Apple has finally launched an object tracker of its own – the AirTag. If you’ve used an object tracker such as those sold by Tile before, you’ll know the basic premise. However, Apple has also armed the AirTag with support for the Ultra-Wideband technology – thanks to the U1 chip inside – for more accurate location tracking. Priced at $29 a pop (or $99 for a bundle of four), this coin-sized gadget goes on sale later this month. But before they hit the shelves, you must be wondering about the compatibility part.

What devices are AirTags compatible with?

The answer is iPhones, iPads, and iPods. However, the Apple device you’re rocking must be running iOS 14.5 that will be released later this month. Thankfully, you don’t necessarily need to own the latest iPhone to make use of the AirTag, as is clearly evident from the complete list of devices that are compatible with the Apple object tracker:

Only the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series supports the Precision Finding feature of AirTag

Now, there is a caveat here. Not all the AirTag features are supported by the devices mentioned above. The best example is Precision Finding, which employs the U1 chip inside the AirTag to locate items using the Ultra-Wideband technology for more accurate positioning. However, you need to own an iPhone model that also comes fitted with a U1 chip. Apple says that only the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12 series devices support Precision Finding at the moment. But later this year, the iPhone 13 series will also be added to the compatibility list as well.

AirTags also support Android devices, sort of…

The AirTag is only compatible with Apple devices, and not Android phones, primarily because it works after being linked to the Find My app. The aforementioned app is not available for Android phones and tablets yet – and likely won’t be released in the near future either. However, if you have an Android phone with NFC support, it might offer a very limited – but useful – interaction with the Apple object tracker.

Get an Android phone with NFC, and be a good samaritan for AirTag owners!

Apple has created a Lost Mode that allows you to find an AirTag that has gone out of range. So if you come across an AirTag out in the wild and happen to own an Android phone with an NFC chip inside, you can just tap the phone on the tracker to open a Lost Mode message. This Lost Mode message will guide you to a website that will show the contact number of the AirTag’s owner so you reach out to them and help them find their lost object tracker, and the item it is attached with.

Moreover, if there is an AirTag that is moving with you and is making sounds after being put in Lost Mode by the owner, you can tap your NFC-capable Android phone on it to shush the tracking device after following the on-screen instructions. This will also help you find the necessary information for returning it to the person who lost it in the first place.

Sure, the AirTag will come in handy if you tend to often misplace objects like your wallet or car keys, but it is equally important to shield your phone too. If you happen to own an iPhone 12, we’ve rounded up an exhaustive list of the best cases to protect your shiny phone from accidents and keep it in pristine shape.