After months of anticipation, Motorola’s Moto Tag is finally getting the ultra-wideband (UWB) support it promised way back in June 2024. With a firmware update now rolling out, Moto Tag becomes the first tracker on Google’s recently rebranded Find Hub network to offer UWB-guided precision finding. Unlike Bluetooth-only trackers, UWB leverages time-of-flight measurements and directional cues to guide users directly to their missing items, akin to the experience Apple AirTag and Samsung SmartTag users have enjoyed for years.

When Motorola introduced Moto Tag in mid-2024, it signaled that UWB support was in the cards—but activation would hinge on Google’s own Find Hub (formerly Find My Device) app gaining UWB capabilities. At the time, many assumed the rollout would coincide closely with the tracker’s launch. Instead, Android’s Find Hub only enabled UWB support in May 2025, delaying Moto Tag’s precision-finding feature until now.

By contrast, Samsung SmartTags and Apple AirTags shipped with UWB from day one—SmartTags in 2020, AirTags in 2021—giving their ecosystems a head start on close-range directional guidance. Motorola’s initial Bluetooth-only rollout left Moto Tag owners with basic ring-and-locate via networked Bluetooth, but lacked the “point-in-the-right-direction” brilliance of UWB. As Google’s Find Hub matured to include UWB, Motorola could finally push out the necessary firmware in June 2025, roughly a year after Moto Tag’s debut.

Ultra-wideband is a short-range, high-frequency radio technology distinguished by its ability to measure the time it takes for signals to travel between devices. This time-of-flight data yields precise distance estimates (often within a few centimeters) and can incorporate angle-of-arrival techniques to provide directional cues. In practice, UWB “Find Nearby” experiences show a filling shape or radar-like interface as you approach the tracker; once you’re in range, the UI can even indicate the direction to move your phone to locate the tag exactly.

Bluetooth-based trackers, by contrast, rely on signal strength (RSSI), which is far less accurate and susceptible to interference. Users can generally narrow down a Bluetooth tracker to a room or general vicinity, but UWB transforms “somewhere in the house” into “it’s 2 meters to your left.” For items lost in cluttered spaces, between couch cushions, or hidden under papers, that precision is a game-changer.

Getting UWB working on Moto Tag involves two key steps:

1. Update the Moto Tag app to version 01.00.073.10-release via the Google Play Store. This version is rolling out gradually as of early June 2025; tech-savvy users may sideload the APK at their own risk if they want UWB sooner.
2. Install Moto Tag firmware 2.0.93 (or later) through the updated app. Each Moto Tag needs to be updated individually while in Bluetooth range and with sufficient battery. Once updated, the tracker’s dormant UWB radio becomes active for compatibility with Find Hub’s precision finding.

After updating, open the Find Hub app, select your Moto Tag, and tap “Find nearby.” The interface will guide you through holding and moving your phone to pick up the UWB signal, showing a distance estimate and directional arrow or “radar” UI as you close in.

UWB requires hardware support in the phone. As of June 2025, supported devices include newer Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel flagships equipped with UWB chips. Users should verify their specific model’s UWB capabilities and ensure UWB is enabled in system settings (e.g., Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences). If UWB is off at the OS level, Find Hub cannot leverage the feature even after Moto Tag’s firmware update.

Phones without UWB will still locate Moto Tags via Bluetooth’s standard distance estimate and network-finding features, but without precise, in-range directional guidance. For a full UWB experience, a modern UWB-capable Android handset is essential.

With Moto Tag now supporting UWB, Google’s Find Hub network narrows the gap with Apple and Samsung. Apple’s AirTag ecosystem, integrated with hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, has offered UWB precision since 2021 using the U1 chip in iPhones. Samsung’s SmartTag+ similarly leveraged UWB in its Galaxy ecosystem since 2020. Google’s later entry means Android users have had fewer options for UWB trackers—until Moto Tag’s update. However, challenges remain: the Android ecosystem is more fragmented, with UWB support limited to select models, whereas Apple’s AirTags benefit from a large installed base of UWB-equipped iPhones.

Moreover, community-driven networks for device-finding differ: Apple’s Find My network is known for its vast reach, while Google’s Find Hub aims to build a comparable mesh but faces slower adoption. Moto Tag’s arrival with UWB may incentivize more users to engage with Find Hub, broadening Google’s network for Bluetooth fallback and UWB precision alike.