Samsung devices to support precise tracking” done UWB, according to Quinn, which is simply a characteristic still not disposable connected Google’s Find my Device app. uTag too includes functionality not offered done Samsung’s SmartThings app, specified arsenic nan expertise to automatically scan periodically for chartless Tags, pinch notifications showing wherever 1 was detected. With nan SmartThings app alone, scans for chartless Tags tin only beryllium started manually, limiting nan usefulness of nan feature.

uTag is disposable for free done GitHub arsenic a downloadable Android APK. The app will download and instal a modded type of SmartThings during setup that disables its instrumentality checks for Galaxy hardware and allows nan app to walk pinch uTag. You’ll too petition to mobility successful pinch your Samsung narration connected nan SmartThings app and connected uTag truthful that it has entree to basal Samsung APIs. There’s ever a consequence erstwhile signing successful to 3rd connection apps, but this is why Quinn has opted to merchandise uTag arsenic an unfastened guidelines app, allowing users to spot precisely what it’s doing pinch those credentials.