AirTag Tidbits: Maximum of 16 Per Apple ID, Low Battery Notifications on iPhone, and More

[gri]

Don’t buy them then you won’t have to keep upgrading. I certainly won’t be buying any tags.

Then better don't by ANY Apple product (or electronics for that matter - or car)

 

[Nrwrit3r]

When do pre-orders go live if it's tomorrow? Is it the normal 9am or whatever?

 

[matrix07]

I see some possible security problems here. Say someone wants to track their spouse, and they are in the family sharing group. The spouse would not even know they are being tracked.

By Family Sharing? I can see all of my wife devices including her iPhone on my Find My. I don’t need AirTag for that.

 

[cmaier]

I would say the pippin or newton was one of their worst. But at least the newton leaded into the iPhone and iPad.

The newton was a fantastic product.

 

[eddie-mcelhaney]

Probably safety concerns, I’m sure they will increase it overtime once they observe and fix any issues that may rise

Or, "once the observe and <i>not</i> fix any issues that may arise..."

 

[0924487]

So, if your car or purse is stolen and your AirTag will notify the thief to throw it out???

 

[ZeChild]

So here's a question, say your on a night out with a group of friends and most of you have AirTags on your keys, bags. is everyone in the group going to be incessantly notified that they're being tracked??

Is there a time limit before it tells you there's an AirTag that's not yours near you, like if your commuting into work are you gonna see dozens of notifications of AirTags near you, or will the AirTag know it's near it's iPhone owner so not send out the alerts.

While I think this is a great idea to prevent stalky McStalkers is it just going to get unbearably annoying anytime your near someone with an AirTag? 🤔

 

[mw360]

Last week, before the information came out about the anti "stalking" feature, I would guarantee that one of the great benefits that 99% of the people who are now excusing anti-theft protection would have been beating their chest about, would be the ability to locate stolen items.

Now that we know they are essentially useless for that, it's excused as "that's not what they are for".

The anti stalking features were known about six month ago. Maybe it’s you that’s only just found out about it.

 

[DotCom2]

So, if your car or purse is stolen and your AirTag will notify the thief to throw it out???

Yes, but if I were you I would be more concerned about my car or purse being stolen than a $29 dollar AirTag. Again, these are not for tracking stolen items, they are for lost items.

 

[KeithJenner]

So here's a question, say your on a night out with a group of friends and most of you have AirTags on your keys, bags. is everyone in the group going to be incessantly notified that they're being tracked??

Is there a time limit before it tells you there's an AirTag that's not yours near you, like if your commuting into work are you gonna see dozens of notifications of AirTags near you, or will the AirTag know it's near it's iPhone owner so not send out the alerts.

While I think this is a great idea to prevent stalky McStalkers is it just going to get unbearably annoying anytime your near someone with an AirTag? 🤔

Again, these alerts only happen if an airtag is following you and the owner isn't there.

In your case the owners will be there, so no notifications.

 

[KeithJenner]

The anti stalking features were known about six month ago. Maybe it’s you that’s only just found out about it.

Exactly, the only thing that has changed this week is that we now know a little more about how they are dealing with it. It has been obvious it will be an issue for many months now, although I did hope that Apple would surprise us by coming up with a solution that we hadn't been able to think of.

The fact that they haven't probably has a lot to do with the fact that there isn't a workable solution that will protect privacy without limiting how the tags work (not just in theft situations).

I think the issues that I raised a couple of months ago are fairly relevant:

Leaker Jon Prosser Claims AirTags and New iPad Pro to Be Announced Next Month

There are potential privacy implications, which it is currently unclear as to how things will work out, but they could be significant. For example, if the Airbags cane tracked then what is to stop someone from slipping one into someones bag and then tracking where they go? A solution that has...

forums.macrumors.com

 

[mw360]

Wait, so if I don’t read the article properly I still get to be aghast at what it says, even though I don’t actually know what it says???

 

[ZeChild]

Again, these alerts only happen if an airtag is following you and the owner isn't there.

In your case the owners will be there, so no notifications.

Sound's likely that they've thought of that of found out the hard way through testing, in any case I'll be getting one tomorrow 😁

 

[The Chosen One]

Again, these alerts only happen if an airtag is following you and the owner isn't there.

In your case the owners will be there, so no notifications.

Nor don they happen instantly if you're not there.

 

[ZeChild]

By Family Sharing? I can see all of my wife devices including her iPhone on my Find My. I don’t need AirTag for that.

Unless they turn off location sharing, but then that'd lead to questions if someones that paranoid or suspicious.

 

[DotCom2]

Exactly, the only thing that has changed this week is that we now know a little more about how they are dealing with it. It has been obvious it will be an issue for many months now, although I did hope that Apple would surprise us by coming up with a solution that we hadn't been able to think of.

The fact that they haven't probably has a lot to do with the fact that there isn't a workable solution that will protect privacy without limiting how the tags work (not just in theft situations).

I think the issues that I raised a couple of months ago are fairly relevant:

Leaker Jon Prosser Claims AirTags and New iPad Pro to Be Announced Next Month

There are potential privacy implications, which it is currently unclear as to how things will work out, but they could be significant. For example, if the Airbags cane tracked then what is to stop someone from slipping one into someones bag and then tracking where they go? A solution that has...

forums.macrumors.com

Maybe they had to make a decision on what was more important/dangerous. A person being stalked or a stolen item. They went with a person being stalked.

 

[themachugger]

It was interesting how conspicuously absent "Tile" was when they mentioned 3 other third party vendors with tracking capability. Be a whiney biotch to Apple and you'll get the cold shoulder.

 

[The Chosen One]

Apple knows there's alot of dumb people/Americans who will lawsuit the living hell out of em if they don't do it this way.

 

[BvizioN]

Yet Apple used a big remote lost in the dudes couch in their ad as an example. That remote looks much bigger than a small Siri Remote.
View attachment 1762254

I guess you didn't really get that add. But don't worry, not that many did. Typical Apple marketing. If you translate that add, he did travel on all sorts of places, only the starting point was his couch.

 

[KeithJenner]

Maybe they had to make a decision on what was more important/dangerous. A person being stalked or a stolen item. They went with a person being stalked.

Take out the word maybe and you are absolutely correct.

They have undoubtedly made that decision, which really is no surprise given Apples position of privacy (and the potential downside of stories about bad things happening as a result of use of these tags).

 

[gumbyhw]

Ugh, that's not enough to track 6 co-workers, 4 family members, 2 lovers, 2 mailmen, and 4 neighbors.

I think in such a case, Apple would recommend you buy them all Apple Watches.

 

[mxrider88]

Let’s say you are on the bus, airtag in your backpack. Your phone runs out of battery. Every iPhone on the bus goes nuts because of “be careful you are being tracked” notification??


I understand the anti stalking side of it but the purpose should be to find a stolen item not just a lost item, if the tag tells whoever stole it about its presence what’s the point really.
It is just meant to be put on a bunch of keys, not on something you don’t want to be stolen.

 

[DoctorApple]

Register hers under her Apple ID, not yours.

Although, I'm hoping that there is (or will be, eventually) a way for everyone in the family to track something, AND a way to invite non-family members to track specific tags. For instance, the living room TV remote. In our house, six people use the remote (and lose the remote) on a regular basis. Two of them are not part of my family sharing. We'd all like to be able to find the remote, regardless of who else happens to be around.

TV remote should be openly locatable without linking it to any account. If you’re concerned about some stalker might be able to track it just standing outside of your house, remember your Apple TV has AirPlay on to the public.

 

[DotCom2]

Let’s say you are on the bus, airtag in your backpack. Your phone runs out of battery. Every iPhone on the bus goes nuts because of “be careful you are being tracked” notification??


I understand the anti stalking side of it but the purpose should be to find a stolen item not just a lost item, if the tag tells whoever stole it about its presence what’s the point really.
It is just meant to be put on a bunch of keys, not on something you don’t want to be stolen.

Unless everyone on the bus huddles together and walks off the bus with your bag, they won't be notified.

 

[jasperk99]

Are these things going to beep all day and/or notify the parking attendant when we park in a lot where we leave the keys with the attendant or valet parking when they walk with our keys to move our cars