Key Takeaways
- AirTags do not work with Android phones, as they lack the necessary setup compatibility.
- AirTags rely on Apple's Find My network for location tracking, which is not available for Android devices.
- Android users can scan for unwanted AirTags to avoid being stalked.
Want to use AirTags with your Android phone? Apple designed the AirTag for use with an iPhone, so you can't use it with your Android device. However, it supports basic tracking on Android to prevent unauthorized stalking. Here's everything about using AirTags on Android.
Like many other Apple products, AirTags are not compatible with Android. So, you cannot set up an AirTag using an Android device; you need an iPhone connected to Apple's Find My network for this. Additionally, AirTags aren't compatible with Google's Find My Device network, meaning you can't use your Android phone to track an AirTag that was set up using an iPhone.
AirTags rely on Apple's Find My network to relay their location. They periodically send Bluetooth LE pings that other Apple devices on the Find My network can pick up. This data is then transmitted to Apple's servers, allowing the original AirTag owner to view its location.
For safety reasons, the Bluetooth signal identifiers transmitted by an AirTag are randomized at regular intervals, so malicious users cannot monitor and track them. You can read our in-depth guide on AirTags to learn more about how it works.
Despite AirTags needing Apple's Find My network, your Android phone can identify unwanted AirTags around you, helping thwart any possible stalking attempts.
You can also scan an AirTag using an Android device with NFC to find more information about its owner. So, if you ever find an item tagged with an AirTag marked as lost, tap the back of your Android phone on the tracker. A page will open with details about the AirTag and its owner, which you can use to contact the owner.
If you're looking for Bluetooth trackers as an Android user, Tile is a great AirTag alternative you can consider. As of 2024, Google is rolling out its Find My Device network for item trackers and accessories. Once available worldwide, you should be able to purchase third-party item trackers for Android that offer functionality similar to that of an AirTag.
How to Scan for Unwanted AirTags on Android
While AirTags are useful for tracking items you tend to misplace frequently, they can also be used for unethical purposes by people with malicious intent. Thankfully, for the safety of the users and to ensure they are not being tracked or stalked by an unwanted AirTag, Apple and Google worked together to bring unknown tracker alerts to Android 6.0+ devices.
Initially, Apple offered the Tracker Detect app to detect unknown AirTags. However, this app required a manual scan to look for unwanted trackers in the background, greatly limiting its usefulness. Eventually, Google baked unknown tracker alerts directly into Android and rolled the feature out to all Android 6.0+ devices.
Just like your iPhone, if your Android phone detects an unwanted tracker moving with you, an alert will pop up on your phone. You can then use the Play sound option to make the tracker ring and find its exact location. The owner won't be notified about this. Once you've found the tracker, tap it on the back of your phone to find more information about its owner.
There's also a manual scanning option tucked under Settings > Safety & emergency > Unknown tracker alerts > Scan Now.
If the app detects an unknown AirTag in your vicinity, you can use the Play Sound option to ensure the tracker is not being used to stalk you. The tracker will beep for 10 minutes once you select this option.
Even after you use an iPhone to set up an AirTag, you can't use it with an Android phone to track its location. You can't even use iCloud.com from your Android phone's web browser to track AirTags. That's because an AirTag is only traceable using the Find My app on an iPhone, iPad, or Mac. This app is not available for Android devices.
You're pretty much limited to scanning for unknown AirTags in your vicinity. You can use this feature to avoid being stalked or return a lost AirTag to its original owner.
Given the above limitations, it makes no sense to buy an AirTag for your Android device. Instead, I recommend waiting for Find My Device-compatible trackers from Tile and Chipolo to hit the market. However, if you have a Samsung phone, you can buy a Galaxy SmartTag 2 on Amazon, which works with Samsung's SmartThings Find network.
