Apple AirTags have built-in safety features designed to alert people who are being unknowingly tracked.
These anti-stalking measures are a core part of the AirTag’s design and activate when the AirTag is separated from its registered owner and appears to be traveling with another person over time.
Here are the two primary ways an AirTag alerts someone nearby:
Automatic Notifications on Smartphones
If you have an iPhone or iPad (running a recent version of iOS/iPadOS), the Find My network automatically monitors for unknown trackers moving with you.
- Alert Condition: If an AirTag that is not registered to your Apple ID is detected moving with you over a period of time, your device will display an alert: “AirTag Found Moving With You.“
- Actionable Steps: Tapping on this notification allows you to see a map of where the AirTag has been detected with you, play a sound on the AirTag to help you physically locate it, and view instructions on how to disable it by removing the battery.
- Android Support: Apple also offers the Tracker Detect app on the Google Play Store, which allows Android users to manually scan for nearby AirTags that are separated from their owner.
Audible Alarm (Sound)
If someone is being tracked but does not have a compatible smartphone (or doesn’t have tracking notifications enabled), the AirTag will alert them through sound.
- Activation Condition: An AirTag that has been separated from its registered owner for an extended period of time (the time window can vary, but is often between 8 to 24 hours) will automatically emit a sound when it is moved.
- Purpose: This feature is designed to alert anyone nearby of its presence, giving them a chance to find it, even if they aren’t carrying a smartphone.
These features are essential privacy safeguards built into the Find My ecosystem to prevent malicious misuse of the trackers for unwanted tracking or stalking.
Do AirTage Alternatives do this too?
Yes, they do. The the three AirTag alternatives we recently discussed – Chipolo ONE Spot, Eufy SmartTrack Link, and Pebblebee Clip – all use the Apple Find My network, they are required to abide by Apple’s strict privacy and safety guidelines, which include the anti-stalking features.
These third-party trackers behave almost identically to the AirTag in terms of unwanted tracking detection:
If any of these trackers are traveling with you and are separated from their owner, your iPhone or iPad will display the same notification: “Item Detected Moving With You” (or similar language).
Like the AirTag, the third-party trackers will also eventually make a noise if they are separated from their owner and detect motion. This is the last line of defense for users who may not have an iPhone or haven’t seen the notification.
- The timing for the sound activation is managed by the Find My network’s protocol. For example, some documentation for Eufy mentions an alarm after more than 24-72 hours of separation and motion.
- The Chipolo ONE Spot‘s alarm is notably louder (120dB) than the AirTag, which makes this safety feature potentially more effective for alerting a person being unknowingly tracked.
In short, by choosing a “Works with Apple Find My” tracker, you ensure you benefit from the exact same, robust, built-in anti-stalking system that the AirTag uses.
Does this rule the AirTag and alternatives out for anti-theft tracking?