Here’s How AirTags and Tile Trackers Are Being Used for Stalking, And How You Can Prevent Being Tracked

At a Glance

Apple’s AirTag uses the Cupertino firm’s end-to-end encrypted Find My network and app to help track and locate personal items, providing an easy-to-use and quite efficient way of recovering lost items, like key rings, luggage, briefcases, and other personal items.

While AirTags are a godsend for those looking to track lost items, they can unfortunately also be used to track former spouses, ex-girlfriends and ex-boyfriends, and even the police.

In this article, I’ll take a look at how stalkers use the AirTag and other tile trackers to stalk unwitting victims. More importantly, how do you detect someone is using an AirTag to stalk you and how can you put an end to it?

What Is an AirTag?

AirTag is a small tracking device about the size of an American half dollar. AirTags are available for purchase in one and four packs for just $29 and $99 USD, respectively. It’s been developed by Apple to help users keep track of small, easily loseable items, like keychains, electronic devices, bags, briefcases, and luggage. Unfortunately, it can also be used to track other people.

AirTag users can make use of Apple’s Find My app, which allows them to track the tags and their associated items to their current geographic location. Once they are in the vicinity of the tag, they can use the app to make the AirTag play a sound. iPhones that are equipped with Apple’s U1 ultra-wideband chip (iPhone 11 and newer) can use a feature called “Precision Tracking” to get precise directions to the AirTag.

How Are AirTags Used for Stalking?

Motherboard examined reports from eight major police departments around the U.S. The reports covered a period of eight months, and 150 of the reports mentioned AirTags. 50 of the reports came from women who had received notifications that an AirTag that was not their own was tracking them.

Half of those 50 women believed that a man they knew may have been responsible for planting the AirTag, with the explicit goal of following and harassing them.

In August 2022, a man from the United Kingdom was sentenced to a nine-week prison sentence for putting an AirTag to work tracking his ex-girlfriend’s vehicle. Christopher Paul Trotman, 41, who had been harassing his ex the traditional way, with constant phone calls and questions, purchased an AirTag and glued it to her vehicle’s rear bumper.

There are several reports of people misusing AirTags. In February 2023, A Tennessee man was arrested for using the tracker to stalk his ex-wife. Carlos Atkins was charged with “electronic tracking of a motor vehicle.” Atkins allegedly tracked his victim’s car so he could put roses on it. His ex-wife found the AirTag in her car, and Atkins has reportedly confessed that he placed it there.

It is not only men who misuse Apple’s tracker tag, as in June 2022, an Indianapolis man was murdered by a vehicle alleged to have been driven by his girlfriend, Gaylyn Morris. Morris reportedly used an AirTag to track her boyfriend to a local bar, where she saw him with another woman. Morris is said to have hit her boyfriend multiple times outside of the establishment.

As I mentioned above, AirTags have even been used to track the comings and goings of police. In January 2023, New York Police Department officers discovered an Apple AirTag hidden under their marked cruiser’s hood. As of the last report, the department has not yet tracked the AirTag back to its owner.

How Can I Prevent Being Tracked by an AirTag?

Luckily, Apple has provided ways for folks who may think they’re being stalked to detect a nearby AirTag that does not belong to them. In this section, I’ll explain how to detect a nearby AirTag on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Android. Even flip phone users can detect an AirTag, but they’ll have to have excellent hearing.

iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch Users

If an AirTag that is separated from its owner is detected moving with you over time, your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running iOS or iPadOS 14.5 will notify you.

First, you’ll want to make sure your device is set up properly so that it will notify you when it detects an AirTag.

To receive alerts:

• Make sure Location Services are turned on. Go to “Settings” -> “Privacy & Security” -> “Location Services”, and toggle “Location Services” to “ON.”
• Turn Find My iPhone on. Go to “Settings” -> “Privacy & Security” -> “Location Services” -> “System Services”.
• Turn Significant Locations on to be notified when you arrive at a significant location, such as your home. Go to Settings -> “Privacy & Security” -> “Location Services” -> “System Services.”
• Turn Bluetooth on. Go to Settings -> “Bluetooth.”
• Go to the Find My app, tap the “Me” tab, and toggle “Tracking Notifications” on.
• Turn off Airplane Mode. Devices in airplane mode will not send you tracking notifications.

Make sure to follow the instructions above to the letter. Otherwise, your device will not properly alert you about the presence of an unknown AirTag.

Any AirTag that isn’t with its owner for a certain period of time will emit a sound when it’s moved. More about that later.

If you detect an unknown AirTag, follow the steps below to discover it, locate it, and disable it.

If You See an Alert

If you see the following alert pop up on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, it’s likely that an AirTag could be traveling with you, and the AirTag’s owner might be able to view its location.

Keep in mind that it is possible that the detected AirTag might be attached to an item you’ve borrowed. It’s not unheard of for AirTag users to tag anything they might want to keep track of, including their lawnmower or even their automobile. (I keep one in both of my family’s vehicles.) If you have borrowed an item from a friend or family member recently, that’s the first place I’d suggest looking. If the AirTag belongs to a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off alerts for that item for one day, or indefinitely.

If an AirTag that doesn’t belong to you is detected as moving along with you over time, or if an AirTag that hasn’t been with its owner for a long period of time emits a sound, you’ll see the following alert: “AirTag Found Moving With You.”

Tap the alert to open the Find My app. The app will display a map of where the AirTag has been detected with you. The red dots will show where the AirTag was detected near your device. The dotted lines that connect the red dots will help indicate the sequence where the item was detected. Keep in mind that the red dots do not indicate when the item’s owner is viewing the item’s location.

Find the Unknown AirTag

If you get an alert that an AirTag is traveling with you, follow the below steps to find it.

First, check in the Find My app to determine if you’re able to play a sound on the unknown accessory:

1. Tap the alert.
2. Tap “Continue” and then tap “Play Sound.”
3. Listen for the sound. You can play it again if you need more time to find the item.

Just FYI: Listen carefully for the sound in as quiet an environment as you can. If you have a hearing issue you might not be able to hear it.

If you don’t see the option to play a sound, the item may no longer be with you. Or its identifier might have changed. Find My uses an identifier to determine that the same item is moving with you. Also, if the item is within range of its owner, the option to play a sound will not be available.

If an AirTag is nearby and you have an iPhone model that has Ultra Wideband, you can also tap “Find Nearby” to use Precision Finding to help you locate the AirTag by doing the following:

1. Tap the alert.
2. Tap “Continue,” then tap “Find Nearby.”
3. Follow the instructions provided on the screen and move around until your iPhone connects to the AirTag in question.
4. Your iPhone will now display the distance and direction to the AirTag. Use that information to get closer to the unknown AirTag until you find it. When the AirTag is within Bluetooth range of your iPhone, you can play a sound on the AirTag by tapping the “Play Sound button.” (If your iPhone says that more light is required, tap the “Turn Flashlight On” button.
5. When you’re done searching, tap the “Done” button.

If you still can’t find the AirTag, look through your belongings to find it. AirTag creeps will place the AirTag in your vehicle, jacket pocket, purse, backpack, briefcase, or other personal item with attractive hiding spots.

If you can’t find the AirTag and you feel your safety is in danger, immediately go to a safe and well-lit public location and contact law enforcement.

Android Users

If you’re using an Android device, Apple has released a free Android Tracker Detect app to detect and find an AirTag that might be making the trip with you. Unfortunately, the Tracker Detect app does not run in the background, continually scanning for AirTags. You will need to manually scan for the item tracker.

The Tracker Detect app looks for item trackers within Bluetooth range that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with Apple’s Find My network, like the AirTag or compatible item trackers. If you think someone is using an AirTag to track you, you can scan for it. If the app detects an AirTag or other compatible tracker near you for at least 10 minutes, you can make it play a sound to help find it.

If You Hear an AirTag Playing a Sound

Any AirTag that is separated from its owner for a set period of time will play a sound when it’s moved. If you find the AirTag after it makes a sound, you can use any NFC-capable device, such as an iPhone or Android phone, to see if the tag has been marked as lost by its owner and if you can help return it. If you feel that the AirTag is tracking you or someone else without their consent, you can also get instructions on how to disable it.

How To Get Information About the AirTag or Disable it

If you find an unknown AirTag, do the following to view information about the tag or disable it:

1. Hold the top of your iPhone or Android NFC-capable smartphone near the white side of the AirTag until you see a notification appear on your device’s screen.
2. Tap the notification. A website will open, providing information about the AirTag, including its serial number and the last four digits of the phone number of the registered user. This can help you identify the owner. It’s a good idea to take a screenshot so you’ll have the tag’s information at hand.
3. If the owner has designated the AirTag as lost, you may also see a message containing information about how to contact the AirTag’s owner.

If you need to see a list of all of the AirTags about which you have been notified, launch the “Find My” app on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Here, you’ll need to tap “Items,” then scroll to the bottom and tap “Items Detected With You.” You’ll then see a list of items that have recently triggered an unwanted tracking alert.

How to Disable an AirTag

To disable an AirTag to stop it from sharing its location (along with yours), tap “Instructions to Disable” and follow the steps you’ll see onscreen. After the AirTag is disabled, the owner will no longer receive location updates. Disabling it will also put an end to the unwanted tracking alerts for this item.

TL;DR version of instructions on disabling an AirTag: Push down and turn counterclockwise on the back of the AirTag. Take the cover off and remove the battery. That’s it.

Resources If You Feel You Are at Risk

If you feel that your safety is at risk, contact these resources:

• In the U.S.: The Safety Net Project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence and the National Center for Victims of Crime
• In the U.K.: Refuge UK
• In Australia: WESNET Safety Net Australia

Take Care Out There

While Apple’s AirTag and similar tracker tiles from other companies are useful tools for keeping track of items, they are unfortunately also being used for less-than-honorable purposes. If it appears that you are being tracked, do not delay. Do your best to find the AirTag by following the steps I’ve shared in this article. Also, immediately contact the police for assistance.

Apple AirTag FAQs