Wanting to compete with Apple's AirTags, Samsung launched the Galaxy SmartTags last year to offer an alternative to its popular Tile trackers. The Bluetooth-enabled accessories worked with Samsung's improved SmartThings Find to essentially create a multi-source network of users that could help locate lost items, even if they were out of Bluetooth range. That system has also raised some privacy concerns that Samsung will address next week with a major update to SmartThings.
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There are actually two things that will arrive once the update is complete. Next week, Bixby will enable hands-free, voice-activated search for Galaxy SmartTags. You can ask Bixby to search for an item that's attached to a SmartTag with a nickname, and the ringtone will play if the item is nearby.
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The most important new feature, however, may be “Unknown Tag Search.” Smart things can find your favorite item, keeping its location private, through other Galaxy users who have allowed Smart things to share their location as a nearby lost device location.
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Samsung is trying to reassure users that, aside from this “tracking” activity, the Galaxy SmartTags and SmartThings Find are designed to be secure and private. User data is promised to be encrypted and protected via a random identifier that changes every 15 minutes. Additionally, the SmartTag’s location is also promised not to be revealed to anyone other than the tracker’s owner.
Information source: slashgear.com
