Apple’s AirTag is a product that aims to help track objects such as keys or backpacks. But considering the way the device works, using different types of connections and GPS signals to record the positioning of the item, there is always a risk that someone could actually be using this system to locate a person, using discrete electronic devices.
Apple has put in AirTag a series of measures to prevent the direct tracking of people by the device, but nothing prevents someone from putting the device in a person’s car and following each of their steps, for example.
And, if we take into account the current scenario of crimes of abuse and stalkers, monitoring the victim’s location is something of concern, and outside the legal sphere it is a situation that destroys individual privacy, leading someone to have complete control over every step of the person being tracked.
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This is undoubtedly scary, but the good news is that there are ways to identify if someone has implanted an AirTag on your personal object, as we will detail in the guide below. Check out:
How do I find out if I’m being tracked by AirTag?
Apple device notifications
Apple, to prevent AirTag from being used to track people instead of items, has put a number of functions on the devices that alert users to the problem. The first one is the display of a notification on iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that are running iOS or iPadOS versions 14.5 or higher.
This notification notifies you that an AirTag has been detected in motion next to the person. If you use Android, Apple has promised to launch an app with the same function for the rival system in 2022.
Additionally, a recent update to AirTags causes them to make an alarming sound when they are separated from the person who registered them for a period of between 8 and 24 hours. Be aware, then, of any unusual noise.
Look for the object in your personal items
If AirTag’s own notifications don’t point to anything, but there are still suspicions of monitoring, it’s time to look both in your clothes and in your personal belongings, from backpacks to cars, if a tracking device has not been surreptitiously implanted in them.
Also, try to think that if you suspect someone is tracking you, it’s always good to think about which of your personal information is public knowledge. They can serve as a good starting point for identifying places where an AirTag may have been deployed.
Use a bluetooth tracker
Finally, if you want to be sure to identify if an AirTag is tracking something of yours, it is recommended to buy some bluetooth scanners, which identify connections like the one that the Apple device makes with the network used in the Busque Meu service.
How to disable an AirTag?
Did you discover that you were actually being monitored? The first step in this situation is to turn off the AirTag. To do this, simply move the back of the device counterclockwise and remove its battery.
But regardless of whether or not you have turned off the tracker, it is important, if you are going to take legal action, to be aware of the AirTag serial code. To find out this information, simply hold the AirTag close to your iPhone or Android phone that supports NFC connections and then click on the notification that appears on the screen. The serial code will then be displayed.
