Tag: AirTag

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Apple’s AirTag now features a louder alert sound

One of the key anti-stalking features Apple announced back in February is finally making its way to the AirTag.

As first reported by MacRumors, a recent update to the AirTag adjusts its built-in speaker to emit sound as loud as possible in order to make it easier to find.

It’s also worth noting that the feature is being gradually rolled out to users, with only 1 percent of AirTag owners receiving it this week, 10 percent on May 3rd, 25 percent on May 9th and all users on May 13th, according to MacRumors. The new firmware build number is 1A303 (firmware version 1.0.301).

To check what firmware your AirTag is running, head to the ‘Find My’ app on the iPhone, tap the ‘Items’ tab and select your AirTag from the list. The Bluetooth tracker’s serial number and firmware should be visible.

Back in February, Apple announced a suite of features that aim to curb the AirTag’s use surrounding car theft and other tracking-related crimes, including ‘Precision Finding’ that points iPhone users to unknown nearby AirTags. The company also released a notification stating that using an AirTag to track people is a crime in several regions around the world.

Via: MacRumors

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Apple’s AirTag: The good, the bad, and the Apple logo

Apple’s AirTag has been making local and national news a lot over the past year. The California tech giant released the small plastic object tracker on April 30th, 2021, to great fanfare. The loonie-sized Bluetooth trackers are relatively inexpensive at only $39 and take advantage of Apple’s vast ‘Find My’ network. 

Nerds like me were thrilled to get a small tracker for our keys and bags that were a fashionable alternative to Tile’s offerings. However, due to AirTag’s ease of use, accessibility, and cheapness, terrible people started using AirTag to track partners, stalk celebrities, and steal cars. 

Yet, when these headlines were on my Twitter feed, I used AirTag to ping my keys and locate my misplaced AirPods. Recent news coverage of Apple’s AirTag has been overwhelmingly negative, and that’s fair. These devices are creating tremendous fear over privacy concerns. But at the same time, AirTags have also brought great utility to people’s lives. 

So, here’s a look at the good side, the bad side, and the ecstatic side of Apple’s AirTag Bluetooth tracker:

What is Find My Network?

Before we dive too far into AirTag, it helps to understand what Apple’s Find My network is. Apple has hundreds of millions of devices in the wild that can transmit low-frequency encrypted Bluetooth signals. These Bluetooth pings are entirely anonymous.

Find My accessories like AirTag, AirPods (3rd generation, Pro, or Max), and approved third-party accessories like the Chipolo ONE spot and the Chipolo Card spot can receive those Bluetooth signals.

Piggy-backing on the receiving Apple device, a Find My accessory can report its location. Because of the sheer number of Apple devices, Apple has created a unique item tracking network that doesn’t involve GPS.

Participating in the Find My network lets you find devices like an iPhone, iPad, or Mac if they aren’t connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data. The connection is entirely secure, end-to-end encrypted, and anonymous.

However, if you’d like to opt out of participating in the Find My network, you can do so on your iPhone or iPad by:

  1. Opening the ‘Settings’ app
  2. Tapping on your name at the top of the app
  3. Tapping on ‘Find My’
  4. Tapping on ‘Find My iPhone’
  5. Toggling off ‘Find my Network’

On Mac:

  1. Open the ‘System Preferences’ app
  2. Click ‘Apple ID’ in the top right corner
  3. Click ‘iCloud’ in the left-hand menu
  4. Click ‘Options’ to the right of “Find My Mac”
  5. Click ‘Turn Off…’ to the right of “Find My Network: On”

The Good

The first-day AirTag was released, I went down to my local Apple Store and grabbed a four-pack. I had no idea what I’d use them all for, but I had to try them nonetheless as an Apple fan. For quite a while, I didn’t use them all that much. Due to COVID, I wasn’t going far. 

However, as things have improved in Nova Scotia, I started to venture out a little more. Over the past month or two, I’ve really started to find the value AirTag brings to my life: reduced anxiety when I misplace something. Apple’s AirTag does this in a few different ways. 

First, there are “Left Behind” alerts. Anytime I leave home with a Find My supported device or accessory like my iPhone, iPad, MacBook, AirTag, or 3rd generation AirPods these devices become bound to my iPhone and Apple Watch. So if I leave these items behind, I get a notification. This actually saved me over the holidays. I was visiting family, and I got about two minutes away when I received an alert that I had left my messenger bag there. The AirTag I kept in that bag saved me another hour of driving. 

Second, there is the ability to play a sound from your AirTag through a built-in speaker. Pressing “Play Sound” in the Find My app will have the AirTag play an audible chirp. This has come in handy when I’ve misplaced my keys. 

 

Lastly, there’s Precision Finding.

Precision Finding takes advantage of the U1 chip inside select Apple devices such as the 3rd generation AirPods, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, and AirTag. It uses your phone (iPhone 11 or newer) to get directions and near the location of an item, within around 3 meters. I’ve recently been cat-sitting two cats who enjoy playing with my AirPods case. Precision Finding has helped me find my AirPods every time they go missing. 

I’ve put an AirTag on my keys and in my messenger bag. I’ll be putting them in my luggage for sure when I travel. My more unique use for AirTag is that I’ve attached one to my dog. So if my dog ever gets away from me, an AirTag gives me the best chance of finding him through the Find My network, precision finding, or sound. Other Apple devices can also use the Find My app to get a phone number or email to contact the owner of a lost AirTag. 

The Bad

AirTag has come under a lot of criticism since its release. Stories covering stalking, car theft, and AirTag having their speakers disabled have become fairly regular. To some, these stories may seem too frequent. Still, we must continue to give these issues attention so that Apple addresses these concerns. 

Over the past year, Apple has made some adjustments to help deal with the privacy concerns surrounding AirTag, particularly unwanted tracking. The first thing to note is that Apple does not recommend that AirTag be used for theft prevention. Instead, they’re meant to be used when you’ve misplaced an item. 

First, if a Find My accessory is found following someone who isn’t its owner, they will receive a notification on their iPhone. The Find My app will even show a map of when the AirTag first began travelling with the user. When an AirTag is detected, a person can have the AirTag play a sound and get instructions on how to disable the AirTag from reporting its location.

If the user uses an Android device, they can install this app from the Google Play Store to scan for AirTag. Unfortunately, this app does not work in the background like iOS devices. Instead, it requires a user to manually start a scan. With that said, Android devices also don’t participate in the Find My network, limiting AirTag’s effectiveness in tracking an Android user. 

Second, suppose an AirTag is away from its owner for an undisclosed amount of time. In that case, it will begin to play an auditable sound trying to alert people of its presence. 

For more information on what to do to protect yourself from AirTag, I recommend reading this article from Apple or listening to this episode of the Mac Checklist podcast. 

The Apple Logo

Apple’s AirTag is a small metal and plastic disk about the size of a loonie. They use a CR2032 lithium 3V coin battery for about 1-year of use. Although, out of my four AirTags, only one needed to be replaced after a year. 

AirTags are $39 each or $129 for a four-pack from Apple. When ordering from Apple’s website, you can get free engraving to have your initials or select emojis printed onto the AirTag. Each AirTag has its own unique serial number and has a 1-year warranty provided by Apple. 

Perhaps the most considerable ecstatic criticism of AirTag is that it cannot clip onto anything without a separate accessory. You can simply throw the AirTag in a pocket in situations like bags or luggage. Otherwise, Apple sells several AirTag accessory options ranging from $15.95 to $49. Of course, you can always visit Amazon, Best Buy, or another retailer for more options. 

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Apple’s latest AirTag update includes privacy warnings, smarter unwanted tracking

Apple has released several new AirTag features that aim to curb the Bluetooth tracking device’s ties to several recent reports surrounding car theft and other tracking-related crimes.

The AirTag now displays a message during setup stating that using the accessory to track people is a crime in several regions around the world. This notification also reminds users that law enforcement can request access to information tied to the Bluetooth tracking devices.

The latter part of this notification certainly brings up privacy concerns, though its intention on Apple’s part is to deter AirTag’s use in crime. Apple goes on to say it will provide serial numbers and Apple ID information to law enforcement agencies when an AirTag has been used in a crime.

The tech giant is also introducing ‘Precision Finding’ to point iPhone users to nearby unknown AirTag through a compass-like on-screen arrow that indicates where the device is. Further, the company says it’s adjusting the tracking device’s ‘tone sequence’ to notify users of unwanted tracking.

Finally, Apple also updated its online support documents with more information regarding how users can control location settings on their iPhone and AirTag.

“We design our products to provide a great experience, but also with safety and privacy in mind,” said Apple in a press release regarding the update.

In December, Apple launched an AirTag Android app called ‘Tracker Detect’ designed to detect unknown AirTags within Bluetooth range. A few months before the release of this app, Apple also rolled out an update that reduced the amount of time before an AirTag alerts someone who doesn’t own it of its presence to between eight and 24 hours from three days.

Though Bluetooth trackers from companies like Tile have existed for years, Apple’s ‘Find My’ network of one billion active devices has a far wider reach than other competitors in the space, making it much easier to use an AirTag for nefarious purposes.

Source: Apple

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You can now scan for nearby AirTags using this official Android app

Apple has released a new Play Store app that will allow Android users to scan its ‘Find My’ network to find a misplaced AirTag or other devices that support the platform.

First revealed back in June, the app, ‘Tracker Detect,’ requires users to be running Android 9 or higher to search for Find My-powered trackers.

“Tracker Detect looks for item trackers that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with Apple’s Find My network,” reads the app description on the Play Store. “These item trackers include AirTag and compatible devices from other companies. If you think someone is using AirTag or another device to track your location, you can scan to try to find it.”

To look for nearby AirTags, you simply tap the blue ‘Scan’ button and any misplaced trackers near you will appear on the results page.

It’s worth noting that the app appears to be unavailable in Canada at the moment, but that it should be hitting our Play Store soon.

Image credit: Apple

Via: 9to5Google

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Apple’s AirTag used in theft of luxury cars in Toronto

Toronto York Region Police say that thieves are using Apple’s Bluetooth tracking AirTag to aid in the theft of high-end vehicles.

In a recent press release, York Regional Police state that there have been at least five incidents where suspects have attached an AirTag to a car when it’s in a public area like a mall or parking lot. Rather than sitting in the open, the tiny AirTag is placed by the thieves inside the car’s fuel cap or tow hitch.

The thieves then use Apple’s ‘Find My’ app to locate the vehicle at its owner’s home.

Once the theives find the car, they gain access to the inside of the vehicle through the use of tools. Next, they utilize a tool typically used by mechanics to reset the vehicle to its factory default settings through a diagnostic port and reprogram the vehicle to work with a key they have.

York Regional Police said over 2,000 cars have been stolen in the area over the past year. That said, the police force claims that 100 people have been arrested and 350 vehicles have been returned to their owners.

York Police provided this photo as an example of where thieves are hiding an AirTag on vehicles. Image credit: York Regional Police

While car thieves could use similar tracking devices from a company like Tile, Apple’s AirTag has made the concept of a Bluetooth tracker far more popular. The tech giant’s network of billions of Apple devices is also far more robust than Tile’s crowdsourced offering.

Though Apple added a feature to the AirTag that notifies iPhone users when an unwanted tracker not attached to their iCloud account is nearby, users need to watch for this message. Further, you also need to own an iPhone, though Apple is working on an Android app that will replicate this anti-tracking functionality on Google’s mobile OS.

Source: York Regional Police Via: CTV

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Tile’s revenue said to be up despite competition from Apple’s AirTag

Tile CEO CJ Prober has recently stated that revenue from its line of Bluetooth tracking devices is up. The company’s success is maintained despite what Prober believes is “unfair competition” from Apple and its AirTag.

According to Prober, Tile has sold 40 million devices. This is despite the direct competition from Apple since the launch of AirTags back in May of this year. The CEO went on to state that “Revenue was up in the first half of the year,” which could be surprising seeing as how similar Apple’s AirTags function in comparison.

Business remains on an upward trajectory and Tile is said to be up 200-percent year-over-year. That said, Prober believes Apple is still self-preferencing. Speaking to Wired, Prober recalled a time that Tile’s products could be purchased from the Apple Store.

However, “very quickly, we got kicked out of their stores.” Prober believes Apple made changes to the iOS software “that deprecated our experience,” while boosting the AirTag and its ‘Find My’ network. Prober encourages and “welcomes competition from Apple,” though he believes it has to be fair.

In response to claims of self-preferential treatment, Apple spoke to Wired and denied any purposeful unfairness in the following statement:

“We made APIs available this summer and have been working with UWB chipset developers to ensure iOS compatibility — some already have development kits available for purchase,” an Apple spokesperson told Wired. “We have always embraced competition as the best way to drive great experiences for our customers, and we have worked hard to build a platform in iOS that enables third-party developers to thrive.”

Last month, Tile revealed its refreshed lineup. The new series of products include Mate, Sticker and Pro trackers. Tile hopes to offer water resistance and have an extended range over what’s currently available. Tile’s catalogue of products offers options for customers to choose the essentials they need in a tracking device. It also enables users to prioritize volume over battery warranty when looking at the Pro device over the Mate or Sticker.

Apple’s AirTag, on the other hand, is still in its infancy. AirTags were released in May and are only available in the one model for $39. However, Apple has released a series of accessories alongside its tracking device.

Image credit: Tile

Source: Wired