Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,194
30,135


Apple is enhancing AirTags security to prevent stalking using the Bluetooth devices, Apple told CNET today. Apple is already sending out over-the-air updates to AirTags that will shorten the amount of time before an unknown AirTag alerts you if it is in your possession.

airtag-in-hand.jpg

At the current time, AirTags play a sound after three days of being away from their owner. After the update, AirTags will begin playing at a random time in a window after eight hours and within 24 hours.

Apple is also working to create an app for Android devices that will let them detect an unknown AirTag or Find My network-enabled item that is found to be traveling with them, which will prevent AirTags from being used to stalk Android users.

AirTags are designed to play a sound when away from their owner and will also alert iPhone owners if there's an unknown tag nearby, but Apple has been criticized because it's anti-stalking measures do not go far enough. The Washington Post's Geoffrey Fowler in May penned an article that outlined how AirTags could be used for covert stalking, and one of his main criticisms was the lack of alerts for iPhone users.

His other critique was that the three-day sound timer on AirTags resets whenever it's near the owner's phone, potentially allowing for spousal abuse and stalking, so Apple is working to address both of these issues.

The Android app will be released later this year, and the sound updates for AirTags will be automatically applied when an AirTag is near an iPhone.

Article Link: Apple Enhancing AirTags Anti-Stalking Measures With Android App and Shorter Sound Intervals
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: rumormiller

Dainin

macrumors regular
Sep 4, 2009
211
161
These anti stalking measure changes are silly. 8 hours? I leave for the day to work and I’m going to get airtags randomly playing sounds at my house because I’m gone. It was just fine how it was.

As far as the android app, that is great.
 

omihek

macrumors 6502a
May 3, 2014
632
2,001
Salt Lake City, UT
So what's the point of AirTags if all a thief has to do is open up his Find My app and see if there are any hidden AirTags on my laptop that he just stole? And if he forgets to check before running off with my stuff, my AirTag will alert him in 8 hours now instead of give me 3 days to find him and get my stuff back. I thought the whole point was to help me track my stuff, not help everyone else stop me from tracking my stuff.
 

Kkspire

macrumors regular
May 19, 2016
224
707
So what's the point of AirTags if all a thief has to do is open up his Find My app and see if there are any hidden AirTags on my laptop that he just stole? And if he forgets to check before running off with my stuff, my AirTag will alert him in 8 hours now instead of give me 3 days to find him and get my stuff back. I thought the whole point was to help me track my stuff, not help everyone else stop me from tracking my stuff.
It’s not a theft device. It’s a location device designed to help you locate wallets, keys, bags, etc around your home.
 

Richdmoore

macrumors 68000
Jul 24, 2007
1,956
355
Troutdale, OR
8 hours minimum really puts the crimp on people using these as pet trackers, as they will go off for a lot of people who leave them on the collar of their pets as they work a normal day shift at many jobs.

My understanding is that apple doesn't want these used on pets anyway, so that probably wasn't part of the considerations of the recent changes to the duration of the anti-tracking sounds.
 

Belvoire

macrumors member
Sep 9, 2017
52
71
Switzerland
My girlfriend uses her AirTag with her iPad on her keychain (she has an Android smartphone). Should she now expect that the AirTag suddenly starts to beep when she is not at home for a few hours? :rolleyes:
 

jarman92

macrumors 65816
Nov 13, 2014
1,423
4,411
So what's the point of AirTags if all a thief has to do is open up his Find My app and see if there are any hidden AirTags on my laptop that he just stole? And if he forgets to check before running off with my stuff, my AirTag will alert him in 8 hours now instead of give me 3 days to find him and get my stuff back. I thought the whole point was to help me track my stuff, not help everyone else stop me from tracking my stuff.
Apple has explicitly said that AirTags aren’t anti-theft devices. They’re for finding lost items.
 

MadGoat

macrumors 65816
Jul 30, 2007
1,178
128
Canada
These anti stalking measure changes are silly. 8 hours? I leave for the day to work and I’m going to get airtags randomly playing sounds at my house because I’m gone. It was just fine how it was.

As far as the android app, that is great.

When you leave for a day or a weekend, and leave it at home, do your airtags move or stay where they were? As far as I know they will only play sounds if they have left the location and are on the move, away from the owner. If you leave your keys on the table and leave, it won't play a sound.

But that being said, there needs to be a away for airtags to have more that one owner. If I give my keys to my wife and she goes off to work, she needs to be able to be a co-owner.
 

2WheelsGood

macrumors member
Jul 9, 2008
39
51
San Diego
These anti stalking measure changes are silly. 8 hours? I leave for the day to work and I’m going to get airtags randomly playing sounds at my house because I’m gone. It was just fine how it was.

As far as the android app, that is great.
I’m not so sure that’s true. I thought they had to be traveling with someone other than the owner before it would alert others. Not sure.
 

nikaru

macrumors 65816
Apr 23, 2009
1,115
1,385
It’s not a theft device. It’s a location device designed to help you locate wallets, keys, bags, etc around your home.
No, Apple market it as a location device, but the vast majority of people would use it as theft device (and want to use it that way). It is strange that Apple cares more about the risk of stalking than the risk of having your property stolen.
 

iDento

macrumors 6502a
Sep 8, 2011
855
1,472
iCloud Servers
So what's the point of AirTags if all a thief has to do is open up his Find My app and see if there are any hidden AirTags on my laptop that he just stole? And if he forgets to check before running off with my stuff, my AirTag will alert him in 8 hours now instead of give me 3 days to find him and get my stuff back. I thought the whole point was to help me track my stuff, not help everyone else stop me from tracking my stuff.
Clearly Apple didn’t design the AirTags as anti-theft product, they didn’t market as such either. It’s to find your stuff, only.
 

mw360

macrumors 68020
Aug 15, 2010
2,032
2,395
Randomising the measures is a great step. You can minimise disturbance to regular users, while keeping crooks nervous about being exposed at any moment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Santiago
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.