Has someone used an Apple AirTag to try and monitor your movements? Here’s How to Find an Apple AirTag in Your Car, or anywhere else for that matter.
What is an Apple AirTag?
The Apple AirTag is a tracking device, primarily designed as a means of protecting valuable items such as phones, keys and wallets. It essentially works on Apple’s Find My network, using Bluetooth connectivity and Ultra Wideband technology. AirTags are compatible with most Apple devices that use iOS 14.5 or later.
While many other Bluetooth tracking devices can only be found when you’re within a certain radius, AirTag uses the FindMy network to pinpoint the location of lost items, even if they’re much further away. So, while the typical Bluetooth functionality range is around 100 metres, AirTag signals can be picked up by other anonymous Apple users, which is why you can see your lost item on a map, even if you’re not in that location.
For example, you could attach an Apple AirTag to your keyring so that you never lose your car keys. If you’ve simply misplaced the keys in your home, precision tracking will help you locate them using your smart device. However, if you lost your keys in another city, you still might be in luck. If your AirTag’s signal is picked up by other active Bluetooth users in the area, it will also show up on your map.
In addition, if you find a lost AirTag somewhere, you can use your Find My app to ‘identify lost item’. So, if you lose your AirTagged item, you can mark the AirTag as lost and people who find it can message or call you.
Why would there be an Apple Air Tag on your car?
So, the description above seems pretty straightforward, right? Look after your keys and other personal items, giving you more chance of getting them back in one piece. However, like most technology, it can also be exploited for less-than-honest reasons.
Being a tracking device, it was probably quite obvious that people would begin using AirTags to track people or objects without their knowledge. For example, slipping an AirTag into the back of a car so you can track someone’s movement. While this may not have been Apple’s intent, it’s certainly something that can occur, and fortunately, there are some protections in place to prevent this.
For example, if you’re an Apple user, you’ll get a notification if your phone identifies that an AirTag not belonging to you seems to be in your vicinity for any length of time. This occurs through an iPhone notification. However, the AirTag that isn’t with its owner can emit a sound when moved, so this is a tip-off for non-Apple users.
Setting up your Apple device for alerts
Naturally, if you use an iPhone, iPad or other Apple product, you probably want the easiest way of being notified that an unwanted AirTag is with you. A notification pops up on your phone to let you know that an AirTag is moving with you. Let’s make sure your phone is set up to receive these alerts.
- In settings, ensure you have Bluetooth turned on.
- In settings, ensure Location Services are turned on.
- In Notifications, turn on ‘Tracking Notifications’.
It’s really that simple.
Receiving a tracking notification
Once your phone or device is set up correctly, you’ll be able to receive a notification if an unknown AirTag is with you. To avoid a ridiculous number of notifications, the system doesn’t pick up when you’re in the area of an unknown AirTag – there could be thousands around you if you walk through a busy city. But it will notify you if an unknown AirTag stays and moves with you.
The alert will simply say: AirTag Found Moving With You.
Opening the alert will take you to the Find My app, which shows a map of your current location. Not only does the map show your position, but it will also show a red dot where the AirTag was first detected, followed by other points in your journey where the AirTag has been detected. There will also be broken red lines to show your movements and how long the AirTag has been with you.
One thing you won’t be able to see is whether or not the owner of the AirTag has viewed its location (and subsequently yours).
How to Find the AirTag
The easiest way to find the AirTag that’s moving with you is to use audio. The Find My app gives you the option to ‘Play Sound’. If you click this option, the AirTag begins to emit a high-pitched chime sound, making it easily detectable if it is anywhere inside your car. If you can’t hear the sound, it’s worth getting out of the car to check the exterior.
If someone is trying to track your location using an AirTag, you can’t really know what lengths they’ve gone to in order to conceal the device. So, keep trying the sound until you find the device, just in case it is extremely well-hidden.
Know who the AirTag belongs to?
If you’ve located the AirTag and you know who it belongs to (for example a family member who left a bag in your car or similar), you can swipe up on the Find My app and press ‘Pause Safety Alerts. This basically tells your iPhone or device that you know there’s an AirTag there, and you don’t need to be notified again.
Don’t know whose AirTag it is?
If you’ve got no idea who left a tracking device with you, use the Find My app to ‘Learn More About This Air Tag’. Follow the onscreen instructions and you’ll be able to find out some further information to determine if someone has reported it lost, or whether someone has placed it with you intentionally.
Disabling the AirTag
If you don’t know who the AirTag belongs to and the item hasn’t been reported lost, the best thing to do is disable the tag so it can’t track you. Again, the Find My app makes this easy. Simply click ‘Instructions To Disable AirTag’, and follow the instructions. This will tell you how to remove the AirTag’s battery so it can no longer track you.
So, there you go. You’ve found and disabled an Apple AirTag. If you’d like to know more about tracking and personal security devices, contact OzSpy today. From security cameras and home security to spy cameras and listening devices, to bug detection and recording devices, OzSpy has everything you need. Contact us today to find out more.