China and Android Bluetooth Tracking Tags

Mugsy on 31/05/2026 - 21:30

Does anyone have a recommendation for a bluetooth tracker for Android that works well for China?

From my research, the key issue for Android trackers is that most will use Google's Find My Device network which will be blocked in China.

Google and Co-pilot returns two results that still "works":

  1. Samsung SmartTags as having limited effectiveness but in reality, based on reddit, users have found SmartTags to be of little use once you're out of range of your tag with the likely reason being that Samsung has a less than 1% market share in China.

https://www.reddit.com/r/samsung/comments/1emiqno/smarttag_2…

  1. Tile Pro tags which use the Life360 network but I have no idea how many phones in China are tapped into this network.

Then there's the possibility of domestic brands that Google's results hasn't picked up on that will work with Android phones but not use the Find My Device network. I'm hoping someone here has insight on these.

And yes, I know iphones and airtags work in China… neither my parents nor my wife are going to be changing our phones to iphones just to use airtags so I'm exhausting the options available on Android.

Travel Bluetooth Tracker

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  • Nutrino on 01/06/2026 - 20:04

    Need not worry about being tracked in china.

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  • yippy on 01/06/2026 - 07:33

    Have you checked out at the Xiaomi Tags? if you're using an Aussie sim on roaming then everything should work as normal.

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    • Mugsy on 01/06/2026 - 23:23

      Yeah, the Mi Tags that work with Samsung Android phones use Google Find My Device on Android so they're pretty useless in China. The local China version uses Xiaomi's ecosystem which will only work with a Chinese Xiaomi phone apparently. One can install the Mi Home app on a Samsung phone but you'll only detect the tag when the phone is within range (i.e. no better than a Samsung SmartTag).

      Tags from Vivo, Oppo, Huawei are supposed to all use their own ecosystem so won't work on a Samsung Android phone.

      Users won't be roaming either but will have travel esims.

      I get the feeling I'm out of luck for Android compatible solutions to track luggage in China.

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      • deeevan on 05/06/2026 - 06:37

        Do you already have tags? Would getting a roaming SIM work out cheaper than new tags (which you haven't found yet)?

        Not sure what the current startup cost is, but I know someone who paused their Felix plan and bought the $20 4GB roaming data pack when travelling.

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        • Mugsy on 05/06/2026 - 09:37

          I'm a bit confused… How is a roaming plan going to improve the situation?

          I currently have Samsung SmartTag2s.

          The problem is the lack of phone users on a relevant network that will relay my tag's location so that my phone will get a reliable update.

          Less than 1% of phones in China are Samsung so the likelihood of my tags being able to relay their location is very small… so small that 99% of the time you don't have an update.

          And tags that use Google's Find My Device network… that whole network is blocked in China so even if my phone could bypass the GFW of China, the random phone that the Tag connects to to relay the location will need to also be able of getting around the GFW of China and be the right phone for relaying something on Google's Find My Device network. It would have to be an Android phone from overseas, and using either roaming, a travel esim or a vpn.

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          • deeevan on 05/06/2026 - 21:43

            @Mugsy: I didn't understand how it was going to help either but you replied with info about your esim situation like it was relevant, never mind.

            You wouldn't need everyone to be able to track tags, right? If something gets lost, it's reasonable to ask you to check on a common device. Anyone bringing their iPad? Or got an old iPhone in the drawer?

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            • Mugsy on 05/06/2026 - 22:56

              @deeevan: I think you're misunderstanding the situation. I'm not traveling with anyone to China. When my wife goes, she goes alone to visit her parents. When my parents go, it's just the two of them (they're retired and do 5-6 trips to China for holidays per year).

              The purpose of the tracker tags is as an extra layer of protection if something like the Toronto Pearson airport luggage tag switching scam happens to them.

              Long story short, luggage handlers were in on a drug smuggling scheme. They would take random luggage tags off legit travelers and attach those tags to luggage full of drugs. If those drug filled luggage gets intercepted, it's the person who's name is on the tag who is in trouble and authorities are focused on someone who isn't part of the drug smuggling scheme. I suggest digging up the matter on Youtube if you want to know more details of the scam.

              Canadian media uncovered at least 16 victims. Some with insufficient proof spent months in jail overseas. The ones who were able to get themselves out of the mess quickly had footage of them and their real luggage (e.g. security footage when they were leaving home) and had tracking tags to find their real luggage to back up their claims.

              My parents and my wife can each take photos of them and their luggage… but none of them use tracking tags. So I'm trying to rectify that.

              Anyone bringing their iPad?

              My wife does have an iPad Pro… but she usually leaves it at home due to size and weight. She usually flies back during winter there so her carry on is fully of winter clothes for when she reaches the other end. North east China gets ridiculously cold.

              My parents don't use any Apple devices.

              I guess I could always get a few ipad minis for my parents and wife for them to use airtags. They'd need to hotspot off their phone but it would enable them to use airtags… or I get the one ipad mini and enough airtags to cover all the luggage that maybe traveling and if they have issues, they contact me to get luggage tracking info (provided the airport security allows them to contact me).

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              • deeevan on 06/06/2026 - 15:59

                @Mugsy: Wait, they don't need any Apple device with them. They can track via browser:
                https://www.icloud.com/find/

                Edit: I was assuming technically incompetent parents. Everyone can just get their own Apple accounts and register their own Airtags as they see fit

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                • Mugsy on 06/06/2026 - 20:16

                  @deeevan: I thought the icloud website can only track primary Apple devices like iphones, ipads and macs and airtags wasn't included?

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                  • deeevan on 07/06/2026 - 07:38

                    @Mugsy: Oh bugger yeah. Was going to suggest using the cheapest Airpods you can find as tags but the battery life won't last the flight to China.
                    If they're usually travelling with a suitcase each, it may work out more cheaper and not eat up carry-on space/weight to use an iPad mini each as tag rather than iPad mini + Airtag each.

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                    • Mugsy on 07/06/2026 - 08:23

                      @deeevan: Unfortunately not… I'd need to get the iPad mini that supports cellular and have an active sim/esim service that is set up properly for the destination country/countries. Otherwise I can't ping it. That ongoing cost will eclipse the cost of the airtag quickly.

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  • Duckie2hh on 01/06/2026 - 12:09

    Your ex travelling to China?

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