uTag: A third-party app that lets Samsung SmartTags work with non-Galaxy (Android) devices

In 2021, Samsung launched its first tracker, the Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag Plus. However, the tracker only worked with Samsung's Galaxy devices. When it announced the SmartTag 2 in October 2023, compatibility remained exclusive to Galaxy devices, eliminating other Android devices as well as iPhones. Now, a developer has made his own app that allows Samsung SmartTags to work with any Android device.

Developed by Kieron Quinn, the app is called uTag (short for Universal Tag), and what it does is replicate the SmartThings Find app which is the app for tracking your SmartTag. When you try to use a SmartTag on a non-Galaxy phone, you get an error message that says the tracker only works on Galaxy devices running Android 9 or higher.

When you download the uTag app, it also downloads a patch for the SmartThings app that overrides the device check and lets you add and set up a SmartTag. However, that is only one half of the problem that has been solved.

According to Quinn, the UI for tracking a SmartTag using the SmartThings app requires several OneUI-specific packages and frameworks, and since you are using a non-Galaxy device, it's no surprise it won't work properly. That's where uTag comes in. It replaces the SmartThings app for tracking a connected SmartTag 

Quinn says uTag replicates almost all of the features that Samsung devices can use with SmartTags including support for precise tracking for those who have a phone with ultra-wide band (UWB) support such as the Pixel 9 Pro.

Among the many functions of the uTag app are support for viewing tag locations and tag details, ringing a tag, setting a tag's ringtone and volume, and searching for a nearby tag. It also lets users contribute to the Find my Everything network.

Features available on uTag that are not present on the SmartThings app include but are not limited to widgets that display tag location and location history, biometric entry for the app, support for exporting location history, and support for offline location so users can view their tag's last location and even use nearby search when offline but close to their tag.

uTag is available to download from GitHub and has been made open source so that folks can verify its legitimacy, since you have to sign in to your Samsung account to use it and that might be a privacy concern. uTag only works on devices running Android 11 and later, but doesn't require rooting your device.

There are concerns that Samsung might shut down the API's that allows uTag to work, but considering this is also a win for Samsung as it allows more people to pick up a Samsung tracker such as the SmartTag 2 (curr. available on Amazon for $22.80), it is hoped that it will let the app be.