How To Detect Apple AirTags With An Android Device

Utilizing the Find My network, users have always been able to locate their iOS devices with ease — and now thanks to the existence of Apple AirTags, you can keep a tab on virtually anything. It is therefore no surprise that this coin-sized tracking device has proved to be quite a worthwhile investment for people worried about misplacing their keys, wallet, backpack, or other belongings.

Though AirTag's use in locating lost personal items has come in handy, it left the door open for a few questionable activities — including tracking other people without their consent. To counter this, people carrying iPhones and other Apple devices are automatically alerted if an unknown AirTag that has been following them for a while is detected. Due to the nature of how these things work, people using Android, which constitutes around 70% of the globe, didn't have an immediate solution at first.

Fortunately, due to growing ethical concerns and the safety of people in general, Apple has been kind enough to deploy a solution that protects non-iPhone users from the threat of being spied upon using AirTags — and here is how you can detect AirTags using an Android smartphone.

The Tracker Detect app available on the Play Store is the only way you can track Apple-compatible trackers around you. Unfortunately, unlike on Apple devices, you won't be automatically alerted of any unknown tracking devices in your vicinity and will need to manually scan every time you have a lurking suspicion. Providentially, the app is easy to use and can be used to scan for AirTags as follows:

1. Open the Tracker Detect app on your Android smartphone.
2. When prompted, grant it access to your phone's Bluetooth connectivity by tapping on "Allow". 
3. Finally, tap on "Scan" and let the app work its wonders.

The app displays a list of AirTags and other trackers nearby and can help you find them using Bluetooth tracking. If it's an AirTag you find, the app aids you in instructing how to pop it open and remove its battery, thereby rendering the tracker useless. 

AirTags have Apple's U1 chip built-in, which is the same technology that lets you effortlessly track your iPhone using an Apple Watch as well. This ultra-wideband chip allows for far more precise scanning than what Bluetooth can offer. Another reason why these things work so well on iPhone's Find My network is because they use Bluetooth from other iPhones nearby, creating a network that makes the AirTags trackable even when you're out of Bluetooth range.

Luckily, AirTags have an NFC chip inside them, too, which means you can bring one of these little guys close to your NFC-compatible phone, and it should redirect you to a webpage with the AirTag's details. Apple recommends its users add contact information in case their AirTag goes missing, which can be retrieved by any good samaritan. 

AirTags also start beeping when out of Bluetooth range of their paired iPhone for an extended period. So the next time you hear a chirping noise, pull your Android phone out and scan away using the Tracker Detect app — or ferret out the pesky tracker the old-fashioned way.