You can’t set up or track AirTags with an Android phone, but you can search for and read them if you find one. Here’s what you need to know.
Can you use AirTags with an Android phone or tablet? The answer is both no and yes. Apple’s tracking tags are designed to be used with an iPhone, and Android support is basic at best. Here’s everything you need to know about using AirTags on Android.
AirTags rely on Apple’s Find My network to transmit your location. They periodically send Bluetooth LE pings that other Apple devices can detect on the Find My network. This data is then transmitted to Apple’s servers, allowing the original owner of the AirTag to see its location. Find My Network integration remains a key highlight of AirTags, setting them apart from other trackers on the market.
For security reasons, the Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by an AirTag are randomly assigned at regular intervals, so they cannot be monitored or tracked by malicious users.
The tracker also features Apple’s U1 Ultra Wideband chip for more precise location tracking in enclosed spaces called Precision Find. It only works with the newer iPhones that have the U1 chip built in, such as the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13. This feature ensures that you can get the precise location of the tracker when it is nearby but cannot find your exact location.
As is evident from how it works, AirTags are very integrated into the Apple ecosystem and cannot function without it. See our detailed explanation of how AirTags work for more details on how to use the item tracker.
No. It is not possible to set up AirTags using an Android device. You must set up the item tracker using an iPhone and Apple’s Find My network. The tracker is incompatible with Google’s Find My Android app or network, and you cannot use your Android phone to track an AirTag that was set up with an iPhone.
AirTags can only be tracked using Apple’s Find My app, which is available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
No. You cannot use your Android phone to set up a new AirTag or track the item it is tagged to. So if you were planning to buy an AirTag to use with your Android phone, check out other alternatives on the market.
However, it is possible to scan an AirTag using an NFC-enabled Android device to find out more about its owner. So if you ever find an AirTag item marked as lost, tap the back of your Android phone on the tracker. This will open a page with details about the AirTag and its owner, which you can use to contact the owner.
Since AirTags can be used to track anyone discreetly, Apple allows Android users to search for unknown AirTags around them. You need to use the tracker detection app developed by apple for android users for this. The problem is that unlike iPhones, the app won’t check for AirTags in the background. You will have to manually start a scan if you think an AirTag is being used to track you.
If the app detects an unknown AirTag in your vicinity, you can use the play sound option to make sure the tracker is not being used to harass you. This option will sound the tracker 10 minutes after the button is pressed.
The Tracker Detect app also provides relevant instructions to disable the AirTag by removing the battery.
Like other Apple products, AirTags do not work properly with Android. Support is rudimentary at best, good enough to ensure Android users can figure out they’re not being tracked using an AirTag. If you don’t intend to switch to an iPhone anytime soon but do want an item tracker, consider other alternatives that work well with Android.