Cool tech has been turned against us
Apple’s AirTags are not only tiny, inexpensive, and durable, but they are also incredibly effective at tracking personal belongings due to the vast Find My network. But unfortunately, exploiting them is easy.
Although Apple explicitly clarifies that AirTags(Amazon, Best Buy) aren’t to be used as a spy tool, news outlets have constantly broken stories about stalkers and criminals using the iconic devices to track people.
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If you have privacy concerns about being stalked or spied upon with AirTags, you can use a range of countermeasures to prevent that. They aren’t perfect, but helpful nonetheless.
Keep an Eye Out for a Notification on iPhone
Do you use an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later? If so, the Find My app will automatically warn you about unknown AirTags that try to track you. It works like this.
When Find My detects an AirTag outside the Bluetooth range of its owner moving with you, it will display an “AirTag Found Moving With You” notification on the Lock Screen. Tap it to bring up a map that shows the location data of places the AirTag’s been following you.
If the AirTag belongs to a borrowed item (such as a car key), tap Pause Safety Alerts. If not, tap Play Sound to locate the AirTag by prompting it to play a sound. Check out this video by Apple to learn how AirTags sound.
If you find the AirTag, tap the Learn About This AirTag option and hold the AirTag next to your Apple device. A page from the Apple website will display its serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. If the AirTag belongs to a person you know, that might help you identify them. Take a screenshot of the “About This AirTag” page for later.
You must then disable the AirTag to prevent the owner from seeing its location. To do that, push down on the side with the Apple logo, twist the AirTag counterclockwise to take off its cover, and remove the coin cell battery inside. If you need help, tap Instructions to disable.
After that, contact local law enforcement and present the screenshot. Since stalking or spying is illegal in most countries and regions, Apple will help them find the bad actor.
However, despite receiving a notification about an unknown AirTag, you won’t always be able to play a sound on it due to various built-in privacy features. For example, the AirTag’s Bluetooth identifier may have changed if it’s been with you for several hours, or the owner might be within Bluetooth range.
In that case, check your belongings and potential hiding places on your clothing and vehicle thoroughly. If you can’t locate the AirTag, immediately move to a public location and contact emergency services.
Note: Using one is easy, but it’s important to learn how AirTags work.
Use the Tracker Detect App on Android
If you are an Android user, Apple provides an app called Tracker Detect to safeguard yourself against unwanted tracking with AirTags. It requires a smartphone with Android 9 or later and is available for download via the Google Play Store. After installing, open the app and tap the Scan button to scan for nearby AirTags.
If Tracker Detect detects an AirTag that’s separated from its owner in the immediate vicinity, tap Unknown AirTag and wait for 10 minutes. You can then tap Play Sound to locate the AirTag.
If you find the AirTag, tap Learn About This Item Tracker to view its serial number and the final four digits of the owner’s phone number. Take a screenshot and tap Instructions to Disable to figure out how to disable the AirTag. If you don’t feel safe, contact local law enforcement.
Unlike the Find My app on iPhone and iPad, however, Tracker Detect does not feature the ability to scan for AirTags on its own. Also, it won’t detect the AirTags if they are within the Bluetooth range of the owner.
Tracker Detect aside, the Google Play Store is also filled with third-party Bluetooth device detectors. For example, apps such as Find My Bluetooth Device, Bluetooth Scanner, and LightBlue not only allow you to scan for unknown Bluetooth devices but also provide signal strength meters you can use to locate them.
Listen for a Sound From the AirTag
By design, an AirTag will automatically chime when it’s not been in Bluetooth range of its owner for an extended period. That generally tends to happen anywhere between eight to ten hours.
If you hear an AirTag chime, locate it by immediately checking your belongings and the surrounding area. Or, check your iPhone for a notification that you can use to play a sound again, or the Tracker Detect app (or a third-party Bluetooth scanner) on Android to scan for the unknown tracking device.
If you find the AirTag, hold it next to your iPhone or Android to view its serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. If it’s not marked as lost, take a screenshot, disable the AirTag, and contact local law enforcement.
Stay Up-to-Date on Newer Anti-Tracking Measures
Apple’s countermeasures leave lots to be desired. For instance, the iPhone and iPad tend to take too long to notify you about an unknown AirTag. Also, the Tracker Detect app for Android phones is barebones and lacks the functionality to scan your surroundings automatically.
Worse yet, AirTags take hours to chime on their own, not to mention that the owner could continue to stay at Bluetooth range to prevent the countermeasures from kicking in. This means that you could be tracked for hours (or even days) before you are even aware.
Thankfully, Apple has been listening to feedback. In subsequent updates, AirTags are set to chime louder and sooner; the Find My app will detect “silent” AirTags (devices with the speaker disabled); Apple users with the iPhone 11 and later can locate unknown AirTags with Precision Finding, etc.
So, keep the operating system on your iPhone and iPad up-to-date to ensure that you have access to the latest anti-tracking features. If you have the Tracker Detect Android app, update it periodically for newer features, enhancements, and bug fixes.
On a brighter note, being a popular Apple product, AirTags have highlighted how alternative Bluetooth trackers such as Tile and Chipolo could also be exploited for nefarious purposes. That’s a good thing for the development of better countermeasures against spying.
