Unfortunately, the AirTag proved to be a controversial rather than a very useful gadget. Not a day goes by without a new report about someone getting stalked with the help of an AirTag, but we’re pretty sure that many more victims don’t get to subjects of daily news.
The bottom line is while the AirTag seems like a pretty useful device on paper, in reality it proved to have serious security issues. Sure, there are many happy stories of people who find their lost wallets or luggage thanks to Apple’s little gadget, but this isn’t a competition. So, even if 10% of users have experience security issues, then Apple has a big problem.
Today, Apple decided to finally address the elephant in the room and made a few promises regarding AirTag’s privacy concerns. As many of you probably know by now, the AirTag lets you keep track of your various items such as keys, wallet, purse, backpack, luggage, and more through the Find My app.
Although it’s been designed with this sole purpose in mind, not to track people or another person’s propriety, unwanted tracking is happening more often than Apple would like to admit, at least until now.
To try to prevent this trend of unwanted tracking, Apple has been actively working with law enforcement on all AirTag-related requests they’ve received. Although Apple says that AirTag misuse are rare, the company admits that “each instance is one too many,” and that’s an absolutely valid assessment.
In case someone files a report with the police for being tracked with an AirTag, Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement. In fact, the Cupertino-based giant has confirmed that it has successfully partnered with police on cases where the information it provided led to the perpetrator being apprehended and charged.
Although Apple has done its part helping law enforcement where it could, these actions don’t actually prevent unwanted tracking. The good news is Apple has come up with a plan that might make the misuse of the AirTag completely extinct, or at least that’s what we hope.
Prevention over detection
The first step towards preventing unwanted tracking is the addition of new privacy warnings during AirTag setup, which will be introduced in an upcoming software update. AirTag owners who set up their gadget for the first time will see a message that state the AirTag is meant to track their own belonging, and that using it to track people without consent is a crime.
Also, the message will inform them that AirTag is designed to be detected by victims, and that law enforcement can request information about the owner of the AirTag. The first part probably isn’t going to instill fear in those who plan to track other persons but knowing that they can be tracked and identified based on the info provided by Apple might make them think twice before using the AirTag to track someone.
In the same software update, Apple will update the alert users receive to indicate that AirPods have been traveling with them instead of an “Unknown Accessory.” Many AirPods users have been receiving “Unknown Accessory Detected” alerts when near AirTags, so that’s to be fixed in a future update. For the time being, the only affected are AirPods (3rd generation), AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and a third-pary Find My network accessory.
Another important step for boosting AirTag security is the update of its unwanted tracking support article. The support documentation will now clearly convey information about the safety features built into AirTag, AirPods, and Find My network accessories. Updated today, the page now provides explanations of which Find My accessories may trigger an unwanted tracking alert, more visuals to offer specific examples of similar alerts, and more details on what users can do after receiving an alert, including how to disable an AirTag, AirPods, or Find My network accessory.
The best features are yet to come
These are just the first steps toward improving AirTag’s security, but for the skeptics, here are some other new features that Apple plans to implement in the near future. First off, a new capability will allow users who receive unwanted tracking alerts to locate an unknown AirTag with precision. The new feature is called Precision Finding and will be available to iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users, who will also be able to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range.
Also, Apple will add visual alerts in addition to sound alerts. When AirTag emits a sound to alert anyone nearby of its presence and is detected moving with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch, a visual alert will be displayed on your device that you will be able to interact with and choose whether to play a sound or use Precision Finding. The new feature comes in hand whenever the AirTag is in a location where it’s hard to hear or if its speaker has been silenced.
Furthermore, Apple plans to update its unwanted tracking alert system to notify users earlier that an unknown AirTag or Find My network accessory may be traveling with them. Finally, iOS users should expect some adjustments to the tone sequence to use more of the loudest tones when they receive an unwanted tracking alert to make it easier to find the unknown AirTag.
Hopefully, these security improvements will make the misuse of AirTag less of a concern without tempering too much with the accessory’s functionality.
