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Have you received a message that an AirTag, a pair of AirPods or an unknown accessory is moving with you? Here’s what to do, how to contact the owner, and how to disable AirTag if you suspect something isn’t right.
What to do when you see this message
You will receive this warning as a push notification, either on your lock screen or as a popup at the top of your screen. Tap it to open the Find My app with more information. You’ll have a few options available to you, including a “Play Sound” button that will cause the AirTag to make a high-pitched sound.
You can keep tapping this button until you can locate the AirTag in question. If you find it and decide it’s not a threat, you can use the “Pause Security Alerts” button to stop receiving alerts about the presence of this AirTag. This can be useful, for example, if you have borrowed a friend’s bag and left an AirTag in it, where you do not suspect a crime.
Once you’ve found the AirTag, you can scan it with your iPhone (use the “Identify Found Item” button in the Find My app’s Items tab to do this manually), then tap “Learn About This AirTag” for more information. You will be able to see if the AirTag has been put into lost mode, which means the owner of the item is trying to find it.
If the item is lost, the AirTag will have a message and contact information for you to get in touch with the owner. If AirTag is not in lost mode, you can tap “Disable AirTag” to learn how to remove the battery and prevent it from being tracked.
If you suspect foul play, keep the AirTag and take it to the police. There’s no way to find out who owns an AirTag you’ve found, but Apple registers each tracker with an Apple ID and a court can order you to provide that information to law enforcement if necessary.
What does this warning mean?
AirTags have a relatively high potential for abuse, which has prompted Apple to improve its anti-harassment measures since item trackers were first introduced. Apple’s Find My network is by far the most effective of its kind, which is great news if you’re missing something but have privacy concerns.
The “AirTag found moving with you” message will only be triggered under specific circumstances. The AirTag must be out of range of its owner’s iPhone and travel near you for some time.
So, for example, you won’t get this warning if you’re on a train with someone who has an AirTag attached to their luggage. Because the owner’s iPhone is within range, Apple does not consider this to be a risky situation. But if someone leaves a bag that’s attached to an AirTag in the back of your car and drives off without it, you’ll likely get a warning.
RELATED: Buy an AirTag, not a Tile Tracker (unless you’re using Android)
Also pay attention to the Rogue AirTags
Sometimes an AirTag might be out of range of your iPhone and won’t trigger a warning. If you don’t have an iPhone, you may never get a warning on your device. In this case, you may be able to hear an AirTag that has been lost or is being used to track you.
Hear the distinctive sound an AirTag makes once it’s been away from its owner for an extended period of time. This could happen after eight hours of absence (or more). AirTags that have been left at an owner’s home (or other specified location) will not trigger this sound.
AirTags are great for finding lost items and providing peace of mind, but the potential for abuse has led to opportunities for stalking and theft.
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