Samsung has announced that it will retire the Tracker Service within its SmartThings app on both Android and iOS starting October 31, 2026. This move will disable features like location viewing and notifications for Galaxy SmartTags and compatible third-party tracker devices starting November 1. The change comes as part of a company policy update that affects how tracking services are managed within SmartThings.
What’s Ending vs What Still Works
The key change is in the SmartThings app: users won’t be able to see where their SmartTags are or receive alerts when they move or go missing via SmartThings past October. Samsung emphasizes, however, that the trackers themselves aren’t dead in the water. Owners will still be able to locate their Galaxy SmartTags using Samsung’s dedicated Find app on Galaxy phones. Core functionality outside of SmartThings remains largely unaffected for now.
Why It Matters
“Tracker Service” features—such as real-time location checking and movement notifications—have been part of the SmartThings ecosystem since the release of SmartTags to help users keep tabs on valuables, pets, or anything else that might wander off. Ending those features in SmartThings marks a major shift for people who rely on that app as a one-stop control center for all connected devices.
There’s also a hint that Samsung isn’t done innovating on this front. Beyond just ending SmartThings Tracker support, reports suggest a third-generation Galaxy SmartTag may be coming, hinting at updates to hardware or service features that could arrive alongside or after this change.
This isn’t the first time a company has limited support in its tracking app in favor of a more centralized or specialized tool. Consolidating tracking features into dedicated apps often helps with performance, customer experience, or regulatory compliance—but it also forces users to shift habits and possibly lose cross-platform convenience.
What to watch going forward: whether users begin finding workarounds or third-party apps that try to fill the SmartThings gap; how well Samsung’s Find app covers the tracking features being deprecated; and what new features the rumored SmartTag gen-3 brings to justify the shift.
