Apple outlines Find My & AirTag changes to help prevent stalking

Source: Joe Keller / iMore

Apple has today shared details about changes it is making to the Find My network as well as its AirTag trackers in an attempt to help allay privacy and safety fears.

Following a number of reports pointing to AirTag item trackers being used to stalk people, Apple says that it has been working with law enforcement to identify areas that it can improve. The company also says that it has already helped identify people that have been misusing AirTags with each tracker being attached to an Apple ID.

Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID. Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request from law enforcement. We have successfully partnered with them on cases where information we provided has been used to trace an AirTag back to the perpetrator, who was then apprehended and charged.

In terms of changes moving forward, Apple says that it will be making a number of changes including new privacy warnings during AirTag setup.

However, should an AirTag be misused Apple says that it will enable a feature to allow modern iPhones to use precision finding to locate it. Some people have reported receiving a warning that an AirTag is with them but then being unable to locate it.

Precision Finding: This capability allows recipients of an unwanted tracking alert to locate an unknown AirTag with precision. iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 users will be able to use Precision Finding to see the distance and direction to an unknown AirTag when it is in range. As an iPhone user moves, Precision Finding fuses input from the camera, ARKit, accelerometer, and gyroscope to guide them to the AirTag through a combination of sound, haptics, and visual feedback.

Apple says it will also display an alert when an AirTag automatically emits a sound, while the sound itself will also be tweaked for easier hearing. The alert is designed to help people be aware of a rogue AirTag even if its speaker has been disabled.

Display alert with sound: When AirTag automatically emits a sound to alert anyone nearby of its presence and is detected moving with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, we will also display an alert on your device that you can then take action on, like playing a sound or using Precision Finding, if available. This will help in cases where the AirTag may be in a location where it is hard to hear, or if the AirTag speaker has been tampered with.

Apple says these changes will be implemented via a future software update but did not say when that would be.