Apple Reveals New AirTag Features Added in Latest Firmware Updates

[Huracan]

I do have an Airtag with my home keys, other than that I use Airtags for luggage tracking while traveling. For cases like lost luggage, luggage left behind, or stolen. So far I haven't had any of this happen, but Airtags have still been useful to let me know whether a piece of luggage made it into the plane, or is still at the hotel, etc. Pretty useful for extra peace of mind. I don't like firmware changes that are detrimental to these use cases. However, I also don't like Airtags being used to stalk or commit other crimes against people. For now I have some Airtags in the 301 and some that that have been upgraded to 24 and some to 36.

 

[bob24]

I believe that FindMy doesn’t allow a stranger to use precion finding to locate your item. It only alerts if the Airtag is tracking with their location. So it won’t just alert everyone who passes near an AirTag. Rather, if a person stumbles on the lost item, then yes, depending on the intent of the finder, they will either chose to steal or return the item using the AirTag information. Either way, I don’t see how the AirTag is an assistant to a thief.

Based on the MacRumors article, my understanding is that with the latest update airtags can actually display alerts on phones which they are not actively tracking, and also give access to precision tracking to the owner of those phones (if they support it).

“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.”

 

[bob24]

Depends what those “missing” features are.

If it’s anti theft, you should consider yourself lucky you had it for awhile but Apple always stated that anti theft wasn’t the purpose of AT’s.

I’d call anti-theft a use case, not a feature. The bottom line is that Apple is significantly changing the way the devices behave which for some users will clearly reduce their utility. The simple fact of doing this without compensation is an issue in terms of commercial practices.

The fact that they didn’t advertise the use-case isn’t really relevant IMO. They don’t advertise every possible use-cases for an iPhone either but it doesn’t mean it is OK to drastically reduce some of its capabilities without letting the user keep the old feature set (the other key difference is that upgrading an iPhone to new software versions is optional).

 

[smwl]

Deleted

 

[bob24]

And yet Find My is used for anti-theft purposes every day to locate stolen phones. It's obvious to everyone including Apple that these features would be used for anti-theft purposes. Claiming Apple never intended them to be so isn't a persuasive argument, no matter what Apple publicly states.

True, plus people claiming on this thread that Apple never designed FindMy as an anti theft feature aren’t quite correct.

When it was originally introduced on iPhone and marketed as “Activation Lock” and “Find My iPhone” they did mention theft reduction as a target (and they succeeded).

And if you look a their support website, their first recommendation if your phone gets lost or stolen is : “Look for your device on a map. To find your device, sign in to iCloud.com/find. Or use the Find My app on another Apple device that you own.”

Find your lost iPhone or iPad – Apple Support (UK)

If you’ve lost your iPhone or iPad, use Find My to locate it and put it in Lost Mode to protect your personal information.

support.apple.com

They fall short of recommending to attempt recovering the device by yourself for obvious reasons, but they do recommend to use FindMy to check the location and to file a police report.

 

[Piplodocus]

"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."

So if you leave something behind it'll alert all nearby criminals to come steal the unguarded item before you notice it's been left? 🤣

(on a more serious note I presume it won't do that til a good distance from the AirTag owner so they get alerted a lot sooner than the nearest people - would stop general nefarious tracking, but not do the above)

 

[MrGimper]

If someone steals your item, they get continually warned that it's being tracked.

Correct, they’re not designed to track stolen items. Get it?

I’d call anti-theft a use case, not a feature. The bottom line is that Apple is significantly changing the way the devices behave which for some users will clearly reduce their utility. The simple fact of doing this without compensation is an issue in terms of commercial practices.

The fact that they didn’t advertise the use-case isn’t really relevant IMO. They don’t advertise any possible use-cases for an iPhone either but it doesn’t mean it is OK to drastically reduce some of its capabilities without letting the user keep the old feature set (the other key difference is that upgrading an iPhone to new software versions is optional).

think you’re clutching there tbh. When it stops serving its intended purpose then you may have a point. Should I complain because my iPhone doesn’t work well as a hammer?

 

[bob24]

think you’re clutching there tbh. When it stops serving its intended purpose then you may have a point. Should I complain because my iPhone doesn’t work well as a hammer?

A correct parallel would be: is your iPhone less of a hammer than it used to be due to a forced software update which you could’t decline? Answer is obviously an emphatic no on both counts (Apple never made it a lesser hammer and never forced any software update on you), so you have nothing to complain about.

The same can’t be said about tracking capabilities of the AirTag following the latest update: capabilities are being modified and users have no choice since the software update is automatic.

 

[shadowcatz23]

Correct, they’re not designed to track stolen items. Get it?

think you’re clutching there tbh. When it stops serving its intended purpose then you may have a point. Should I complain because my iPhone doesn’t work well as a hammer?

I am unsure how you think that comment is reaching. Your example is even less applicable. Yes a hammer and phone do not have the same uses. Hammers are not advertised to allow communication as say a phone would be. Just like with an AirTag finding a misplaced, potentially STOLEN item.
So some people used these maliciously. People use computers or whatever maliciously everyday, we don't necessarily neuter a products potential use case because of that. Maybe we should just get the people acting maliciously and you know use the justice system.
The real issue I have here is why is no one attacking Tile for the same sort of thing?

 

[8trius]

People use computers or whatever maliciously everyday, we don't necessarily neuter a products potential use case because of that. Maybe we should just get the people acting maliciously and you know use the justice system.

Well, I figure Apple is taking aim at one type of criminal behavior: stalking.

From its latest updates, it seems clear that Apple is more concerned with helping victims of stalking than victims of theft.

I don't really know that you could solve for both with this product.

 

[bob24]

Well, I figure Apple is taking aim at one type of criminal behavior: stalking.

From its latest updates, it seems clear that Apple is more concerned with helping victims of stalking than victims of theft.

I don't really know that you could solve for both with this product.

I think you are correct in terms of their motivation for the changes (and I agree that a balance needs to be found and they can’t please everyone here).

All this is fine, but the serious problem I have is that they should have thought about this stuff before releasing the product so that it capabilities and limitations are clear from the get go. Changing the product capabilities further down the line in a way which renders it significantly less useful to customers who paid for it is not acceptable.

 

[8trius]

Changing the product capabilities further down the line in a way which renders it significantly less useful to customers who paid for it is not acceptable.

Agreed 100%. I actually purchased a 4-pack this past weekend with the intention of giving it as gifts to family members, and so I've been trying to understand what AirTag's fundamental value proposition since so much has seemed to change from when it was originally announced.

And now there are so many caveats and asterisks for what I initially thought it could help with, I am genuinely wondering if I want to keep them or not.

 

[_Spinn_]

Apple further hurts AirTag functionality and yet they won’t enable family sharing.

 

[coolfactor]

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.

She wouldn't be carrying her own iPhone, correct? So there's no device to tell her that an AirTag is travelling with her. I think you're okay to use it that way.

 

[hydropsyche]

The 'air tag' feature is a insidious and pervasive privacy threat right up there with anything the NSA could devise. Did you know, that when your iPhone is turned off it is not actually off? The phone emits an air tag signal when off that other apple devices pickup and report to Apple, and then eventually law enforcement. Dastardly!

 

[coolfactor]

Apple further hurts AirTag functionality and yet they won’t enable family sharing.

When people start suing Apple because they are selling a "flawed product" (in their small mind), Apple needs to be proactive and cover all bases. There's no "hurt" about it. It's about product evolution to find what works best across a broad swath of consumers.

 

[SBlue1]

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.

Don't you have dedicated elderly people gps trackers in the US?

 

[Robert.Walter]

I had two use cases, the primary of which was outside their original intent. I did not keep up with the details of the updates, and when I bought mine a few weeks ago, they were useless for my primary use case.

Now with this update, it's a negative for my secondary use case.

Gonna sell them and the fancy little cases I bought for them.

Do you ever fly? If so keep and toss in luggage as they’re great for that.

I’d call anti-theft a use case, not a feature. The bottom line is that Apple is significantly changing the way the devices behave which for some users will clearly reduce their utility. The simple fact of doing this without compensation is an issue in terms of commercial practices.

The fact that they didn’t advertise the use-case isn’t really relevant IMO. They don’t advertise every possible use-cases for an iPhone either but it doesn’t mean it is OK to drastically reduce some of its capabilities without letting the user keep the old feature set (the other key difference is that upgrading an iPhone to new software versions is optional).

They said it wasn’t for anti theft. How much more explicit can they be in warning you not to buy it for that?

If that use case evaporated in you after that caveat it’s that persons own fault.

 

[jimbobb24]

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.

Or 500 other designated devices more useful for tracking people.

 

[jimbobb24]

I cannot think of any of real world product that has ever been nerfed this hard by the manufacturer until it was nearly useless.

 

[Robert.Walter]

She wouldn't be carrying her own iPhone, correct? So there's no device to tell her that an AirTag is travelling with her. I think you're okay to use it that way.

I was thinking that too but they might have to disable the speaker so mom isn’t irritated by the peeping.

 

[jimbobb24]

Loser stalkers have ruined it.
Thanks you bums.

Stalking is rare. Paranoia has ruined it.

 

[8trius]

They said it wasn’t for anti theft. How much more explicit can they be in warning you not to buy it for that?

Can you please do us all a favor and back up this statement that Apple said it wasn't for anti-theft? I keep seeing users criticizing other users with this emphatic statement that Apple has explicitly addressed theft in its marketing or statements.

 

[punkypj]

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.

Ah yes the well known casual vs professional stalkers debate 👀

 

[bkaus]

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.

Or they would spend $10 more on something that has a cellular modem in it and is totally self sufficient.