Here's how to use Apple's Tracker Detect Android app to find nearby AirTags (2024)

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Here's how to use Apple's Tracker Detect Android app to find nearby AirTags? ›

Apple's AirTags are designed for iPhones, but Android users can find unexpected AirTags around them using the free Tracker Detect app. The app works with any item tracker that supports Apple's Find My network, including AirTags and devices from other manufacturers like Chipolo and Pebblebee.

Apple's AirTags are designed for iPhones, but Android users can find unexpected AirTags around them using the free Tracker Detect app. The app works with any item tracker that supports Apple's Find My network, including AirTags and devices from other manufacturers like Chipolo and Pebblebee.

You can tap Play Sound in the Find My app to have the tracker emit a noise, which might help you figure out its location. If you have an iPhone 11 or newer, your device is equipped with ultra-wideband (UWB) tech, so you can also tap Find Nearby to get detailed directions to where the AirTag is.

Similar to how you would track your own AirTag, you can go to the Find My app by tapping on the alert on your iPhone, tapping Continue, and then Find Nearby.

The Chipolo One Point is the device most similar to Apple's AirTag, the Tile Mate or the Tile Pro. It's a round disc with a keyring hole for easy attachment to your keys.

You can detect trackers that are currently near you and separated from their owner's device with manual scan. It's possible that the trackers found in a manual scan are simply misplaced or temporarily separated from their owner's device.

Airtags, on the other hand, have a range limited to the Bluetooth coverage area, which is typically about 30 meters. - Compatibility: GPS trackers can be used with any internet-connected device, while Airtags are only compatible with Apple devices.

An AirTag can be tracked miles away, or even in a different country, provided it is within Bluetooth range of an Apple device on the Find My network.

To hide the AirTag, you can use a Tag Vault surface, an ip68 waterproof case with a 3M adhesive that sticks to any surface. Screw the AirTag inside the case and place it somewhere hidden, such as a wheel well or under a car. Even if a thief is alerted to an AirTag following them, it will be harder to find it.

Tracker Detect, an official Apple app on the Google Play Store, allows people who don't own any Apple devices to scan for nearby AirTags, in case someone is using the tracking device to follow them around. Here's how to scan for AirTags on your Android smartphone or tablet.

How do I use Tracker Detect app on Android? ›

Rumors suggest that Google is developing a Bluetooth tracker, akin to Apple's AirTag but designed for Android devices. This tracker, reportedly codenamed Grogu, is said to use ultra-wideband (UWB) technology and come equipped with speakers.

All that said, the Apple Airtag only works for iPhones, and the SmartTag 2 only works for Samsung's Galaxy phones. If you're a house divided, like us, and only want to buy or bring one or the other tracker, the SmartTag 2 is probably the better, more accurate bet.

AirTag users have to buy a separate holder. In our testing, the Apple AirTag is the most reliable, and that's because Apple's network is much larger than Tile's. Apple has a network of more than one billion devices that “talk” to each other to help locate your stuff, while Tile's network numbers into the millions.