How-tos

How to Use Samsung SmartTags trackers with any Android device (Download uTag APK)


uTag is an amazing app which enables Samsung SmartTags compatibility with any Android device and it works flawlessly. This free application serves as a companion to Samsung SmartThings while introducing enhanced features like automatic scanning for unrecognized Tags. Download uTag APK here to start using Samsung’s Smart Tags on any Android device.

While Samsung’s SmartThings app works across Android and iOS platforms for configuring smart home devices, it includes software restrictions that prevent SmartTag setup on non-Galaxy devices. Key features like SmartThings Find, which provides map-based Tag tracking, depend on software exclusive to Galaxy devices through Samsung’s One UI interface.

Samsung’s SmartTags trackers and Galaxy Find network deliver functionality comparable to Apple’s AirTags and Find My network, featuring precision finding through ultra wideband (UWB) radios. However, their compatibility remains limited to Samsung Galaxy devices exclusively.

Developer Kieron Quinn has created uTag (Universal Tag), a free open-source application that extends Samsung SmartTags functionality to any Android device running Android 11 or later.

uTag addresses these limitations by replacing SmartThings’ tracking and mapping capabilities with a comprehensive companion app that replicates most Samsung app features. Users can receive notifications when Tags are left behind, share locations with others, trigger ringtones, and view location history.

What is uTag and how does it work?

uTag is an Android app and mod for Samsung SmartThings which allows any Android phone user the use of Samsung SmartTags on non-Samsung devices running Android 11 or above. No root is required!

The best part is, uTag allows the use of almost all SmartTag features. This includes setting up, connecting to and tracking Tags, ringing Tags, location history, precise finding with UWB (requires a UWB-capable device), left behind alerts and much more.

Moreover, uTag includes some features which Samsung’s app does not have, such as widgets, safe areas for leaving Tags behind based on Wi-Fi networks and exporting location history.

Beyond enabling SmartTag usage on non-Galaxy devices, uTag represents the first tag tracking application for non-Samsung devices supporting precise UWB tracking — a feature currently unavailable in Google’s Find my Device app.

The application also introduces functionality absent from Samsung’s SmartThings app, including automatic periodic scanning for unknown Tags with notifications indicating detection locations. Samsung’s app requires manual scanning initiation, which limits the feature’s practical utility.

Most features supported by the official SmartThings Find app work with uTag. Below is a table detailing what is and isn’t available in uTag.

Feature Available Notes
Setting up a Tag out of the box Yes Unlocked in SmartThings
Viewing Tag locations Yes
Viewing Tag details Yes
Updating nearby Tag locations Yes
Encrypted locations Yes
Location history Yes
Ringing a Tag Yes
Setting a Tag’s ringtone & volume Yes Unlocked in SmartThings
Setting a Tag’s button sound & volume Yes Unlocked in SmartThings
Setting Power Save Mode Yes Unlocked in SmartThings
Lost Mode Yes
Searching for nearby Tag Yes
Notifications when a Tag is left behind Yes Replaced with uTag implementation
Safe Areas for left behind Tags Yes Replaced with uTag implementation
Notifications when a Tag is found Yes Unlocked in SmartThings
Find my Device (ringing this device) Yes Replaced with uTag implementation
Sharing a Tag’s location with home members Yes
Setting & changing encryption PIN Yes
Enabling/disabling location encryption Yes
Contributing to Find my Everything network Yes
Background Scanning for Unknown Tags Yes
Pet Walking Mode No May be supported in the future

uTag provides some extra features not found in the official SmartThings Find app:

Feature Description
Widgets Display Tag location and location history on a map in a widget
Custom Automations Open apps, shortcuts, or trigger Tasker tasks from pressing or long pressing a Tag’s button
Offline Location View your Tag’s last location & use Search Nearby when offline but near your Tag
Wi-Fi Safe Areas Use a connected Wi-Fi network to mark an area as safe to leave Tags at
Passive Mode Disconnect Tags that you only need locations for and get more location updates
Biometric Entry Lock access to the app behind a Biometric Prompt
Custom Lost Mode URL Use your Tag like an NFC Tag and open any website when tapped
Export Location History Save location history for a Tag to CSV
Smartspacer Support Display Tag information in At a Glance (requires Smartspacer)

Download uTag APK

uTag is available as a free download through GitHub as an Android APK, uTag installs a modified SmartThings version during setup that bypasses Galaxy hardware checks and enables communication with uTag.

Users must sign into both SmartThings and uTag using their Samsung accounts to access necessary Samsung APIs.

Just download the latest release APK, install it and follow the instructions for setup.



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