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Apple Enhancing AirTags Anti-Stalking Measures With Android App and Shorter Sound Intervals

jarman92 said:
Sure, but then you're talking about a serious edge case. Also have you heard the noise an AirTag makes? You can barely hear it in your house, let alone on a subway car or in public.
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The scenarios in which AirTags would actually be useful are serious edge cases. False positives or inconveniences are very detrimental to use.

If my family visits and I give them my house keys while I go to work then I have to give up tracking them (when it would be most useful since I trust myself more not to lose them) or warn my guests the keys might start randomly beeping?
 
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someone needs to call the police on Geoffrey Fowler he is using air tag to stalk people, who on earth would do that? now they are making it easy for thieves to still items with air tags attached to them, they will be able to turn off the airtag.
 
deebinem said:
I don't follow. To them, it is a problem even if it isn't for you. Does that make it less valid?

I see your point in that overall stats might lean towards a lower percentage of that crime for an area but that doesn't lessen their experience.
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My original question was whether stalking was such a big problem that Apple had to make these changes. Obviously you can find someone who thinks it's a problem; you can find someone who think anything is a problem. But I don't care what one person thinks, I care what aggregate data says is a "big problem."
 
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jarman92 said:
My original question was whether stalking was such a big problem that Apple had to make these changes. Obviously you can find someone who thinks it's a problem; you can find someone who think anything is a problem. But I don't care what one person thinks, I care what aggregate data says is a "big problem."
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Ah gotcha...

Thanks for clearing that up.
 
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hot-gril said:
It's not an edge case in a subway car full of people. Same way a car alarm shouldn't be going off for no reason, but among hundreds, it always does. But if it's quiet enough that I don't hear it, I don't care.
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A person carrying a dead phone around for more than 8 hours who also happens to have an AirTag and is carrying it at that moment is an edge case, even in a city. But there's not a chance in hell you'll hear it in a subway car.
 
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hot-gril said:
It's not an edge case in a subway car full of people. Same way a car alarm shouldn't be going off for no reason, but among hundreds, it always does. But if it's quiet enough that I don't hear it, I don't care.
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Yes and just like the car alarms gong off, I have never called or heard of anyone calling police/security- it just gets ignored. Eventually with Airtag too, it will just be ignored until it stops making noise for the next cycle. I fear.
 
JOLoughlin said:
So if I’m an Android user I have to download an Apple made app because Apple makes a thing that could cause a problem?
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Well, there have always been devices that are designed to detect bugs somebody else has planted. If you were really concerned, you had to buy such a device because somebody else started manufacturing bugs. Technology advances, and sometimes you have to keep moving just to stay still.
 
mihirdelirious said:
So basically the AirTags would start making noise 8 hours in at your workplace (whenever work at office becomes possible). But this would also be problematic on a long-distance journey.. be it on train, on bus or on plane.
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I use my AirTags for the stuff I am carrying with me. If it beeps at my workplace, then I have left something there because I forgot it. Usually I try, not to leave behind things, I do protrect with AirTags, because I want them with me.
So, the beeping things at my workplace might not be worth to be attached to one of my AirTags.
 
Such a great product and Apple has pretty much completely nerfed it into uselessness. Who wants a tracker that's just going to annoy people nearby constantly when you're not around?

I'm glad I never bought one.
 
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I'm not sure all of these scenarios people worry about will cause beeping. But if you leave it in your luggage (on purpose to track your luggage, or because you put something with an airtag in your luggage), there's a decent chance your luggage will start beeping before you get it back for any longer trip.
 
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So we are not able to stop this update? If that’s really the case I assume we are able to send the tags to Apple and be fully refunded? They significantly alter the advertised functionality without consent, so I hope it possible.
 
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Khedron said:
The scenarios in which AirTags would actually be useful are serious edge cases. False positives or inconveniences are very detrimental to use.

If my family visits and I give them my house keys while I go to work then I have to give up tracking them (when it would be most useful since I trust myself more not to lose them) or warn my guests the keys might start randomly beeping?
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I suppose in that very specific instance you should just take the Tag off the keys. Or leave it on, and even if you're away from the Tag for more than 8 hours (note that the exact timing is random, so it could require 10 or 12 or 20 hours), the beep that it makes is very unobtrusive. It's not like a foghorn goes off in their pocket.
 
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Well I hope the people that pass my bike in the basement won’t get spooked by the phantom sounds coming from my garage box.
 
jarman92 said:
A person carrying a dead phone around for more than 8 hours who also happens to have an AirTag and is carrying it at that moment is an edge case, even in a city. But there's not a chance in hell you'll hear it in a subway car.
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The folks in your scenario can always remove the Tags battery if that’s such a big concern for them.
 
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taintedwheat said:
The AirTags only enter into this mode when they are following a nearby iOS device that is not registered with the owner.
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There are too different modes:
1) separated from owner for x hours plus movement of the tracker -> beeping
2) separated from owner and following another phone for y hours -> that phone gets a notification

y < x
 
verdi1987 said:
What if you stick this on luggage, you miss a connection, and your luggage has to be picked up or delivered later? That can be longer than 8 to 24 hours, and in many instances the luggage will be moving.
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Then your luggage will beep, if it remains in proximity of a singular i-Device. That chance is very low - if we exclude the option, someone grabbed your luggage deliberatly and carries it with him...
 
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I have air tags on each set of keys ( a tag for each motorcycle and my car ), my roommates both have Iphones I am gone for weeks at a time, now the other set of keys will keep making sounds until I return home.
 
zorinlynx said:
Such a great product and Apple has pretty much completely nerfed it into uselessness. Who wants a tracker that's just going to annoy people nearby constantly when you're not around?

I'm glad I never bought one.
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Your assumptions are false.
 
Kkspire said:
It’s not a theft device. It’s a location device designed to help you locate wallets, keys, bags, etc around your home.
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There is a high correlation between “losing items” and theft; especially on high value items worth sticking a $30 tracker on it
 
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B1llyG said:
So we are not able to stop this update? If that’s really the case I assume we are able to send the tags to Apple and be fully refunded? They significantly alter the advertised functionality without consent, so I hope it possible.
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You consented when you agreed to Apple's EULAs and T&Cs.
 
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