Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- A brand new app referred to as uTag helps you to use Samsung SmartTags with any Android machine.
- The app is free to obtain however requires additionally putting in a patched model of Samsung’s SmartThings app as a way to perform.
- Most performance has been replicated, together with precision discovering, whereas new options have been added like widget help.
When Google lastly launched its Discover My System community final yr, we had been actually excited. Customers had been hoping that it could be the Android equal to Apple’s Discover My community, and on paper, that’s what it needs to be. Nonetheless, Google configured the community such that its efficiency is neutered outdoors of extremely dense city areas. One developer bought so fed up with the unreliability of Google’s AirTag rivals that he determined to ditch them fully and use Samsung’s tracker tags. The one drawback is that Samsung’s tags work completely with Galaxy gadgets, no less than till now. Meet uTag, an app that allows you to use Samsung SmartTags with any Android cellphone.
uTag is an Android app that basically replicates SmartThings Discover, the Samsung-made app that allows you to visually observe your Samsung gadgets. With uTag, you may arrange a model new Galaxy SmartTag2, view its location, ring it, change its ringtone, customise its button conduct, and a lot extra. The app additionally alerts you about unknown SmartTags touring with you, notifies you when a tag has been discovered or left behind, and allows you to share tags with relations. It even helps precision discovering on gadgets which might be geared up with extremely wideband (UWB) radios, which is amusing as a result of Google’s community nonetheless doesn’t help this function.
With a couple of exceptions, uTag does every thing that the SmartThings Discover app does after which some. The developer, Kieron Quinn, went as far as so as to add widgets for displaying tag location, offline location viewing, biometric safety, and site historical past exporting. You possibly can even use your cellphone to contribute the placement of close by SmartTags not owned by you to Samsung’s community, in case you’re feeling unhealthy about simply leeching off the community.
To make use of uTag, that you must set up a patched model of Samsung’s SmartThings app. It’s because the official SmartThings app checks when you’re operating it on a Samsung machine, and it additionally solely communicates with the official SmartThings Discover app. The patched model of the SmartThings app disables these machine checks and in addition permits it to work with uTag.
Luckily, the uTag app will obtain the patched model of SmartThings throughout setup, so that you don’t have to fret about finding it your self. You’ll, nonetheless, must check in to your Samsung account two occasions — as soon as within the modified SmartThings app to see all of your SmartThings gadgets and once more within the uTag app so it could possibly talk with Samsung’s APIs.
Should you’re questioning whether or not uTag is protected to make use of, that’s a very truthful query. In spite of everything, you must all the time be cautious of getting into your login credentials into apps you don’t belief. This concern is why the developer made the app open supply; he welcomes you to confirm the app’s legitimacy earlier than signing in to your Samsung account. Whereas we haven’t audited the code ourselves, we belief the developer given his in depth historical past in the neighborhood, having beforehand made open supply variations of Google’s Now Enjoying and At a Look options.
As for whether or not the app really works, I’ve been utilizing uTag for practically a month now with my Galaxy SmartTag2 and might verify that it really works as marketed. The app allowed me to hook up with and look at my tag’s location from my OnePlus 13 whereas I used to be touring final month, and whereas I initially had some points with the map not working and the app often signing me out, each issues have been resolved previous to the general public launch. The developer is fast to answer suggestions by means of his Discord server for the challenge, so when you encounter any points whereas utilizing uTag, I like to recommend you get in contact there or open a difficulty on GitHub.
Talking of which, if you wish to check out uTag, you may obtain it from GitHub. It really works on any machine operating Android 11 or later and doesn’t require root entry, although in case your cellphone is rooted, then you need to use an Xposed module to live-patch the SmartThings app as a substitute of putting in a patched model.
Hopefully Samsung doesn’t shut down the APIs that uTag depends on, as a result of that will be a bummer. In our testing, Samsung’s trackers persistently outperformed Google trackers, however their machine requirement makes them a nonstarter for anybody and not using a Samsung Android cellphone. uTag eliminates this synthetic barrier and opens up Samsung’s community to extra Android telephones, making the Galaxy SmartTag a viable choice for extra individuals.
If this setup appears like one thing you’re taken with, tell us within the feedback under! And if you’d like extra particulars on uTag, take a look at the developer’s authentic weblog submit.