Skip to main content

Do AirTags work with Android phones?

AirTag.
Digital Trends

Apple’s AirTag is a valuable tool for tracking items such as wallets, keys, backpacks, luggage, etc. However, before you can use it, it must be paired with a smartphone.

This raises an important question: Can you use an AirTag with an Android phone? Do you have to set it up with an iPhone? Here’s what you need to know.

 Do AirTags work with Android phones?

The short answer is a resounding “no” — you cannot use AirTags with any Android phone. It’s important to note that AirTags are only compatible with iPhones, such as the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Any Android phone, regardless of what model it is, won’t work with an Apple AirTag.

What if you find an AirTag with an Android phone?

That said, you can still locate an AirTag if you have an Android phone. Although AirTags do not offer full functionality with Android, Apple provides the Tracker Detect app on the Google Play Store.

The free app is designed to scan for nearby AirTags and other Find My compatible devices that might track you without your consent. AirTags can be used to track people’s location or other items with their consent, and this gives folks with Android phones an easy way to thwart those attempts.

Are there AirTag alternatives for Android?

If you own an Android phone, you can still use other item trackers that do the same thing as AirTags. These trackers come in various forms and offer different app-based options.

The Samsung Galaxy SmartTag 2, for instance, is the best AirTag alternative for Samsung users. It can last up to 500 days before requiring a battery replacement and can locate items up to 400 feet away. Other AirTag alternatives include ones from Tile, Chipolo, Pebblebee, Cube, and many others.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Bryan M. Wolfe
Bryan M. Wolfe has over a decade of experience as a technology writer. He writes about mobile.
How to save text messages on iPhone and Android
iMessage on an iPhone.

We receive a lot of important information via text. Whether it’s a date you need to set or important work-related info, you might find yourself wanting to save a text message. Modern smartphones all offer a way to back up your core data and transfer it to another device. However, transfers sometimes don’t include your text messages unless you save them ahead of time or are transferring across the same mobile operating system.

Here's how to save your text messages in Android and iOS.
How to save your text messages on iPhone
There are multiple ways to backup your iPhone text messages. Here are the easiest.
How to make iPhone text message backups using iExplorer
The most universal method of saving your iPhone text messages is via the iExplorer program.

Read more
What iPhone do I have? How to find out your iPhone model number
Close-up of the iPhone SE 2022 and iPhone 14 Plus camera modules.

Since its landmark introduction in 2007, Apple has released 42 iPhone models, and with at least four new ones introduced every fall, the company is showing no signs of slowing down.

In all that time, Apple has made relatively few significant design changes. The company tends to stick with established designs for three or four years before changing things up, which can sometimes make it difficult to tell which iPhone model you have —  especially if you're getting a secondhand iPhone (with no box to offer a hint) rather than a new one.

Read more
Don’t buy a Galaxy S24 Ultra or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Do this instead
Samsung Galaxy S23 FE Mint Green color along with a Samsung notebook and a cermaic bowl with lemons.

“Do I need all that?” That’s the question on the mind of shoppers before they splurge a now-standard $1,000 asking price for a top-tier phone in 2024. Ideally, that dilemma should be there. The likes of Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max have won laurels for a handful of standout features they offer. But you might not need those standout features at all.

I’ve been on that road, and more frequently than I have the temerity to admit. For some reason, regret comes as part of the $1,200 flagship parcel. That's unless your phone is a part of your creative or work process, or you just don’t care and only want the latest and greatest for the vanity of it. A segment like that certainly exists, but that affluent user base doesn’t dictate the journey of a product.

Read more