Samsung one-upped Apple earlier this year by launching a Bluetooth-based object tracker called Galaxy SmartTag. A few weeks later, Samsung followed them with an updated version called the Galaxy SmartTag+ which added Ultrawide Band (UWB) tech to the mix for more accurate location tracking. While the premise is to make it easier for users to locate objects like their car keys or keep an eye on their pet, a downside is that they can also be planted on someone for stalking. Well, Samsung is aware of the issue and is addressing it with an update to its SmartThings Find ecosystem.

“In addition, the new Unknown Tag Search feature can detect a Galaxy SmartTag that doesn’t belong to you is moving along with you. With the press of a start button, Unknown Tag Search will scan for unknown SmartTags and provide a list to ensure nobody is secretly tracking your location,” Samsung says in an official press release.

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The new Unknown Tag Search feature will let users check if there is a Galaxy SmartTag object that is moving along with them. Or to put it simply, if there is a tracker secretly planted on you, the SmartThings Find app will tell you about it. The aforementioned feature will work for both the vanilla Galaxy SmartTag and the UWB-ready Galaxy SmartTag+ tracker as well.

In addition to the anti-stalking feature, Samsung is also adding support for Bixby-assisted tracking. Now, users can simply ask the AI assistant about an object’s whereabouts, and it will promptly help find its location using the SmartThings Find ecosystem. For example, just say ‘Hey Bixby, where’s my car key?’ and it will guide you towards its location using the SmartThing app. Samsung also ensures that all location data is encrypted, and that the information of your tracker cannot be accessed by another person except you.


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