Samsung has announced new privacy features for its SmartThings Find service that will allow you to scan for unknown Galaxy SmartTags in your vicinity. This will help you find any unknown tags near you that could be potentially tracking your location.
Additionally, you can now also find items tagged using Galaxy SmartTag using your voice and Bixby.
Find Unknown Galaxy SmartTags Around You
Dubbed Unknown Tag Search, the feature will be available in the SmartThings app in the coming weeks. It will let you find any unknown Galaxy SmartTags near you that someone might have slipped in your pocket or bag to track your location silently.
With tracking tags like Galaxy SmartTag bound to become popular in the coming years, this is a welcome safety and privacy enhancement from Samsung.
Locate Galaxy SmartTags Using Your Voice
Samsung is adding the ability to find SmartTags linked to your account using Bixby. You can find belongings tagged with a Galaxy SmartTag using Bixby by simply saying the tag name.
For example, saying "Hi Bixby, where's my bike?" will lead to Bixby sharing your bike location that's tagged using SmartTag. The tag will also start ringing so that you can find it easily.
Samsung sells two variants of its tracking tags: the Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag+. The former only features Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity and uses it to relay the tagged item's location. The Galaxy SmartTag+, which recently went on sale, features BLE and Ultra-Wideband. This allows one to use the AR Finder Feature in the SmartThings Find app to find tagged devices using AR.
SmartThings Find Network Now Has Over 70 Million Devices
SmartThings Find uses the Galaxy device network to locate your tags even when they are not in the vicinity of your smartphone. The Galaxy SmartTag uses Bluetooth Low Energy and Ultra-Wideband to ping their location to registered Galaxy smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches which then relay the information to Samsung's servers.
SmartThings Find data is encrypted and the private ID is randomized every 15 minutes. This will ensure that your device or your SmartTag's location is never revealed to anyone except you.
Samsung first launched SmartThings Find in October 2020. Since then, the network has grown to include over 70 million devices. The company notes that there's still room to grow, with over 700 million Galaxy device owners capable of joining the SmartThings Find network.