Does the Samsung SmartTag series support the new Google Find My Device network?

Samsung wasn’t one of the first to the table regarding Android-supported trackers, but it does have one of the more popular names out there for those who have been looking for something to fulfill their needs. It comes from a reputable company and is part of its SmartThings exosystem. But does it support the new (and soon to be much better) Google Find My Device network?

Since the launch of the SmartTag, these devices depend on others who also own a supported Galaxy smartphone to keep track of the tags as they pass by. Keeping them proprietary to Samsung’s bubble and no one else’s. This made it difficult to compete with Apple which has been dominating the sector since it allows for most modern Apple mobile devices to take part in the network. Making it easy to pinpoint precise AirTag locations frequently.

In fact, most of the third-party attempts to create a tracking network have been shadowed by Apple’s Find My network. But now that Google has rolled out its own Find My Device network, things are slowly making a turn. Mostly because it has opened its network up to various third-party companies so that they can add support for it. This means companies like Chipolo, Pebblebee, and others, can be included. Adding additional value to these products while also bolstering Google’s network.

But what about Samsung SmartTags? Afterall, everyone knows that Samsung would normally be one of the first to jump on this, right? Well, it doesn’t seem to be the case, for now. The SmartTag 2 series is still the latest from the company and it is hard-tethered to its own proprietary Samsung network through its SmartThings ecosystem. This would be fine if Samsung sold just as many phones as Apple did, but this just isn’t the case. Samsung is its own piece of the pie when it comes to the total amount of Android devices sold worldwide.

It’s uncertain if SmartTags could be updated to support Google’s Find My Device network or not. It could be as easy as a firmware update, or it could be completely impossible due to hardware limitations. The company could also be working on a new version of the SmartTag that could support the new network. Either way, Samsung hasn’t officially commented on its plans for the SmartTag product line.

However, there are rumors going around that the company is in the process of making waves with future products that may support wider networks. Breaking outside of its proprietary bubble so that other consumers can make use of them. Again, this isn’t official just yet, but it would make sense if the company wanted to keep in the game without getting left behind.

At the moment, Google’s Find My Device network hasn’t been doing so well due to initial growing pains. Many users have rushed to the internet to share their individual experiences with the network, showing how it hasn’t been completely reliable when it comes to pinpointing a device’s exact location.

Since trackers are still slowly making their way to shelves (ie, Chipolo’s still show as being in a pre-order phase), smartphones and certain Bluetooth accessories (ie, compatible headphone models, etc) have been the only thing trackable. In many of these experiences, the network can track the general area a device is found in, but hasn’t been able to pinpoint its exact location like Apple’s network can. There has also been a common experience where these devices aren’t seeing nearly enough pings from other devices compared to Apple’s network.

Obviously, as Google reels in all of the user feedback and other various analytics, it will be able to tighten performance and catch up to Apple. It may still be a number of months before that happens. Meanwhile, this summer will likely see a lot of supported trackers hitting the market, helping to make it easier to take advantage of it all.