You can now use Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTag 2 with any Android phone — unofficially. A third-party app called uTag replicates Samsung SmartThings, allowing you to track the SmartTag 2. This gives Android users access to a powerful object-tracking network.
Use uTag to track Galaxy SmartTag 2 with any Android phone
Last year, Google finally launched its Find My Device network for Android users. However, it isn’t as robust or powerful as Apple’s Find My network, with its effectiveness largely restricted to dense urban areas. Meanwhile, for Samsung users, its SmartThings platform offers a great alternative. Features like UWB (Ultra Wideband) make SmartThings-powered Galaxy SmartTag 2 a powerful object tracker.
With Google failing to match the competition, Android developer Kieron Quinn took matters into his own hands and developed uTag, an app that allows any Android phone to use Galaxy SmartTag 2. This app replicates the functionalities of Samsung’s SmartThings Find, allowing non-Samsung Android users to set up and use the tracker.
You get access to pretty much everything Samsung offers. You can view the SmartTag 2’s location, including precise tracking via UWB. The app also allows users to remotely ring the tracker, change its ringtone, and customize its button for various functions. Additionally, it sends alerts if an unknown Galaxy SmartTag 2 is tracking you. You also get notified when a tag has been found or left behind.
Moreover, uTag lets users share the tracker with family or friends, add homescreen widgets for quick access, and contribute to Samsung’s tracking network by sharing the location of nearby SmartTags. It supports biometric authentication and lets you export your tracker’s location history. This app allegedly circumvents Samsung’s restrictions by using a patched version of the SmartThings app.
This also means you have to sign in with a Samsung account twice — once in the modified SmartThings app to see all SmartThings devices and again in the uTag app to communicate with Samsung’s APIs. You do not need a rooted Android phone to use uTag. The app works on all non-Samsung Android devices running Android 11 or later.
Is uTag Safe?
Given that uTag requires signing into a Samsung account, security concerns are understandable. To address this, the developer has made the app open source, allowing anyone to review its code and verify its safety. While we haven’t personally audited the code, the developer has a solid reputation in the community, previously creating open-source versions of Google’s Now Playing and At a Glance features.
A few people have been able to successfully track the Galaxy SmartTag 2 using uTag on their non-Samsung phones. However, considering potential security risks, we wonder if Samsung would be tempted to shut down the APIs that uTag relies on. Ideally, we’d like it to expand Galaxy SmartTag support to all Android devices beyond the Galaxy family. After all, testing shows that SmartTags consistently outperform Google’s trackers.
Alternatively, Google and Samsung could merge their tracking platforms. They have already collaborated to improve WearOS and Quick Share and worked closely to integrate Gemini into several Samsung apps on One UI 7.0. Integrating Find My Device and Samsung Find could create a unified tracking network similar to Apple’s Find My ecosystem for Android users. Until then, uTag serves as an effective workaround.
