If you already own an Apple AirTag or you’re considering getting one, chances are you already know about the benefits it brings. This small and affordable tracking device helps you keep tabs on your personal belongings whether that’s a wallet, keys, bag, or even a bike. Thanks to its integration with the Find My network, the Apple AirTag is highly effective at locating lost items.
Despite the convenience of the Apple AirTag, there’s a darker side. There’s no shortage of reports of AirTags being used to track people. This of course raises concerns about privacy and personal safety.
Read on to find out how AirTags work, why they’re so useful, and how they may be exploited for stalking or surveillance. We’ll also explore the risks involved as well as what you can do to detect unwanted tracking and protect yourself.
What is an Apple AirTag and why is it useful?
An Apple AirTag is a small, coin-shaped Bluetooth tracker used to help locate everyday items that may be lost or stolen. An AirTag works by pairing with your iPhone or iPad and integrating into Apple’s Find My network. This is a crowd-sourced system of millions of Apple devices that can help pinpoint the location of a missing item almost anywhere.
If you misplace an item with an Apple AirTag attached to it, such as your keys, then you can use the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad to either make the AirTag play a sound or guide you to it using precision tracking.
One of the main appeals of the AirTag is its seamless integration into Apple’s ecosystem. The setup process is very quick and easy. Once active, the AirTag stays connected in the background. Through the Find My network, the AirTag taps into the location data of nearby Apple devices, which allows you to find items even if they’re far away.
If you’re someone who frequently loses things around the house or you’d simply like a little more peace of mind when out and about or traveling abroad, AirTags offer a reliable way to keep track of your personal items at a relatively low cost.
What is Apple AirTag stalking, and what are the risks?
Apple AirTags are primarily intended to track personal items. In some cases, they may be used to track people. Parents may use an AirTag to keep tabs on a young child for their safety. For the same reason, an AirTag can track a person suffering from dementia to prevent them from getting lost.
Sadly, AirTags can be misused to track people without their knowledge or consent. This is known as AirTag stalking, and it typically involves someone slipping an AirTag into a bag, coat pocket, or vehicle to monitor another person’s movements. Due to the fact that AirTags make use of Apple’s Find My network, a stalker doesn’t need to be near a target to keep track of them.
Provided the AirTag is near any Apple device connected to the network, which includes hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads globally, its location can be quickly relayed back. Of course, the risks of this kind of tracking are serious. AirTag stalking has been reported in cases of domestic abuse, harassment, and theft.
Depending on where an Apple AirTag is placed, a victim may be tracked for a lengthy period of time. There’s the risk of physical danger, not to mention emotional distress. Although Apple has implemented some safety features, such as notifications and audible alerts, these safeguards may not activate in time and may not function properly for non-iPhone users.
How to protect yourself from Apple AirTag stalking
The thought of being secretly tracked is unsettling, but there are ways in which you can protect yourself and stay alert to AirTags being misused:
1. Pay attention to alerts
If you use an iPhone, Apple will automatically notify you if an unknown AirTag moves with you over time. You’ll see a message along the lines of, “AirTag found moving with you”. It’s important to take such notifications seriously, as it may indicate that someone else’s AirTag is tracking your location.
2. Listen for beeping sounds
AirTags are designed to emit a beeping sound when they’re separated from their owner for an extended period of time, particularly when they’re in motion. A high-pitched beep coming from your bag, car, or coat pocket could be a planted Apple AirTag.
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3. Use an Android detection app
If you’re an Android user, then you won’t receive automatic alerts of an AirTag in your presence, but you can always download Apple’s Tracker Detect app to manually scan for nearby AirTags. It’s available through the Google Play Store, and although not perfect, it’s still a useful tool for checking if you suspect you’re being tracked.
4. Look through your belongings
If you suspect that an AirTag is hidden among your personal belongings, take the time to inspect them thoroughly. Check your bag, your pockets, your car. Remember that an AirTag is about the size of a coin, so it could be slipped into obscure places without being noticed.
5. Disable suspicious AirTags
Found an Apple AirTag that doesn’t belong to you? You can use your phone to check its serial number. You can disable an AirTag by twisting it open and removing the battery, which will stop it from tracking any further.
6. Document and report it
When you believe someone has been tracking you, take screenshots of any alerts and keep the offending AirTag as evidence. You should then contact your local authorities. Try contacting Apple’s support, which may be able to provide more information. The more information you have, the better your odds of proving AirTag stalking.
Apple AirTag stalking: FAQs
Can someone track me with an AirTag without me knowing?
Yes, and this is why AirTag stalking is such a concern. Apple AirTags are small and it doesn’t take much for someone to hide one in a bag, pocket, or car, allowing them to track a person’s movements without knowledge or consent. The AirTag doesn’t even need to be near the person who planted it because it works by connecting to Apple’s vast Find My network by pinging nearby Apple devices, thus updating its location.
Is it illegal for someone to use AirTags for tracking people?
Using an AirTag to monitor someone without their knowledge or consent is a violation of privacy. It’s also considered illegal surveillance or stalking in many countries. Although laws vary by region, secretly tracking a person can lead to criminal charges, particularly in AirTag stalking cases that involve harassment or domestic violence.
Apple has warned that AirTags are intended for tracking personal items, not people, and that misuse could result in the involvement of law enforcement.
How do I know if an AirTag is tracking me?
If you have an iPhone that’s running iOS 14.5 or later, it should notify you if it detects an unknown AirTag moving with you over time. The notification usually reads “AirTag found moving with you.” You can then select the option to make it play a sound so you can help locate it.
Even if you don’t have an iPhone or simply don’t receive the notification, you may hear a high-pitched beep without a clear and obvious source. This may be an AirTag that has been separated from its owner and is trying to alert its presence. On Android, you can make use of Apple’s Tracker Detect app to see if there are any unknown AirTags nearby.
Do AirTags work without an iPhone?
AirTags don’t require the person tracking you to have their iPhone nearby. That’s because AirTags use bluetooth to communicate with nearby Apple devices in the Find My network. This relays the tag’s location back to the owner. As long as the AirTag is near someone else’s iPhone or Apple device, the owner can see where the AirTag is. Having said this, setting up and managing an AirTag does require an iPhone or iPad and Apple ID.
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