Latest AirTags Firmware Update Tunes the Unwanted Tracking Sound for Easier Detection

[MacRumors]

Earlier this week, Apple began rolling out a firmware update for AirTags, and while it wasn't clear at the time what changes were included in the update, Apple has now revealed in a new support document that it tweaks the sound made by unknown AirTags found to be traveling with you.

AirTag Firmware Update 1.0.301

Tuning the unwanted tracking sound to more easily locate an unknown AirTag.

Apple has made several changes to the way AirTags function since their release in order to address concerns about the trackers being used for stalking purposes. Apple in February announced a suite of changes it would be making with regard to stalking concerns, with some of the changes rolling out in March with iOS 15.4 and others coming later.

One of those changes coming later involved using more of the loudest tones in the tone sequence played by an unknown AirTag to help locate it more easily, and that appears to be what this week's firmware update includes.

Tuning AirTag’s sound: Currently, iOS users receiving an unwanted tracking alert can play a sound to help them find the unknown AirTag. We will be adjusting the tone sequence to use more of the loudest tones to make an unknown AirTag more easily findable.

While not mentioned in the release notes, Apple is rolling this firmware out on a staggered basis, and there is no way to force your AirTags to update. The update was capped at being delivered to 1% of AirTag users as of Tuesday when it started rolling out, which will rise to 10% on May 3 and 25% on May 9, and it will go fully live to everyone on May 13.

Article Link: Latest AirTags Firmware Update Tunes the Unwanted Tracking Sound for Easier Detection

 

[contacos]

I have nothing but trouble with these things and I wish I never bought them.

• I just replaced the batteries and 2 of 5 already claim they are low on battery again
• 3 of 5 refused to connect after replacing the batteries because it claimed the battery is too low to connect or something like that (new batteries!). - Somehow they were able to connect just fine using the same batteries after opening the back and pressing the battery against the AirTag with my hand. Once connected, I could put on the back thingy again and they would stay connected.
• Maybe it is my imagination but it seems to hit my battery life on iPhone / iPad a lot ("Find My") always in my over night battery stats
• Getting the annoying notification of my BFs AirTag. They need to add an option to mark an AirTag as known like "I know this AirTag. Please stopp bothering me FOREVER, not just for this day

 

[DempaX]

Familysharing - when? I want to give an AirTag to my minor who just started walking to his school by himself. He has no phone yet but iPad at home linked to his own AppleID. If I put an AT linked to my own AppleID into his backpack - will it alert his school teachers of an unknown AT tracking them?

 

[Swissfashion]

So a bike thief will now be able to more easily locate the AirTag the bike's owner hid on the bike?

 

[Prince Akeem]

I still have the annoying bug where somehow, I keep hearing the AirTag I placed in my own car. Not always, but often it keeps beeping the first few miles when I drive away. This is strange, because it's clearly in range of my iPhone!

It's getting annoying to the point I'd rather do the easy mute modification on this AirTag (and the one on my boat). I don't experience this problem on AirTags that I keep with me all the time (like keychain and luggage).

 

[addamas]

Looks like it’s only way to mute…

 

[MrGimper]

So a bike thief will now be able to more easily locate the AirTag the bike's owner hid on the bike?

They’re not designed to prevent theft.

 

[femike]

I don't use mine anymore. It's something else to take care of, just adds more clutter to life. I was fine without them.

 

[44267547]

I don't use mine anymore. It's something else to take care of, just adds more clutter to life. I was fine without them.

I generally don’t understand your complaints:

Something else to take care of? I haven’t had to take care of anything, with the exception of an update.

How exactly does it add clutter? It’s approximately the size of a quarter.

You said you were ‘fine without them’, so what made you allegedly purchase them in the first place then?

 

[jopiek]

Really annoying 'feature'. My brothers dog has an AirTag. If she stays at our place and my brother is not around it will make this sound and the dog of course goes nuts. They should make an option to share AirTags in Family, that would totally solve this problem I think.

 

[contacos]

I kinda-sorta get the vibe that you’ve actually never even owned an AirTag.

Something else to take care of? I haven’t had to take care of anything, with the exception of an update.

How exactly does it add clutter? It’s approximately the size of a quarter.

You said you were ‘fine without them’, so what made you allegedly purchase them in the first place then?

In my case, they always run out of battery for no reason. They keep bothering my Bf when I leave the house without him and suck the battery of my iPad and iPhone over night.

Nowadays the damn thing even Beeps when I put on my jacket with the AirTag on my keychain inside like WHY I am right there.

Other times it warns me about having left item XY behind when I already told it multiple times not to inform me when it is at location xy. It still does it

 

[44267547]

Looks like it’s only way to mute…

I could see Apple changing this design in the future, where it prevents the customer from manipulating the internal parts of the AirTag. That was all too easy for that old dude in the video and Apple generally never makes disassembling their products easy.

 

[MacFan23]

In my case, they always run out of battery for no reason. They keep bothering my Bf when I leave the house without him and suck the battery of my iPad and iPhone over night.

Nowadays the damn thing even Beeps when I put on my jacket with the AirTag on my keychain inside like WHY I am right there.

Other times it warns me about having left item XY behind when I already told it multiple times not to inform me when it is at location xy. It still does it

That sucks, I’ve had the exact opposite experience with mine, set and forget. I got my value back a couple weeks after owning them when I dropped my keys in a field (I literally wouldn’t of been able to find them without the U1, I had a tile on my keys previously and the sound wouldn’t of been enough).

I used to get a notification if I was walking with my other half, who also had AirTags, of AirTags being around me but that seems to have stopped.

I don’t doubt your experience at all but it’s interesting that two users can have such vastly different experiences from a relatively simple device.

 

[JustSomebody12]

What I don't like about AirTags is that there is no widget for items on the Home Screen.

P.s. the update requires the AirTag to be near the legitimate owner's device, or can it be pushed through the Find My network?

 

[r0cki]

I don't use mine anymore. It's something else to take care of, just adds more clutter to life. I was fine without them.

You remind me of that bike meme where the dude puts a stick between the spokes and falls down on his own.

People will really go to lenghts to bitch just about anything, no matter how small it is, my god.

 

[hortod1]

To echo others, family sharing has to be implemented. If my wife takes my car she gets alerts about the “unknown” AT attached to my keys. Not every unknown AT is a stalker. And if they’re making the sound louder it would pretty much mean the end of AT’s in our family. Will go back to using Tiles I guess.

 

[Kaikidan]

I have nothing but trouble with these things and I wish I never bought them.

• I just replaced the batteries and 2 of 5 already claim they are low on battery again
• 3 of 5 refused to connect after replacing the batteries because it claimed the battery is too low to connect or something like that (new batteries!). - Somehow they were able to connect just fine using the same batteries after opening the back and pressing the battery against the AirTag with my hand. Once connected, I could put on the back thingy again and they would stay connected.
• Maybe it is my imagination but it seems to hit my battery life on iPhone / iPad a lot ("Find My") always in my over night battery stats
• Getting the annoying notification of my BFs AirTag. They need to add an option to mark an AirTag as known like "I know this AirTag. Please stopp bothering me FOREVER, not just for this day

About the "Low Battery" notification after replacing, I remember a article her eon macrumors about airtags having a lot of problems with duracells and other brands who used the anti-child swallowing coatting, as it caused connection problems with the small pins used on the airtags since it didn't provided enough contact surface to trasnmit enough electricity, acting as insulators. and since you managed to have it working by pressing harder I think that that is the problem here, you can use something to brush to try to remove a little bit of coating where it connects to the airtag, but I don't know the best method for it.

 

[TheBigDog]

AirTags but 20% less stalky.

We think you're going to love them!

 

[Crowbot]

With this staggered release, I wonder how "they" decide which tags to update and when.

 

[fwunder]

I would like to see Homekit support for AirTags. Smart locks for one convenience.

 

[IIGS User]

I'm a little confused as I bought one of these for the first time this week.

If I say, put one of these in my backpack, then take my phone and go out to run an errand with just my wallet (leaving my backpack behind) will this thing beep back at my house when I'm not there?

 

[matrix07]

Really annoying 'feature'. My brothers dog has an AirTag. If she stays at our place and my brother is not around it will make this sound and the dog of course goes nuts. They should make an option to share AirTags in Family, that would totally solve this problem I think.

Yep. Family Sharing and I will buy a pack of 4.

 

[addamas]

I could see Apple changing this design in the future, where it prevents the customer from manipulating the internal parts of the AirTag. That was all too easy for that old dude in the video and Apple generally never makes disassembling their products easy.

I remember times when opening Apple products was easy, as well as fixing them. Compared to HP or Asus MacBooks or IPhones were amazing for 3rd party servicing… but then Jobs died and here we go :/ all glued, parts digital signed to motherboard or not possible to remove without heatgun, heat table and soldering iron

 

[doolar]

To echo others, family sharing has to be implemented. If my wife takes my car she gets alerts about the “unknown” AT attached to my keys. Not every unknown AT is a stalker. And if they’re making the sound louder it would pretty much mean the end of AT’s in our family. Will go back to using Tiles I guess.

I agree. I have an Airtag on my sons keys, he is nine years old, so I have the Airtag connected to my AppleID. He constantly gets notifications on his Iphone telling him there's an unknown Airtag in his vicinity. It's just stupid that there's no family sharing. I could add the Airtag to his AppleID of course, but then I can't see where his keys are.

I'm holding off buying more Airtags until this is better implemented. I do however love the Airtag on my sons keys. Saved us a lot of time and stress finding out where they are quickly.

 

[r0cki]

I'm a little confused as I bought one of these for the first time this week.

If I say, put one of these in my backpack, then take my phone and go out to run an errand with just my wallet (leaving my backpack behind) will this thing beep back at my house when I'm not there?

No. You will receive a notification on your iPhone saying that the AirTag was left behind. The beep is only for AirTags not paired to your Apple ID.