Airtag dectected Near You. But You Can't Find It! What to Do Now
But lately, it's almost like they should be re-named Apple Air-Stalkers or ScareTags.
People all over are reporting that Airtags are tracking them - stalking them without their knowledge or permission.
This is a big deal--and it looks like a HUGE privacy problem for Apple--the $3 trillion tech company that prides itself on being the best at protecting our personal information.
Here's What It's Like To Be Stalked/ Tracked By An Airtag
We recently asked one of Tech Wellness team members to drop an AirTag that we had registered to my husband's phone in her purse and go about her life.We were able to track her precise location pretty much continuously and Apple didn't warn her that there was a strange AirTag near her for 36 HOURS!
She got the notice, followed the links, and played the sound (But couldn't hear it because she was inside and it was outside!)
And once she got the initial alert, which was frankly pretty low key, she didn't hear another word. Someone who wanted to find her would have more than enough time to do it.
We made an amazing video as we "Airtag Stalked" our employee.
You'll be shocked!
And this is just the beginning of the story...
Read on to discover how AirTags work, how much EMF Radiation AirTags put out, how to discover if you're being tracked by an AirTag and what you need to do to stop an AirTag from tracking you.
First of all, if an Airtag has been placed in your car or your coat or your purse, Apple SHOULD notify you that an Airtag not associated with your account is traveling with you. Should. Sometimes that happens and sometimes it doesn't.
Here's Your Complete Guide To Airtags and How To Protect Yourself From Airtag Tracking and Stalking
Like Tile, Apple Airtags can be attached to key rings, popped in your purse or in my husbands case, stuck to his Yeti. AirTags can then be found via Bluetooth signals and Ultra-Wide Band technology. Once you turn on Airtags and pair them with your phone or Mac device via Bluetooth, the Airtag is always on.
Since AirTags are Always ON and Always Sending Out
EMF Radiation And Always Tracking
Put Them In A Faraday Bag To Stop EMF And Tracking
When You're Not Using Them
Here's How AirTags Can Be Used To Track And Stalk Through The Apple Network
Your battery operated AirTag sends out a secure Bluetooth signal that can be detected by nearby devices in the Apple "Find My" network. There are two other EMF-emitting antenna's inside the AirTag with Apple's new Ultra-Wideband Chip.
They're small (just about the size of a thick quarter) but they connect you to the HUGE iCloud and the massive "Find My" network--or as Apple puts it, you connect to "hundreds of millions of iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices around the world — helps track down your AirTag. And itʼs designed to protect your privacy every step of the way."
Except that doesn't mean everyone's privacy is actually protected...
Take the case of our Tech Wellness team member who agreed to be "tracked" via my husband's Airtag.
We all thought it would be fun to see how long it took for Apple to tell her she was being tracked. We honestly thought it would be simple. She'd get a notice, we'd take some screenshots of what the tracking looked like, she would play the sound and we'd go retrieve the tag. We dropped the AirTag in her bag and tracked her drive home, called her as she stopped for a hamburger hankering at In-N-Out burger and then discovered her home address.
She was creeped out and so were we.
The Airtag sent it's location to iCloud and we watched on our "Find My" App as it tracked Rachel as she moved from place to place on the map...
We didn't like what we saw. We imagined this happening to an unsuspecting person. We imagined what it would be like to be tracked by someone we didn't know.
We keep seeing it on the news and we've read about it on the Apple boards. It's happening for sure.
In Canada, a new story reported that police said they were aware of 5 luxury cars that had AirTags placed on their cars and their cars were tracked by the Airtag owners once they pulled into the driveway.
A Detroit newscast shows a reporter interviewing a guy who found one on his car. He thought it was a target to steal for parts.
Scary stuff!
Apple's notification system lets iphone users know that an Unidentified AirTag has been detected- tracking them.
Here's what that AirTag notification looks like. Those red dotted lines show the path of the AirTag so you can see the detail of how it followed you.
Our Techwellness AirTag did NOT notify Rachel that the AirTag was tracking her until we had been tracking her for 36 hours!
But earlier, she did hear something . . .
When watching the video above, you'll hear a little pre-melody. It comes before the escalating beep-Beep-BEEP that plays IF you get the opportunity to "Play Air Tag Sound."
Apple programs AirTags to play that short sound once and only once. It will play at a random time if the Airtag is away from it's owner (or stalking/tracking you) for between 8 and 24 hours.
She had left her purse with the AirTag in it in her car overnight and when she was driving to work, a faint melody sounded--it was barely detectable. She said she would've mistaken it for a car alarm/notification sound and not thought anything of it.
"If I didn't know an AirTag was in my bag, that little tiny tweet-tweet wouldn't have gotten my attention."
She had her Location Services and Find My iPhone enabled and it still did not let her know that an AirTag was tracking her for over a day and a half.
And then once she was notified, she could NOT play the sound. Watch the video as she attempt to get Air Tag to play the sound.
Apparently for "privacy" reasons, Apple says it will "mask" an AirTag from playing a sound on an old notification. That means you only get probably one chance to play that sound... but what if it's in a gas tank or under the car? Will you hear it?
AirTag Anti-Stalking Tip:
One preventative measure to block an AirTag from accessing your device is to disable the "Find My" network on your phone, tablet or anywhere you're signed in to "Find My Phone."
Of course the AirTag can still track you through other people's devices around you. But still, if the AirTag is with you, in your home or in your purse and more than 50' from any other Apple devices with the "Find My" network enabled, then your location will not be seen by the person who owns that AirTag that's tracking you.
Anytime the AirTag is picked up by another phone, computer or laptop that has the "Find My" network on, your location will then become available to that nasty AirTag owner.
And here's another problem that our own Tech Wellness team member encountered as she was trying to see if she was being stalked...
After she received the first notice, she stopped getting more! Apple says it can and does happen because the Airtag identifier can change!
If you can't play a sound, the AirTag might not be with you anymore. If it was with you overnight, its identifier might have changed. Find My uses the identifier to determine that it's the same AirTag moving with you. If you believe the AirTag is still with you, look through your belongings to try to find it, or wait to see if another alert appears as you move from location to location during the day.
Uh, ok thanks Apple. That changing identifier thing honestly doesn't make us feel safe. At All.
Finally our Tech Wellness stalk-ee attempted to "Find Out More About The Owner of This Air Tag". Well the problem is, click on that link till your heart's desire, but you'll get NOTHING unless the owner reports it lost.
That's how Apple has programmed AirTags to work. They definitely protect the Airtag owner's privacy but not the unfortunate vicitim who's being tracked or stalked or about to have their car stolen.
With AirTag's everywhere, you need to have your guard up. You have to be on it. You'll need to be prepared if an AirTag gets into something or onto something that's yours.
Air Tag Stalking or Tracking You? Here's What To Do!
- Go to the "Find My Phone" or the "Find My" network
- Go to ITEMS
- Click on ITEMS DETECTED WITH YOU
- Click on any item/device that does not belong to you
- Click on PLAY SOUND and try to find that little AirTag
BE ON THE ALERT FOR AN AIRTAG TRACKING OR STALKING YOU
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Carefully check your notifications for Apple message saying "An Airtag has been detected traveling with you
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Download the "Tracker Detect" app - For Androids, it can show you an AirTag in your vicinity
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If you're driving, DO NOT GO HOME! Pull over in a public place or go to the police station
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Go to "Find My" network and check for "Items Detected Near Me." Click on any unknown AirTag and click "Play Sound" or try to geolocate or find EMF emissions with an EMF detector
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Tap "Learn More About This Airtag" to see if you're not being tracked at all and the owner has marked it lost. If they have, you'll see a serial number and phone number. If they have not reported it, you'll see nothing
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When you do find it - disable It. Twist it and take it apart
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If you feel your safety is at risk, contact your local law enforcement and give them the AirTag so they can work wiht Apple to get to the bottom of why this AirTag was placed in in/on your belongings
The Secret Keeper Password Book is a lovely way to keep your passwords safe and private
If you don't have an iPhone and you want to make sure no one is tracking you via an Apple AirTag, you can download the Tracker Detect App from The Google Play Store
The Tracker Detect app works with Apple's BlueTooth technology, but it does not notify you automatically.
Instead, you access the app and if you're feeling insecure or just curious, it allows you to scan the vicinity for any BlueTooth items that could be lurking. Bonus: It gives you 10 minutes after it detects an AirTag has been traveling with you to Play the AirTag sound so you can find it.
More Scary Problems With AirTags
There are many disconcerting things about AirTags when they are being used to track you. We told you how they won't play a sound if the owner is nearby and for "privacy" reasons. Apple says it will "mask" an AirTag from playing a sound on an old notification.
Another danger of AirTag is the constant electromagnetic fields or EMF radiation that they emit.
Once you pair them, the AirTag never turns off and never stops sending out EMF until the battery runs out. The batteries are supposed to last about a year or so.
This video demonstrates the EMF radiation coming from the Apple Airtag.
AirTags Are Fun And Sleek And Much More Dangerous Then You'd Ever Expect
The nice thing about AirTags is they do, they really do help you find missing stuff by playing a loud beep beep melody when you let the AirTag know you're looking for it. You can hear the notification sound of the AirTag in the video above.
Misplacing something like your wallet doesn’t have to be a big deal when it has AirTag attached. You can play a sound on the built-in speaker by going to the "Items" tab in the "Find My" app, or say “Hey Siri, find my wallet.” If it’s hiding nearby — like under the couch or in the next room — just follow the sound and your search is over.
If you want to use an AirTag but don't love the idea of constantly be subjected to EMF radiation, keep the AirTag in a Faraday bag or well away from your body whenever you can.
Remember, even when you don't need them, even when you're not looking for the item the AirTag is stuck to, that little finding device is ON and sending out EMF signal and EMF radiation.
EMF Problems and Major Privacy Problem With Apple AirTags
AirTags have been designed with the AirTag owner in mind. The person who registers the AirTag enjoys encryption and privacy measures that have made Apple famous for privacy protection. Unfortunately, many of these protections leave someone who's car (or worse someone themselves who's being secretly tracked or followed) very unprotected and unsafe.
Get an EMF Meter to locate an AirTag if you
think someone might be stalking you
8 Major Apple Air Tag Privacy Problems
1. If you’re being tracked, you could wait over 24 hours to know.
AIRTAGS ARE NOT PROGRAMMED TO IMMEDIATELY SEND SOUND ALERTS WHEN THEY ARE TRAVELING AWAY FROM THEIR OWNERS
2. You need an iPhone for any hope of getting notified that an AirTag that’s not yours is following you.
APPLE ONLY SENDS NOTIFICATIONS TO iPHONE USERS — AND ONLY THOSE RUNNING iOS 14.5. ANDROID USERS NEED A SPECIAL APP
3. You’ll get notified that you’re being tracked- sometimes.
YOU MAY GET ONE OR TWO NOTIFICATIONS, THEY WON’T BE CONTINUAL. THAT’S THE PROGRAMMING.
AirTags are Always ON and Always Sending Out EMF Radiation And Always Tracking. Put Them In A Faraday Bag To Stop EMF And Tracking When You’re Not Using Them
We have a beautiful Faraday collection btw...
4. If you do notice an older notification, you may be too late to get the sound to play.
“PLAY SOUND” OPTION IS NOT AVAILABLE ON “OLD” NOTIFICATIONS.
5. The same AirTag could follow you for days-but you may not ever know.
BLUETOOTH IDENTIFIERS CHANGE FREQUENTLY. Apple says that could mean if an AirTag stays with your for awhile, the identifier will change and FindMy won’t be able determine if it’s the Same AirTag so you may have to wait till it begins “moving with you” for awhile to get notified or you may not get notified at all.
6. We got the exact address of the person we were tracking, even though she parked houses away from her address and never took the AirTag out of her car.
We don’t know why. We think it could be that it connected with her phone. and her contact information on her phone. We’ll ask Apple.
7. You can’t play the sound of the AirTag tracking you if the owner’s around.
Apple programmed them this way to protect the owner’s privacy. To us, it seems like if the AirTag and FindMy perceive that you’re being tracked- the owners privacy shouldn’t matter all that much.
8. The Find Out More Information About AirTag Owner information About The Owner Option won’t work unless the Owner says so.
The Serial Number and Phone Number will only be made available to you if the owner has marked that AirTag lost.
Apple, if you're listening--you need to make these changes to Stop Airtag Tracking:
1. Once the AirTag is a specific distance away from it's owner, it should immediately notify any other iPhone in the vicinity. How far should that distance be? 500 feet? A block? One mile? Think about it... most people buy AirTags for their keys. Those keys are usually "missing" in their own homes or offices.
2. Air Tags should play the sound immediately when they are not within a certain range of their owners. Apple now has them programmed to sound-off at a random time between 8 and 24 hours. And that sound should be the same length and volume that plays when an AirTag owner plays the sound to find their missing AirTag
3. Any AirTag that's away from it's owner and traveling with someone else should be readily identified with the click of a prompt. Why should an AirTag owner who supposedly has an AirTag on something that's moving away from them need their identity protected? They put an AirTag on their things so they could lose them and find them, why should who they are be a secret from anyone who has their lost stuff near them?
4. Apple now prevents old notifications that an Airtag is in your vicinity from playing a sound. Why? If someone receives a notification that an Airtag was found traveling with them, they should be able to play that sound again and again and again until that AirTag is found.
How About You? Have you had an AirTag experience you would like to share? Something you've learned that could make AirTags safer for people who un-suspectingly become victims of someone using them for purposes other than to find things that belong to them?
We'd love to know and share them if they're helpful.
Stay safe out there in the world of technology and Be Well!
August
I put an air tracker in my classic car, how can I prevent the person who steals my car from finding the air tracker and disabling it??