Apple Reveals New AirTag Features Added in Latest Firmware Updates

[MacRumors]

Apple has released two firmware updates for its AirTag item trackers since November, but at the time the company didn't provide any information on what was changed. Earlier this week, Apple finally updated a support document explaining what's new.

According to Apple, firmware update 2.0.24 allows AirTag owners to use Precision Finding to help locate an unknown AirTag with their iPhone.

Also introduced in update 2.0.24, if a user's iPhone is awake, a new notification alerts them when an AirTag that's been separated from its owner is nearby and emitting a sound to indicate it has been moved. It can then be tracked down by sound or Precision Finding if the feature is available. Apple says that this change will also help if the AirTag sound is hard to hear or if the speaker has been tampered with.

The two features were promised by Apple earlier this year in a bid to prevent AirTags from being used for stalking purposes.

In addition, Apple says the latest firmware update, 2.0.36, resolves an issue with the AirTag accelerometer not activating in certain scenarios. All the features outlined above require iOS 16.2 or later, while the features that use Precision Finding require an iPhone 11 or later models with the U1 Ultra Wideband chip.

It is not possible to force an AirTag update, as it's something that's done over-the-air through a connected iPhone. To make sure the update happens, you can put your AirTag in range of your ‌‌iPhone‌‌, but you have to wait for the firmware to roll out to your device. You can check your current AirTag firmware version through the Find My app, with instructions available in our how to.

Article Link: Apple Reveals New AirTag Features Added in Latest Firmware Updates

 

[BootsWalking]

In other words, making it even less useful as an anti-theft tracking device. When Apple gets done with all these AirTag firmware updates the only remaining feature will be finding the AirTag sitting right in front of you.

 

[jjwwqq]

This update should help deal with the more casual nefarious stalkers, but those bad actors who are determined enough to disable the speaker will simply source an older, not yet updated AirTag to track someone.

 

[gfurry]

How about 48 hours for the stalker alert and allow family sharing so you can find any airtag (just like you can do with any other Apple device) in your family? How did this get out of the lab? A family set of car keys requires the owner to find it regardless who has the car or the keys to have an air tag for every family member on the keychain 🤦🏻‍♂️

 

[MyOwnDrummer]

If I am understsanding correctly, the AirTag is useless for attaching to items in case they get stolen. The thief gets alerted if they have an iPhone and can find and discard the AirTag. Am I correct?

 

[AppleTO]

Seems these are kind of useless unless the object you put them on are literally always with you.

 

[AppleTO]

If I am understsanding correctly, the AirTag is useless for attaching to items in case they get stolen. The thief gets alerted if they have an iPhone and can find and discard the AirTag. Am I correct?

Yes. Android as well now.

This is because they don’t want you to ‘stalk’ the thief, or anyone else. So you can’t really put these anywhere that you don’t constantly go near. Otherwise someone else will just disable/take them. You also can’t share them with your family to help prevent this.

 

[jonnysods]

This seems to render them totally useless for non-nefarious purposes.

 

[bob24]

In other words, making it even less useful as an anti-theft tracking device. When Apple gets done with all these AirTag firmware updates the only remaining feature will be finding the AirTag sitting right in front of you.

Agree. As a purchaser of the device when it was originally released, I feel they have changed the feature set to a point whereby it is no more delivering the value I originally paid for. I know Apple will use privacy protection at a justification and I understand the concerns, but then it is their responsibility for not considering this in the first place and releasing an unsustainable device (and they should offer refunds instead of killing the features original buyers were expecting for the price they paid).

Wondering if in some countries this could lead to cases with consumer protection agencies (a key point here is that Apple is auto updating the device and not giving any option for the user to preserve the original feature set).

 

[lkrupp]

In other words, making it even less useful as an anti-theft tracking device. When Apple gets done with all these AirTag firmware updates the only remaining feature will be finding the AirTag sitting right in front of you.

Well, that’s because it is NOT an anti-theft tracking device, has never been intended to be an anti-theft tracking device, and Apple has specifically stated it is not to be used for that purpose. The same goes for the Find My app. It’s the public who started using it for that as well as stalking their ex’s and Apple is trying to put a stop to it.

 

[macford]

Those poor baggage handlers at the airport who own iPhones. That thing will be pinging constantly.

 

[StuBeck]

Agree. As a purchaser of the device when it was originally released, I feel they have changed the feature set to a point whereby it is no more delivering the value I originally paid for. I know Apple will use privacy protection at a justification and I understand the concerns, but then it is their responsibility for not considering this in the first place and releasing an unsustainable device (and they should offer refunds instead of killing the features original buyers were expecting for the price they paid).

Wondering if in some countries this could lead to cases with consumer protection agencies (a key point here is that Apple is auto updating the device and not giving any option for the user to preserve the original feature set).

Apple will get sued over this and lose. Its pretty clear the initial airtag design had no security in mind, and that we still don't have the option to tag airtags as friendly is disappointing. Being told I'm being stalked every time I drive my wifes car is annoying.

At least they're admitting what firmware updates do now instead of pretending nothing happens.

 

[lkrupp]

Seems these are kind of useless unless the object you put them on are literally always with you.

In what way are they useless? They are not anti-theft devices. You know that, right?

This seems to render them totally useless for non-nefarious purposes.

In what non-nefarious cases would they be useless? You lose you keys and your AirTag tells you where they are?

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

This update should help deal with the more casual nefarious stalkers, but those bad actors who are determined enough to disable the speaker will simply source an older, not yet updated AirTag to track someone.

No, they will just use the tools they had at their disposal before - cheap gps trackers etc.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

I just want them to finally add family sharing of AirTag tracking so that everyone in a family can see where devices. Until they add that much needed feature, I won't be buying any more AirTags as I'd need to buy two for everything I want to track, which is dumb.

 

[antiprotest]

In a future update the AirTags will stop tracking completely and their sole remaining purpose will be to just look pretty and shiny.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

In a future update the AirTags will stop tracking completely and their sole remaining purpose will be to just look pretty and shiny.

...ideally with a monthly subscription fee too.

 

[DailySlow]

Yes. Android as well now.

This is because they don’t want you to ‘stalk’ the thief, or anyone else. So you can’t really put these anywhere that you don’t constantly go near. Otherwise someone else will just disable/take them. You also can’t share them with your family to help prevent this.

You mean like Tile?

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

In what way are they useless? They are not anti-theft devices. You know that, right?

In what non-nefarious cases would they be useless? You lose you keys and your AirTag tells you where they are?

You wouldn't lose things with AirTags attached in the first place if "Left Behind" worked better. As it is now, the notification sounds like every other notification you get a hundred times a day and it's easy to be distracted or busy and ignore the "ding" notification. Or, you just don't hear it in a noisy environment. By the time you realize it you're far from where you left it behind.

I wish you could set a custom tone for the Left Behind notification and play it continuously until you acknowledge it.

 

[decimortis]

I understand the risks of stalkers using these, but my mother-in-law has early stages of Alzheimer's and we were hoping to use AirTags to find her if she happened to wander away from her apartment and get confused. She doesn't live with us, so to the AirTag it appears we're stalking someone, which I guess technically we would be, but it's the "good" kind of stalking.

 

[Bill Av]

I can see everyone and everything in Family Sharing; their computers, AirPods, Watches, iPhones, iPads. Just not their AirTags. What sense does that make?

 

[Menel]

In other words, making it even less useful as an anti-theft tracking device. When Apple gets done with all these AirTag firmware updates the only remaining feature will be finding the AirTag sitting right in front of you.

It was never marketed as anti-theft.

 

[8trius]

Someone please outline what the functional, intended purpose(s) of AirTag is at this point.

 

[mthomas184]

Someone please outline what the functional, intended purpose(s) of AirTag is at this point.

Oh I dont know.

If you misplace your keys in your house, misplace your wallet, misplace other things. If you have NEVER misplaced anything, then these aren't intended for you.

 

[mthomas184]

It was never marketed as anti-theft.

It doesn't matter. Apple could put in big bold letters

NOT MADE FOR ANTI-THEFT​

and people would still complain that they're taking away anti theft features.