Samsung SmartTag For Pets vs Tractive GPS & Health Tracker
Can you use a Samsung SmartTag to track your pet? Learn why a dedicated GPS pet tracker like Tractive is the safer, smarter option for keeping your furry friend safe.
As a pet parent, you always want to keep your furry friend safe, and one of the ways to do that is by tracking them. But with so many tracking devices on the market, how do you know which one is best for your pet? If you’re considering using the Samsung SmartTag for pets, you may be wondering if it will be a reliable tracker for your dog or cat. Here’s why a dedicated GPS pet tracker is a better choice.
Key Takeaways
- Samsung SmartTags aren’t designed for pets and are very limited when it comes to pet tracking.
- They rely on Bluetooth, meaning a limited range and no live tracking.
- Tractive Smart Dog & Cat Trackers offer real-time tracking with unlimited range, plus pet-specific features for safety and health — giving you peace of mind wherever your pet roams.
Find out where your cat spends their time.
Read moreWhat is a Samsung SmartTag?
The Samsung SmartTag is a Bluetooth-powered device that helps you track personal items like keys, bags, or wallets using the Samsung SmartThings app. It works by connecting to nearby Samsung Galaxy devices within a limited Bluetooth range.
But here’s the catch: It’s not designed for pets. While you can technically attach a SmartTag to your pet’s collar, it’s not the ideal solution for tracking your dog or cat.
GPS pet tracker vs SmartTag for pets: What’s the difference?
Here are the key differences between a Tractive GPS pet tracker and Samsung SmartTag for pets that you should be aware of:
Not built for pets
Samsung SmartTags are Bluetooth item finders, intended to help you find inanimate objects, not track living pets. They have simple features including Bluetooth tracking, a long battery life, and a built-in speaker to make the device ‘beep’ when you’re looking for it. All things that are great for helping you find your lost keys; but these features don’t stack up to those of modern pet trackers.
A built-for-pets tracker like Tractive on the other hand has features like:
- GPS LIVE Tracking: Follow your pet live with updates every 2-3 seconds.
- Unlimited Range: Track your pet over any distance.
- Virtual Fences & Escape Alerts: Mark Safe & No-Go Zones and get alerted when they cross a boundary.
- Location History & Heat Map: See where your buddy has been in the last 365 days; learn their favorite spots.
- Activity, Sleep and Health Monitoring: Set goals, know their routine, keep your furry friend in shape and spot health issues early.
- Bark Monitoring: See if they’re barking more or less than usual and what that could mean.
- Cat Territory: Find out how big your cat’s territory is.
- Dog Walks: Record everywhere you go with your furry friend.
- Tracker Sharing: Let friends, family, walkers and pet-sitters track your cat or dog with you.
Keep your pets healthy & safe
Get real-time location information, wherever they go. See how much – or how little – activity they’re getting. And get Health Alerts if something might be wrong.
Limited range
Besides not being built for pets, SmartTags rely on Bluetooth, which means they can only work within a short range—up to 120 meters (390 feet). If your pet runs out of Bluetooth range of your phone or another Galaxy device, the SmartTag won’t report its location, and you won’t know where they are.
In contrast, a GPS pet tracker like the Tractive GPS & Health Tracker provides unlimited range. It uses GPS and cellular technology to track your pet in real-time, no matter where they are in the world.
No GPS live tracking
In additional to their limited range, it’s important to know that SmartTags don’t have GPS and can’t provide live location updates. While they use the SmartThings Find network to relay location data, this system only works if there are nearby Samsung Galaxy devices. In areas with few Samsung users—like rural locations—this could make it nearly impossible to find your pet.
With a GPS tracker, you get real-time GPS tracking via your phone, and you can pinpoint your pet’s location at any time, no matter where you are.
Why SmartTags aren’t pet-safe
Besides their tracking limitations, SmartTags have several potential safety hazards when it comes to using them on pets:
- Swallowing Hazard: SmartTags are small and could be a choking risk if your pet chews on or swallows it.
- No Secure Attachment: Unlike dedicated pet trackers, SmartTags don’t have pet-safe collars. They dangle from your pet’s collar, which means they could easily fall off or get lost.
In contrast, Tractive GPS trackers come with safety clips and secure, pet-friendly collars designed to stay in place during active play. They’re built specifically for your pet’s safety and comfort.
Why the right tracker could save your pet’s life
The right pet tracker doesn’t just give you peace of mind; it could actually save your pet’s life. Imagine if your dog or cat runs off into unfamiliar territory or gets lost in a dangerous situation. With a GPS pet tracker, you can quickly locate them and take action before it’s too late. Real-time tracking, location history, and features like a virtual fence can alert you the moment your pet steps out of a safe zone, giving you the chance to intervene before they wander too far. Devices like the Tractive GPS & Health Tracker have even helped locate pets in emergency situations, including during natural disasters or accidents. When it comes to your furry friend’s safety, having the right tool could make all the difference.
Tractive saved my dog’s life!
This tracker saved my dogs life yesterday! If you’re on the fence — don’t hesitate and get this tracker. It showed me exactly where my dogs were — my little girl had fallen through the ice.
If it wasn’t for Tractive I wouldn’t have gotten to her in time and saved her life.
Read More:
- 10 Dogs Whose Lives Were Saved By Tractive
- Tractive Saved My Cat’s Life: 10 Amazing True Stories
- Imogen The Dog Saved From Frozen Lake Thanks To GPS Tracker
- Cat Saved From Drain Pipe Thanks To His Tractive GPS Tracker
Tractive vs SmartTag for pets: full comparison
Again, while the Samsung SmartTag might work for tracking your keys, it’s not the best option for tracking your pet. Here’s the full comparison of Tractive vs SmartTag.
 Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 |  Tractive GPS & Health Tracker | |
| Type of Tracker | Bluetooth item finder | GPS, activity, sleep and health tracker for pets |
| Intended Use | Tag and find lost items like keys and bags when they are nearby. | Follow your dog or cat’s every step in real-time; never lose your pet again. Keep them healthy and safe. |
| Compatibility | Requires UWB-enabled Galaxy smartphones with Android 11 or above | iOS 16.6 and above, Android 9.0 and above, web app |
| Dimensions | 29 x 52 x 8 mm | Cat: 55 x 28 x 17 mm Dog: 71 x 29 x 17 mm |
| Weight | 13.75 grams | 25 – 39 grams |
| Waterproof | Water-resistant (IP67) | Waterproof (IP68) |
| Battery Life | 1.5 years, replaceable | Up to 1 month (depending on model), rechargable |
| Price | $23.99 | $49 – $69 + subscription |
| Short Range Tracking | Yes | Yes |
| Tracker Sharing | Yes | Yes |
| Sound | Yes | Yes |
| Augmented Reality | Yes | Yes |
| Unlimited, Long Range Tracking | No | Yes |
| GPS LIVE Tracking | No | Yes |
| Pet Specific Features | No | Yes |
| Virtual Fence & Escape Alerts | No | Yes |
| Activity & Sleep Monitoring | No | Yes |
| Health Alerts, Vital Signs Monitoring | No | Yes |
| Location History | No | Yes |
| Dog Walks | No | Yes |
| Bark Monitoring | No | Yes |
| Cat Territory | No | Yes |
| Light | No | Yes |
| Pet-Safe Attachment | No | Yes |
Stick with a GPS tracker for your pet’s safety
While Samsung SmartTags may be a convenient item tracker, they simply aren’t designed with pets in mind. For the best peace of mind and the safety of your furry friend, a dedicated GPS pet tracker like the Tractive GPS & Health Tracker is the way to go. With real-time tracking, unlimited range, and pet-specific features, Tractive keeps your pet safe wherever they roam.
Keep your pets healthy & safe
Get real-time location information, wherever they go. See how much – or how little – activity they’re getting. And get Health Alerts if something might be wrong.
FAQs
Does SmartTag have GPS?
Samsung SmartTag should not be mistaken for a GPS tracker – it does not contain GPS technology. A Bluetooth tracker, its location can only be found within Bluetooth range of your phone or a network of other Samsung devices. On the other hand, a Tractive Smart Tracker for Dogs and Cats includes both GPS and cell technology, which allows you to track your pet in real-time, worldwide and over any range.
What’s the range of the Samsung SmartTag?
As a Bluetooth tracker, the Samsung SmartTag has a limited range of up to around 120 meters (about 390 feet). If the SmartTag goes out of range of your phone, Samsung’s SmartThings Find network can help track it down by using nearby Galaxy devices. Still, the tag needs to be within range of a device in the network in order to provide location updates. And when your dog or cat is on the run, it’s not possible to make sure they stay within range of a Samsung SmartThings device. The fact that your pet could easily get out of range is one of the biggest shortcomings when it comes to using SmartTag for pets.
Samsung SmartTag vs Apple AirTag for pets
The Samsung SmartTag and Apple AirTag were built for the same purpose: to keep track of personal items that can be misplaced easily, like keys or a bike. Additionally, they function in the same way, each relying on other devices in the same network (Apple or Samsung) to locate your own device.
On the other hand, Tractive is compatible with Android and iOS devices – making the tracker suitable for everyone. You can even track your dog or cat in any web browser. And these trackers don’t rely on any specific network of users to function – but rather on universal technologies like GPS and the cellular network.
Can you put a Samsung SmartTag on a dog or cat?
Technically yes, you can put a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag on a dog or cat — but as pet tracking experts, we wouldn’t recommend it. Remember, SmartTag needs other Samsung devices to work. So while it may help you find your dog or cat if they’re hiding nearby, it’s not the best tool to rely on for your pet’s safety or your peace of mind.
Take for example this scenario: You’re in a rural, forested area when your dog catches a scent and runs after it. Suddenly, they’re out of sight, running deep into the forest, and you have no idea which way they went or how far they’ve gone. Chances are there will not be many Samsung users nearby, if any – so a SmartTag could be useless in this particular situation.
Better safe than sorry: Instead of relying on a limited range Bluetooth item finder to track your pet, it is recommended to use a GPS tracker specifically designed for pets like the Tractive GPS for Cats and Dogs.
