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The correct Samsung SmartTag reset depends on the model. For the original Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag+, remove the CR2032 battery, hold the center button, reinsert the battery, and keep holding for five seconds. For the Galaxy SmartTag2, Samsung’s manual documents resetting by removing the device through SmartThings.
If you are transferring ownership, a physical reset is only part of the process: the previous owner should also remove the tag from SmartThings and, where applicable, SmartThings Find or Samsung Find.
Quick answer
- Original Galaxy SmartTag or SmartTag+: Open the cover, remove the CR2032 battery, press and hold the center button, reinsert the battery while holding the button, continue holding for five seconds, then release and replace the cover. Samsung documents this physical reset procedure.
- Galaxy SmartTag2: Open SmartThings, go to Devices, open the tag’s options, choose Remove device, and confirm. The SmartTag2 manual describes this removal as resetting the product and allowing registration with another Samsung account: SmartTag2 user manual.
- Moving a tag to another person: Remove it from the previous Samsung account before the new owner attempts setup.
Identify your SmartTag first
Do not use one universal reset guide for every Samsung tracker.
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- Galaxy SmartTag and SmartTag+: Earlier square-style tags with a central button and a replaceable CR2032 coin-cell battery.
- Galaxy SmartTag2: The newer design has a noticeably larger loop or opening. Samsung identifies the U.S. SmartTag2 as model EI-T5600; see the official product page.
Check the label, packaging, product name shown in SmartThings, or Samsung’s product information if you are unsure. Model identification matters because Samsung directly documents the battery-and-button sequence for the original SmartTag and SmartTag+, while the SmartTag2 manual emphasizes in-app removal.
#1 Best Overall
- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only
Before resetting
A reset is appropriate when a tag repeatedly fails to connect, is being reassigned, shows an outdated SmartThings entry, or behaves inconsistently after a battery change. It is probably unnecessary if the only issue is a low battery, disabled Bluetooth, missing location permission, distance from the phone, or an outdated SmartThings app.
Before proceeding:
- Confirm the model.
- Make sure you are signed in to the Samsung account that owns the tag.
- Note its name, room, location, and any SmartThings automation you may want to recreate.
- Keep the tag and phone close together.
- If the tag is still visible and controllable, remove it from SmartThings first.
How to factory reset the original Galaxy SmartTag or SmartTag+
Use this procedure for the earlier SmartTag and SmartTag+ models.
- Place the tag on a stable surface.
- Insert a fingertip or a thin, non-sharp object such as a credit card or guitar pick into the notch on the underside.
- Pull off the battery cover.
- Remove the CR2032 battery.
- Press and hold the button in the center of the tag.
- While continuing to hold the button, reinsert the battery.
- Keep holding the button for five seconds.
- Release the button.
- Refit the battery cover.
Samsung says to repeat the procedure if the tag makes a sound immediately after the battery is reinserted. The important timing detail is that the center button must already be held when the battery goes back in.
The original SmartTag and SmartTag+ use a CR2032 battery. Samsung describes battery life as approximately one year depending on use and other factors. A fresh battery can help diagnose a power problem, but replacing the battery by itself is not a factory reset.
Rank #2
- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only.
How to reset a Galaxy SmartTag2
For SmartTag2, use the removal workflow in Samsung’s manual:
- Open SmartThings.
- Tap Devices.
- Open the SmartTag2 device’s options menu.
- Tap Remove device.
- Confirm the removal.
- Return to SmartThings and add the SmartTag2 as a new device.
The manual states that removing the product resets it and allows it to be registered with another Samsung account. Do not automatically substitute the original SmartTag’s five-second battery procedure for SmartTag2 unless Samsung’s model-specific documentation instructs you to do so.
Remove the tag completely from Samsung’s apps
Remove it from SmartThings
Samsung’s current U.S. support path is:
- Open SmartThings.
- Tap Devices.
- Select the SmartTag.
- Tap the three-dot menu.
- Tap Remove device.
- Confirm with Remove.
Depending on your SmartThings version, phone model, language, or region, you may instead see a location-based layout such as Devices → Home icon → location or room → touch and hold the tag → Edit → Delete device. Samsung’s support pages show both interface styles, so menu names may not match exactly.
Check SmartThings Find or Samsung Find
Older Samsung documentation distinguishes removing a tag from SmartThings Find from deleting the device in the SmartThings Devices tab. If the tag remains visible in a finding service after you delete it from SmartThings, open that service and remove the tag there as well. Samsung may present the service as SmartThings Find or Samsung Find depending on the software and region.
Rank #3
- Find your things with ease: The SmartThings Find app uses Bluetooth and ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to locate and keep track of your stuff
- Water and Dust Resistant: IP67 rating offers protection against dust and water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for up to 30 minutes
- Compatible with Galaxy Devices Only.
This distinction matters during a handoff. Deleting a shortcut, card, or view does not necessarily remove the tag’s account association. A physical reset also does not guarantee that server-side registration has been cleared.
Pair the tag again
After resetting or removing the tag:
- Turn on Bluetooth.
- Give SmartThings the required location permissions.
- Sign in to the Samsung account that should own the tag.
- Keep the tag close to the phone.
- Use the latest available version of SmartThings.
- For an original SmartTag or SmartTag+, press the tag’s button to activate it.
- Follow the SmartThings pairing prompt. Do not try to add it through the phone’s ordinary Bluetooth settings.
Successful setup should produce a new-device prompt or pairing flow. Once complete, the tag should be available to rename, assign to a location, and test with functions such as ringing or nearby search.
Reset, battery replacement, and unpairing are different
| Action | What it does | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Replace the battery | Restores power when the coin cell is depleted or poorly seated. | The tag is silent, weak, or reports a low battery. |
| Temporarily remove the battery | Interrupts power but does not necessarily clear registration or pairing. | Basic power troubleshooting. |
| Remove the device in SmartThings | Deletes the device entry and, for SmartTag2, is the manual-documented reset route. | Reassignment or a stale device listing. |
| Physical reset | Clears the hardware pairing state on the original SmartTag and SmartTag+ using Samsung’s documented button-and-battery sequence. | Connection failure or reassignment on those models. |
| Delete a shortcut or card | Removes a display element, not necessarily the device or account association. | Cleaning up the app interface only. |
If the reset does not work
- Confirm the model. The original SmartTag procedure does not automatically apply to SmartTag2.
- Check the battery. Verify that the CR2032 is fresh, seated correctly, and oriented properly. A loose cover or poor contact can look like a pairing failure.
- Repeat the original-model sequence. The button must be held before the battery is reinserted, and the hold must continue for five seconds.
- Remove stale entries. Delete the old SmartThings listing and check SmartThings Find or Samsung Find.
- Confirm the account. A tag may still belong to the previous Samsung account or another SmartThings location.
- Restart the connection. Close and reopen SmartThings, toggle Bluetooth, and restart the phone.
- Check permissions and app updates. Bluetooth, location access, and a current SmartThings installation are necessary for setup.
- Contact Samsung Support. This is the appropriate next step when the former owner’s account is inaccessible, the tag remains registered, or the hardware may be damaged.
If the tag resets but tracking still fails, remember what a reset cannot fix: a dead or damaged battery, water or physical damage, a faulty button or speaker, unsupported phone hardware, service problems, or account and regional restrictions. Resetting does not provide GPS-like continuous tracking, a nearby Bluetooth signal, network-based location updates, or UWB precision finding by itself.
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Selling, gifting, or buying a used SmartTag
The previous owner should remove the tag from every relevant SmartThings location and finding service before handing it over. The buyer should sign in to their own Samsung account and verify that SmartThings can add the tag as a new device.
Rank #4
- REDESIGNED TO DO MORE: The redesigned Galaxy SmartTag2 is made so you can keep calm and keep track¹; Its design makes it easy for you to tag and carry your belongings
- EASY TO USE: It's IP67-rated water- and dust-resistant², activates your compatible IoT devices³ and stays powered for up to 500 days⁴ or even up to 40% more on Power Saving Mode⁵
- RELAX, YOU'VE GOT IT TAGGED: Simply register a new Galaxy SmartTag2 and get started right away with SmartThings Find; With its intuitive tracking experience, you now have a way to keep track of things you love right in the palm of your hand¹
- SEARCH NEAR WHEN IT'S NOT FAR: Lose something? Switch on Search Nearby⁶ and get instructions to your item's location via Compass View⁷; If you still don't see it, just ring your Galaxy SmartTag2 to have it send out an audible signal
- TAGGED & TRENDY: Cover your Galaxy SmartTag2 with a colorful Silicone Case for protection and a smooth touch – or a Rugged Case with a non-slip pattern on the side and additional bumper on the bottom⁸; Both have a carabiner ring attachment
Do not rely only on removing the battery or performing a physical reset. If the tag is still tied to the previous account, the new owner may be unable to register it even though the hardware appears to reset. Never exchange Samsung account credentials as a workaround.
Compatibility notes
SmartTag features depend on the phone, software, and model. Samsung’s cited support information describes SmartTag+ compatibility with Android 8.0 or newer, while its AR finding feature requires select Galaxy devices supporting Android 11 or newer. The cited AR feature is not equivalent across iPhones and third-party Android phones. Avoid assuming that every SmartTag works with every Android device. Check Samsung’s model-specific requirements before troubleshooting a pairing failure.
The SmartThings device-management guidance also supports removing an unresponsive device before attempting to add it again.
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