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Prevent Apple AirTag Stalking or Spying.

Apple’s AirTags are not only tiny, inexpensive, and durable, but they’re also incredibly effective at keeping track of personal items thanks to Find My’s extensive network. But, unfortunately, it is not difficult to use them.

While Apple has made it clear that AirTags should not be used as a spy tool, stories of stalkers and criminals using the iconic people-tracking devices keep popping up in news outlets.

If you have privacy concerns related to AirTags stalking or snooping, there are a number of countermeasures you can use to help prevent this. They are not perfect, but useful nonetheless.

Keep an Eye Out for a Notification on iPhone

Are you using an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad running iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later? If so, the Find My app will automatically alert you to unknown AirTags trying to track you. It works like this.

When Find My detects that an AirTag is out of Bluetooth range of its owner moving with you, an “AirTag Found Moving With You” notification will appear on the lock screen. Tap it to open a map with the location data of places where AirTag has tracked you.

If the AirTag belongs to a borrowed item (such as a car key), simply click Suspend Security Alerts. If not, click “Play Sound” to find the AirTag prompting it to play a sound. Watch this video from Apple to see how AirTags sound.

If you find the AirTag, tap the “Learn about this AirTag” option and hold the AirTag close to your Apple device. The page from Apple’s website will display its serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. If the AirTag belongs to someone you know, this might help you identify them.

Take a screenshot of the About This AirTag page for later.

Then you must disable AirTag so that the owner cannot see its location. To do this, press the side with the Apple logo, turn the AirTag counterclockwise to remove the cover, and remove the coin-cell battery inside. If you need help, click “Instructions” to turn it off.

After that, contact your local law enforcement agencies and provide a screenshot. Since stalking or espionage is against the law in most countries and regions, Apple will help them find the intruder.

However, despite receiving an unknown AirTag notification, you may not always be able to play audio on it due to various built-in privacy features. For example, the AirTag’s Bluetooth ID may have changed if it has been with you for several hours, or the owner may have been within Bluetooth range.

In this case, carefully check your belongings and potential hiding places on your clothes and car. If you cannot find the AirTag, go to a public place immediately and call the emergency services.

Note. Using them is not difficult, but it is important to know how AirTags work.

Use the Tracker Detect App on Android

If you are an Android user, Apple provides an app called Tracker Detect to protect yourself from unwanted tracking with AirTags. This requires a smartphone with Android 9 or later and can be downloaded from the Google Play store. Once installed, open the app and click the “Scan” button to find the nearest AirTags.

If Tracker Detect detects an AirTag in close proximity that is separate from its owner, click Unknown AirTag and wait 10 minutes. You can then click “Play Sound” to find the AirTag.

If you find an AirTag, click “Inquire about this item tracker” to view its serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number. Take a screenshot and click “Disable Instructions” to learn how to disable AirTag. If you do not feel safe, contact local law enforcement.

However, unlike the Find My app on iPhone and iPad, Tracker Detect does not have the ability to scan AirTags on its own. Also, it will not detect AirTags if they are within range of the owner’s Bluetooth.

Apart from Tracker Detect, the Google Play Store is also filled with third-party Bluetooth device detectors. For example, apps like Find My Bluetooth Device, Bluetooth Scanner, and LightBlue not only allow you to scan for unknown Bluetooth devices, but also provide signal strength meters that you can use to detect them.

Listen for a Sound From the AirTag

By design, the AirTag will automatically beep if it is not within its owner’s Bluetooth range for an extended period of time. This usually happens somewhere between eight to ten hours.

If you hear an AirTag beep, locate it by immediately checking your belongings and surroundings. Or check the notification on your iPhone, which can be used to repeat the sound, or the Tracker Detect app (or a third-party Bluetooth scanner) on Android to look for an unknown tracking device.

If you find an AirTag, hold it up 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 AirTag, and contact your local law enforcement.

Stay Up-to-Date on Newer Anti-Tracking Measures

Apple’s countermeasures leave a lot to be desired. For example, iPhone and iPad take too long to notify you about an unknown AirTag. Also, the Tracker Detect app for Android phones is basic and doesn’t have features to automatically scan your surroundings.

To make matters worse, AirTags ring for hours, not to mention the wearer can continue to stay within Bluetooth range to prevent countermeasures from triggering. This means you can be tracked for hours (or even days) before you’re even up to date.

Fortunately, Apple is listening to feedback. AirTags will sound louder earlier in future updates; the Find My app will detect “silent” AirTags (devices with a disabled speaker); Apple users with iPhone 11 and later can find unknown AirTags using Precision Finding and more.

So keep your iPhone and iPad up to date to get the latest tracking protection features. If you have the Tracker Detect app for Android, please update it periodically with new features, improvements, and bug fixes.

What’s more, AirTags, being a popular Apple product, showed how alternative Bluetooth trackers like Tile and Chipolo can also be used for nefarious purposes. This is good for developing more effective anti-espionage measures.

Prevent Apple AirTag Stalking or Spying

44-How to Use Precision Finding to Locate a Nearby AirTag.

AirTags are tiny button-shaped trackers that work in a similar way to Tile trackers. However, Apple manages to stand out from the competition by providing a unique feature called Precision Finding. You can use it to find items that are missing in your home, workplace, or anywhere else nearby.

Some of you who already have AirTags may not be aware of this particular feature as these are new products that have not yet been widely adopted. Before you happily try this feature, we would like to point out that the exact search feature does not work on every iPhone you can think of. So let’s first take a look at what you need.

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What Is Required to Use AirTags Precision Finding?

Unfortunately, Apple is limiting the exact search function of AirTags for iPhones with an Apple U1 chip. It is a patented chip that enables ultra-wideband technology for spatial perception. Although airbags pack the Apple U1, you’ll need an iPhone with the same chip to enable the iPhone to recognize its environment and other U1-enabled devices. Therefore, you need one of the following models:

1 – iPhone 13 Pro, Pro Max
2 – iPhone 13, 13 Mini
3 – iPhone 12 Pro, Pro Max
4 – iPhone 12, 12 Mini
5 – iPhone 11 Pro, Pro Max
6 – iPhone 11

Before you ask, none of the iPads currently available have an Apple U1 chip for using exact search.

Having a compatible device is just one of the requirements for using the exact search function. In addition, you will need to be close to the missing AirTag. According to our tests, Precision Finding works best while you’re in Bluetooth range, which is roughly 10 meters or 33 feet. The moment you leave this zone, you will have problems accessing the exact search mode.

How to Use Precision Finding to Locate a Nearby AirTag

You can enter the exact search mode from the built-in Find My app on your iPhone. The procedure is similar to finding your way to your missing iPhone, AirPods, or any other Apple device if you’re familiar with the app. Let’s see what you need to do.

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Open the Find My app on iPhone. Once launched, you will see all your Apple devices except AirTags. To view them, select “Items” from the bottom menu.

Select your AirTag here to access the Find Me options.

Now click Find. If you don’t see this option on a compatible iPhone, then you are most likely out of range.

You will see a completely green screen confirming that you have entered the exact search mode. The arrow you see here indicates the location of your missing AirTag. Walk slowly in this direction and close the distance shown in the lower left corner.

When you get very close to the AirTag, the arrow will disappear and your iPhone will begin to respond with haptic feedback. As you get closer to it, the vibrations will increase.

When you have successfully found your AirTag, you will see an animation confirming that you have found it with an accurate search.

How to Locate a Nearby AirTag Without Precision Finding

Don’t have an iPhone with a U1 chip? No problem. Luckily for you, an accurate search isn’t the only way to find the closest AirTag. With built-in speakers, you can play audio on AirTag and find it easily. Follow these simple instructions:

Start Find My and navigate to Items in the bottom menu.
0 – Now select your AirTag from the list of items shown here. 3-
0- Now, click Play Sound and listen carefully for the faint whistle.

4 – Now you know what to do. Just follow the direction of the sound. It is worth noting that the sound from AirTags is so weak that you may not even hear it from the next room without complete silence.

Find Misplaced Items With Precision Finding

We often lose items in our home and cannot find them, such as keys. You can quickly find the things you normally lose by simply adding an AirTag to them. With Find My and outstanding features like Precision Finding, this can be pretty handy.

How many airbags do you have? Does your iPhone support exact search? Feel free to share your experience with us in the comments.

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