Use AirTag with Android phones
Trackers such as the Apple AirTag provide an easy and cheap way to track many personal items that we may easily lose or accidentally forget, such as pocket wallets, key chains, or small handbags, and travelers use them to locate their lost luggage. .
But can you use AirTag with your Android phone to keep track of your personal items? The only problem with this device is that it is an AirTag from Apple, meaning that it is restricted to its products; Because it relies on the Find My app to locate the items you're tracking.
And since the (Find My) application is not available for Android, you can use this device with your phone to a limited extent, for example: if you are concerned about someone using the (AirTag) device to track you, Apple offers an Android application that helps you discover this.
Here are the ways to use AirTag with an Android phone:
As we mentioned earlier; You cannot use the AirTag device with an Android phone to track your personal items; Because AirTag devices use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to communicate with your iPhone, and like other smart trackers, they rely on Apple's Find My network to provide the exact location of lost items.
To provide precise location, the AirTag not only sends a Bluetooth signal to its owner's iPhone; but to all nearby iPhones that it has detected through the location network. These phones, in turn, send the location of the AirTag to iCloud, and then go to the Find My app to see it on a map.
Apple says that this entire process takes place anonymously for iPhone users and with tight encryption, protecting their privacy.
Modern iPhones equipped with the (Ultra Wideband) chip – known as (U1) – have more accuracy in determining location, and this is the reason why the AirTag is not compatible with old iPhones, as the (iPhone 11) and any newer model comes – Except SE models - with U1 chip.
And due to the spread of (AirTag) devices and their exploitation in criminal activities and tracking people without their permission, Apple has worked to fix this by launching an application for Android called (Tracker Detect) that helps you discover AirTag devices that someone may use to track you. If the app detects that an AirTag or other tracking device has been near you for at least ten minutes, you can have the app play a sound to help you find it.
Are there AirTag alternatives you can use with Android phones?
Yes; There are a lot of (tracking devices) that are compatible with Android devices, most notably Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag series, but they work exclusively with Samsung Galaxy phones running Android 8.0 or later. SmartTags use the Galaxy Find network to determine location, much as AirTag uses Apple's Find My network.
SmartTags are also accurate at locating given how many people own Samsung Galaxy phones, so finding a SmartTag shouldn't be difficult, especially with its 120m range.
The SmartTags series includes two devices, the first: the Galaxy SmartTag, and the second: the Galaxy SmartTag Plus. The second device is distinguished by its support for Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology to determine the location with high accuracy.
However, you can use this feature only with Samsung phones that support UWB technology, which includes the latest Samsung flagship models, starting with the Galaxy S21 Plus, S21 Ultra, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold2, and any newer model from these series. So if you don't have a recent flagship phone from Samsung, you'd better get the cheaper one (Galaxy SmartTag).
There are also many other companies that offer tracking devices that are compatible with Android phones, the most famous of which is the (Tile) company that has been offering the best tracking devices on the market for years, and the (Tile Pro) device is an ideal choice for tracking the purposes that we use daily, as it comes with features similar to other devices. AirTag and SmartTag.