When AirTag is placed in Lost Mode, all NFC-compatible devices – including devices with Android – can read the locator’s pre-programmed discovery message, a small but potentially important feature that could aid in the return of lost items.
NFC functionality was somewhat obscured during Tuesday’s “Spring Loaded” event, but a new support document provides additional details on the feature.
According to Apple, picking up and tapping the white portion of a lost AirTag to an NFC-compatible device will redirect to a webpage displaying an owner’s phone number. Additional information is also offered, such as the AirTag serial number.
AirTag users must provide their contact information during the installation process and put the device in lost mode for the feature to work.
Apple points out in its support document that Android devices can also communicate with an AirTag in lost mode.
“You can view a lost mode message on any NFC-compatible smartphone, such as an iPhone or Android phone,” says Apple.
It should come as no surprise that Apple has included support for NFC, a widely accepted communication protocol, in the diminutive tracker. Besides Android, many other commonly used computer devices include NFC support, which greatly increases the effectiveness of AirTag.
AirTag’s main communication mode is an Ultra Wideband radio, implemented in Apple’s U1 chip, which sends pulses for other U1-equipped hardware, such as the iPhone. The tracker’s precision search is powered by UWB and is currently exclusive to the iOS platform. It also uses Bluetooth to communicate with Apple devices, which then send information about nearby AirTags and associated location data to the Find My network.