Apple的AirTags是令人惊叹的物品跟踪设备，但Apple为自己的产品设计了它们。大多数手机用户都使用Android智能手机，那么AirTags 是否(AirTags)适用于Android设备？
AirTag如此有用的关键原因之一是它们搭载了全球大量的Apple设备。如果您丢失了带有AirTag的物品，拥有 iPhone 或其他兼容Apple设备的人可能会经过附近并转发其位置。
苹果(Apple)希望为其客户提供最广泛的网络是有道理的。事实证明，您可以使用带有AirTags的非(AirTags)Apple设备，尤其是Android手机。但是，这伴随着一长串警告。
苹果 U1 芯片
每个AirTag内部都有一个特殊的Apple微芯片，即U1 超宽带(U1 Ultra Wideband)芯片。这个惊人的小微芯片允许使用AirTag进行精确的定向跟踪。但是，要利用 U1，您的跟踪设备还需要 U1 芯片。
U1 旨在准确查找和跟踪其他 U1 芯片。这有很多用途，包括您每天做的事情，例如AirDrop。U1 是随Apple iPhone 11 推出的，但您也可以在Apple Watch Series 6及更高版本中找到它。M1 Mac(M1 Macs)和 iPad，甚至 iPad Pro(Pros)，在写入时尤其缺少 U1 芯片。当然，尽管它们仍然是“查找我的(Find My)网络”的一部分。
当您使用另一台 U1 设备跟踪 U1 时，有很多专有的Apple酱在起作用，而且由于没有非Apple设备（也不是所有Apple设备）都具有 U1 芯片，因此大多数短程跟踪功能都是无法访问。
查找我的应用程序和网络是关键
拥有 U1 硬件只是使AirTag像宣传的那样工作的一部分。AirTag连接到 Apple 的Find My网络，并要求Find My应用程序解锁链接到每个标签的信息。如果没有Find My应用程序和网络访问， (Find My)AirTag的全球跟踪功能就无法实现。
简而言之，没有适用于Android的(Android)Find My应用程序。但是，没有什么能阻止您使用Android手机的网络浏览器通过 iCloud 网站访问“查找” 。(Find My)您可以从网站跟踪您的Apple小工具，将它们置于丢失模式(Mode)，以及该应用程序可以执行的大部分操作。遗憾的是，网络版的Find My目前不包含任何AirTag(AirTags)。您仍然需要在Apple(Apple)设备
上使用该应用程序。
Android有一个（有限(Limited)的）官方 AirTag 应用程序(Official AirTag App)
Apple的官方(Apple)Android应用程序选择非常少，Tracker Detect加入了Apple Music和 iPhone 迁移工具应用程序，成为这个专属俱乐部的成员。
不幸的是，Tracker Detect不是Find My的 Android 版本。它的存在是因为人们对AirTags等跟踪器存在合法的隐私问题。Apple已包含一项功能，如果其他人的AirTag与他们一起旅行， Apple设备用户将收到警告，以防止犯罪分子或其他不良行为者使用AirTags作为跟踪您的位置的一种方式。
由于您需要Apple设备来检测附近的AirTag(AirTags)，因此Android用户很容易受到攻击。这就是Tracker Detect应用程序旨在缓解的问题。如果您的Android手机上有该应用程序，则可以扫描周围区域以检查AirTags。
有一些重要的限制。首先(First)，必须手动启动扫描。所以你不会收到自动警告。这使它成为一个相当不方便的解决方案。其次，它只会报告与所有者分离超过 15 分钟的AirTag(AirTags)，从他们离开蓝牙(Bluetooth)范围开始计算。
这意味着如果试图跟踪您的人留在范围内，或者您碰巧在标签不会显示的窗口内运行扫描然后错误地认为您没有跟踪器，那么它并不是那么有用。
AirGuard是最好的 Android Airtag 应用程序(Airtag App)
对于想要确保不使用未知AirTag进行跟踪的(AirTag)Android用户来说，一个更好的解决方案是AirGuard。这个应用程序不仅可以检测AirTags，还可以检测来自Tile的跟踪器，Tile是最大和最受欢迎的跟踪标签制造商之一。
AirGuard的不同之(AirGuard)处在于它在后台运行并定期自动检查跟踪器。这使得它在防止基于 AirTag 的跟踪方面(preventing AirTag-based stalking)比 Apple 自己的Android应用程序要好得多。
任何 NFC 阅读器都可以读取 AirTag
虽然您需要带有 U1 芯片的Apple设备才能充分利用(Apple)AirTag，但 AirTags(AirTags)还包含一个几乎普遍支持的NFC（近场通信(Near Field Communication)）标签。您可以使用任何NFC应用程序，将丢失的(NFC)AirTag的白色一侧触摸到手机背面（或NFC读取器所在的任何位置）以从中提取信息。
不幸的是，如果没有访问“查找我的(Find My)网络”，标签信息就没有多大意义。不过，您可以打开标签上的嵌入式 Web 链接，查看标签的序列号以及所有者电话号码的最后几位数字。
适用于Android用户
的替代蓝牙追踪器(Bluetooth Trackers)
经过上述所有讨论，应该清楚的是，任何只使用Android设备的人都不应该考虑购买Apple AirTag。如果没有Apple(Apple)帐户和设备，您将无法设置标签，但您也无法访问任何跟踪功能。
尽管Apple已将跟踪器标签作为主流，但它们并不是唯一一家甚至不是第一家提供此类技术的公司。Tile是将负担得起的跟踪器推向市场并购买磁贴跟踪器以与您的Android一起使用的先驱。您可以在 iOS App Store和Android Google Play Store上找到(Android Google Play Store)Tile应用程序。Apple Watch还有一个应用程序！
瓷砖临
在我们看来，Tile Pro在价格和功能上都最接近Apple AirTags。主要缺点是Tile Pro的形状和大小。由于持有人的范围和紧凑的尺寸，AirTag用途广泛，但(AirTags)Tile是一个很好的选择。
Tile带有一个孔作为核心设备的一部分，因此您无需购买额外的支架，这实际上是AirTag所必需的。与 Apple 的追踪器一样，Tile Pro提供一年的电池寿命，并且可以与Amazon Alexa、Hey Google和Siri配合使用。
银河智能标签
三星(Samsung)还以三星(Samsung)Galaxy SmartTag的形式创建了AirTag的直接竞争对手。不幸的是，与AirTag一样，SmartTag仅与三星 Galaxy(Samsung Galaxy)手机兼容。然而，三星在(Samsung)安卓(Android)手机市场占有如此巨大的份额，这可能不是什么大问题。
与Tile Pro一样，跟踪器本身包含一个孔，因此不需要配件。它还提供了一个有趣的功能，您可以使用标签来控制家中的(Things)IoT（物联网(Internet)）设备。
奇波罗一号
Chipolo One还有第三个竞争者。与AirTag一样，One 是圆形的，但与 Apple 的产品不同的是，它上面已经有一个洞，所以你不需要在特殊的支架上花费额外的钱。它还有一个非常酷的功能，您可以“双击” Chipolo，它会帮助您找到您的手机！
Chipolo One(Chipolo One)承诺在这里提到的所有追踪器中最长的电池寿命，长达两年的电力。特别是Chipolo(Chipolo)的唯一缺点是，他们的网络还无法与Find My、Samsung Galaxy或Tile相媲美。当您留下一些东西时，您会收到接近警报，并且Chipolo可用于其他事情，例如远程自拍快门按钮。
AirTags 会进入 Android 平台吗？
AirTags的一个有趣方面是，Apple表示第三方公司可以登录以利用Find My网络。换句话说，iPhone 用户可以使用Find My跟踪非(Find My)Apple产品。但是，除了那些也适用于Android(Android)设备
的第三方产品之外，这不会以任何特定方式帮助Android用户。(Android)
考虑到苹果(Apple)可能会在某个时候向Android用户开放AirTags并不是太牵强。该公司将Apple Music引入了竞争平台，同样，他们可能会决定让AirTags对(AirTags)Android用户更具功能性可能会带来更多销售。不过，只要AirTags 只(AirTags)依赖苹果(Apple)的 U1 芯片，这种情况就不太可能发生。
Do AirTags Work With Android and Other Non-Apple Devices?
Apple’s AirTags аre аmazing item tracker devices, but Apple has designed them for its own products. Most phone users are on Android smartphones, so do AirTags work with Android devices?
One of the key reasons AirTags are so useful is that they piggyback off the massive number of Apple devices worldwide. If you lose an item with an AirTag, someone with an iPhone or other compatible Apple device is likely to pass nearby and relay its location.
It stands to reason that Apple wants to offer its customers the broadest network. As it turns out, you can use non-Apple devices, particularly Android phones, with AirTags. However, that comes with a long list of caveats.
The Apple U1 Chip
Inside every AirTag is a special Apple microchip, the U1 Ultra Wideband chip. This amazing little microchip allows the precision directional tracking possible with an AirTag. However, to take advantage of the U1, your tracking device also needs a U1 chip.
The U1 is designed to accurately find and track other U1 chips. This has many uses, including things you do daily, such as AirDrop. The U1 was introduced with the Apple iPhone 11, but you’ll also find it in the Apple Watch Series 6 and up. M1 Macs and iPads, even the iPad Pros, notably lack U1 chips when writing. Although, of course, they are all still part of the Find My network.
When you track the U1 using another U1 device, there’s a lot of proprietary Apple sauce at work, and since no non-Apple devices (and not all Apple devices) have a U1 chip in them, most of the short-range tracking features are inaccessible.
The Find My App and Network Is Key
Having U1 hardware is only part of what makes an AirTag work as advertised. AirTags are hooked into Apple’s Find My network and require the Find My app to unlock the information linked to each tag. Without the Find My app and network access, the global tracking capabilities of the AirTag are out of reach.
In short, there is no Find My app for Android. However, nothing stops you from using your Android phone’s web browser to access Find My using the iCloud website. You can track your Apple gadgets from the website, put them into Lost Mode, and most of what the app can do. Sadly, the web version of Find My doesn’t include any AirTags currently; you still need to use the app on an Apple device.
Android Has a (Limited) Official AirTag App
Apple has a very small selection of official Android apps, and Tracker Detect joins the Apple Music and iPhone migration tool apps as a member of this exclusive club.
Unfortunately, Tracker Detect is not an Android version of Find My. It exists because of legitimate privacy concerns people have regarding trackers such as AirTags. Apple has included a feature where Apple device users will get a warning if someone else’s AirTag is traveling with them, preventing criminals or other bad actors from using AirTags as a way to track your location.
Since you need an Apple device to detect nearby AirTags, Android users are vulnerable. This is what the Tracker Detect app is meant to mitigate. If you have the app on your Android phone, you can scan the surrounding area to check for AirTags.
There are some important limitations. First of all, the scan must be manually initiated. So you won’t get an automatic warning. This makes it a rather inconvenient solution. Secondly, it will only report on AirTags that have been separated from their owners for longer than 15 minutes, counting from when they leave Bluetooth range.
That means it’s not all that useful if the person trying to track you stays within range, or you happen to run the scan within the window where the tag wouldn’t show up and then falsely believe you’re clean of trackers.
AirGuard is the Best Android Airtag App
A better solution for Android users who want to make sure they aren’t being tracked using an unknown AirTag is AirGuard. This app detects not only AirTags but also trackers from Tile, one of the largest and most popular makers of tracking tags.
What sets AirGuard apart is that it runs in the background and autonomously checks for trackers at regular intervals. This makes it much better than Apple’s own Android app at preventing AirTag-based stalking.
Any NFC Reader Can Read an AirTag
While you need an Apple device with a U1 chip to get the most out of an AirTag, AirTags also contains an almost universally-supported NFC (Near Field Communication) tag. You can use any NFC app and touch the white side of a lost AirTag to the back of your phone (or wherever the NFC reader is located) to extract information from it.
Unfortunately, the tag information doesn’t mean much without access to the Find My network. Still, you can open the embedded web link on the tag and see the serial number of the tag along with the last few digits of the owner’s phone number.
Alternatives Bluetooth Trackers for Android Users
After all of the above discussion, it should be clear that anyone using only an Android device should not consider buying an Apple AirTag. You won’t be able to set up the tag without an Apple account and device, but you also can’t access any of the tracking functionality.
Although Apple has made tracker tags mainstream, they aren’t the only or even the first company to offer this type of technology. Tile is the pioneer of bringing affordable trackers to market and buying tile trackers to use with your Android. You’ll find the Tile app on both the iOS App Store and the Android Google Play Store. There’s also an app for the Apple Watch!
The Tile Pro
The Tile Pro is the closest to Apple AirTags in both price and features in our opinion. The main downside is the shape and size of the Tile Pro. AirTags are highly versatile thanks to the holders’ range and compact size, but Tile is a great alternative.
The Tile comes with a hole as part of the core device, so you don’t need to purchase an additional holder, which is virtually required for an AirTag. Like Apple’s tracker, the Tile Pro offers a year of battery life, and it works with Amazon Alexa, Hey Google, and Siri.
The Galaxy SmartTag
Samsung has also created a direct competitor to the AirTag in the form of the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag. Unfortunately, like the AirTag, the SmartTag is only compatible with Samsung Galaxy phones. However, Samsung owns such a huge portion of the Android phone market that this may be less of an issue.
Like the Tile Pro, you get a hole included in the tracker itself, so accessories are not needed. It also offers an interesting feature where you can use the tags to control IoT (Internet of Things) devices in your home.
Chipolo One
There’s a third contender in the form of the Chipolo One. Like the AirTag, the One is round, but unlike Apple’s product, it already has a hole in it, so you don’t need to spend additional money on a special holder. It also has an incredibly cool feature where you can “double click” the Chipolo, and it will help you find your phone!
The Chipolo One promises the longest battery life of all the trackers mentioned here, with up to two years of power. The only drawback of Chipolo, in particular, is that their network cannot yet match Find My, Samsung Galaxy, or Tile for sheer size. You get a proximity alert when you leave something behind, and the Chipolo can be used for other things, such as a remote selfie shutter button.
Will AirTags Come to Android?
One interesting aspect of AirTags is that Apple has stated that third-party companies could sign on to leverage the Find My network. In other words, iPhone users could track non-Apple products using Find My. However, this wouldn’t help Android users in any particular way other than those third-party products also working with Android devices.
It’s not too far-fetched to consider that Apple may open AirTags to Android users at some point. The company brought Apple Music to the competing platform, and similarly, they may decide that making AirTags more functional for Android users could lead to more sales. However, as long as AirTags rely on Apple’s U1 chip alone, this isn’t likely to happen.
