Several months after the launch of the AirTag, Apple has released an Android app for the trackers compatible with its Find My Network. The Tracker Detect app on Google Play store (unofficially the AirTag App For Android) came along with the release of iOS 15.2, which delivered updates including Apple Music Voice Plan, App Privacy Report and Digital Legacy programme.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The AirTag App For Android (Tracker Detect) is designed to help non-Apple users scan for nearby trackers that have been separated from the user (for at least 15 minutes) or detect if someone is using the device to track one’s location. The app has a single screen with a scan button and searching takes about 30 seconds to complete. No Apple ID account is required for this.
If the app detects any AirTag nearby, it simply lists it as “Unknown AirTag”. This process is not in any way automated like in iOS; hence the user can only know if they are being tracked when they run the scanner. It, however, allows the user play sound from any AirTag nearby for at least 10 minutes and gives options on how to proceed when an unknown tracker is found nearby.
So far, the app has received a cold reception because it really doesn’t offer a way for Android users to take advantage of the Find My ecosystem. It is also manual and doesn’t offer either inbuilt mapping or tracking abilities. Apple’s AirTag (US$ 29/ AU$ 45) was made with the intention of tracking items such as bags, backpacks, and pets, however, they have been misused for purposes such as stalking and carjacking.