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Samsung Quietly Opens SmartTag 3 to All Android Phones
By @sharedot · · 8 pages
- Gadgets
- Samsung
- Smarttag 3
- Trackers
Samsung confirmed the Galaxy SmartTag 3 works with any Android phone that has the Google Play Store, an expansion it never mentioned at launch.
What happened
Samsung's Galaxy SmartTag 3, unveiled last week with a smaller design, iOS support and much longer battery life, has quietly gained a compatibility upgrade the company never announced. When Android Police reached out to Samsung for clarification about non-Galaxy Android support, the company confirmed: "Yes, SmartTag3 is compatible with other Android devices that have access to the Google Play Store to download the SmartThings and Samsung Find app." SammyGuru and Sammy Fans both reported the same confirmation, with Sammy Fans noting Samsung's own Korean product page states support for Android 12 or later.
Why it is surprising
For the entire history of the SmartTag line, Samsung restricted the trackers to its own Galaxy devices, a classic ecosystem lock-in. Samsung's launch announcement mentioned Galaxy and iOS support but conspicuously omitted non-Galaxy Android phones, leaving real uncertainty about whether third-party brands would be locked out. Android Police called the unannounced expansion "astonishing," noting the detail appears nowhere in the launch marketing materials and speculating it was either a genuine oversight or a deliberate delay until the tracker was officially available.
The evidence
The confirmation comes from Samsung itself via Android Police, and Sammy Fans reports Samsung's Korean product page independently states general Android compatibility for devices running Android 12 and later. This ends the era of workarounds: previously, third-party apps like uTag by Kieron Quinn were the only way to run a SmartTag 2 on non-Samsung Android phones, and many observers expected a similar unofficial solution for SmartTag 3. Now official SmartThings and Samsung Find support removes the need for any workaround.
The limits that remain
Not everything is unlocked. Compass View, the feature that helps users find an item from farther away, still requires a Galaxy device running Android 12 or later with Ultra-Wideband or Bluetooth Channel Sounding support. Sammy Fans reports Bluetooth Channel Sounding is currently limited to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 8, Galaxy S26 Ultra and Galaxy S26+, with additional supported devices expected in the future — so non-Galaxy owners lose the most advanced finding tools.
The stakes
The change dramatically widens the SmartTag 3's addressable market beyond Samsung's own install base, putting it in direct competition with Apple's AirTag for every Android household, not just Galaxy households. Sammy Fans reports pricing in Korea at KRW 44,000 for one tag and KRW 149,600 for a four-piece bundle, while Android Police confirms US pricing of $29.99 for a single tracker and $99.99 for a four-pack. The tag also adopts a new squircle shape and offers up to 550 days of battery life, or up to 790 days in Power Saving Mode.
What comes next
The rollout timeline is nearly immediate: Samsung has the SmartTag 3 on sale in South Korea starting October 7, with US availability planned for early November. Samsung will sell dedicated cases separately — including silicone cases in five colors, loop cases for luggage, pet name tag cases for collars and bicycle cases — since the tracker no longer includes a loop in the box, though case pricing remains unannounced. For gadget fans, the open question is whether Samsung will extend official support to even more finding features on non-Galaxy devices over time.