Airtag nfc automation not working with samsu

AirTag NFC automation not working on Samsung


I'm aware that the Find my doesn't work with Android, but I was under the impression that the NFC should still work. In my case, the android device does read the AirTag, but it only prompts me to the Apple website with the info about it instead of following the instructions.


I've tried with multiple Samsung phones, cleared the NFC caché and reset the networking settings and the AirTag, and it didn't work.


Is there any way to fix this? Thanks!

Posted on Apr 9, 2023 11:57 PM

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8 replies

Apr 11, 2023 4:28 AM in response to Solo-B

Solo-B wrote "...I wasn't able to find the compatible Samsung devices, but the one I'm trying with is capable of detecting it and reading it. It's just not following the automation."

Perhaps I have misunderstood the above, but are you expecting an event occurring on a non-iOS device to trigger a Shortcuts automation on an iOS device? ...If so, that won't happen.


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Apr 10, 2023 12:50 AM in response to Solo-B

There could be several reasons why Airtag NFC automation is not working with Samsung devices. Here are some troubleshooting steps you can try:


Check NFC settings: Make sure that NFC is turned on in your Samsung device's settings. Go to Settings > Connections > NFC and Payment, and ensure that the toggle switch for NFC is turned on.


Check Airtag battery: Ensure that the battery level on your Airtag is sufficient to activate NFC automation. If the battery is low, replace it with a new one.


Check Airtag compatibility: Airtags are designed to work with Apple devices that run iOS 14.5 or later. While Airtags can work with some Android devices, not all Android devices are compatible. Ensure that your Samsung device is on the list of compatible devices.


Check Airtag placement: Make sure that the Airtag is placed in the right position for NFC to work. Airtags have an NFC antenna that needs to be touching the back of the Samsung device to activate automation.


Check app compatibility: Ensure that the app you are using to automate the NFC scan is compatible with Airtags. Some apps may not support Airtag NFC automation on Samsung devices.


If you have tried all of these troubleshooting steps and are still experiencing issues, you may need to contact Apple or Samsung support for further assistance.


Thanks

Apr 10, 2023 9:29 AM in response to Solo-B

If the NFC tag reader is reading the NFC tag here—the NFC tag reader clearly reads the NFC tag as Apple, and the NFC tag reader app then sends the UI off to the Apple (presumably AirTag) website—then the issue with automation seems to be with the NFC tag reader app associated with the NFC tag reader.


Which means discussing this NFC tag reader app and its automation functions with whoever is maintaining the NFC tag reader app on these Samsung Android devices, or a different NFC reader app from a third-party provider.


Or am I misinterpreting the report? This sure looks like an issue or limit or design decision with the NFC tag reader or its related functions, or possibly with the underlying Android / AOSP frameworks. If the Apple AirTag tag reader app can be installed here and that then works, then that would also seem to indicate everything here is functional and working as intended, except the NFC tag reader app in use here.


Tile tags might be an alternative to AirTags, given Android / AOSP.

Apr 11, 2023 7:59 AM in response to Alancito

Alancito wrote:

Perhaps I have misunderstood the above, but are you expecting an event occurring on a non-iOS device to trigger a Shortcuts automation on an iOS device? ...If so, that won't happen.


The first reply indications that this automation is intended to happen over on Samsung Android, which makes this whole sequence all that much more confusing. Because that all happens over on Android, and AirTags are nothing but another sort of NFC on (from) Android.

Apr 10, 2023 1:14 AM in response to sarathofficial

Hey! This is what happened:


Check NFC settings: It's on, and I cleared the caché too


Check AirTag battery: It's new, so I'm assuming is full.


Check AirTag compatibility: I wasn't able to find the compatible Samsung devices, but the one I'm trying with is capable of detecting it and reading it. It's just not following the automation.


Check AirTag placement: It is detecting it from the back of the phone


Check app compatibility: I'm using the Shortcut App from Apple, so I would say it is compatible.


I believe it used to work before, but maybe I put in too many instructions. Although, I tried just giving a text message when scanned, just to test it, and it still didn't work.


Any other suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Apr 10, 2023 9:53 AM in response to MrHoffman

Hey, thanks!

That's right – the NFC tag reader can read the AirTag, and it just opens the Apple website with the product's serial number and so on.


I tried downloading another NFC app from the Samsung phone, to see it would show anything else other than Apple's website, but it didn't. It only showed that it was an Apple device and that it couldn't be written on.


The app I used to put in the automations was Apple's: Shortcuts


I've attached the instructions—maybe someone could help me figure this out.

Thanks!








I would understand if some steps didn't happen. But in this case, it doesn't even open the 'Ask for´instruction.

I also tried another that was more simple—just showing a text message, and it didn't work either.


Apr 10, 2023 10:12 AM in response to Solo-B

Solo-B ~ This is just a screenshot tip for next time... Consider using Picsew Pro ($1.99 In-App Purchase). The app cleverly uses iOS Control Center's Screen Recording feature to record you slowly scrolling through whatever multi-screen content you want to grab into a single "screenshot" image. Picsew calls it Scrollshot Recording – see this video demo. It will even auto-remove the right-side scrollbar in the resulting screenshot.


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Airtag nfc automation not working with samsu

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