While some guides to finding AirTags recommend using Bluetooth scanners, Galperin does not consider this method to be reliable for finding trackers. “I’ve tried using various Bluetooth scanners to detect AirTags and they don’t work every time,” he says.
Millions of Americans still you don’t have a smartphone. Without a device handy, you must rely on visual and audible clues to find hidden AirTags. The circular white disk is slightly larger than a quarter. As reported by The New York TimesAshley Estrada discovered an AirTag lodged under her license plate, and her video documenting the incident was viewed more than 20 million times on TikTok.
When the AirTag was first released, the tracker would beep if it left the owner for more than three days. Apple has since reduced the time to 24 hours or less. Despite the update, you may not want to rely on sound alone to detect AirTags. Numerous videos on YouTube offer DIY instructions for disabling the speaker and silent versions of the trackers were even listed for a short time on Etsy.
What if I find one?
The best way to disable an AirTag is to remove the battery. To do this, turn the AirTag over so that the metal side with the Apple logo is facing you. Press the logo down and turn counter-clockwise. You can now remove the cover and take out the battery.
of Apple support page because AirTag suggests contacting the police if you think you are in a dangerous situation. “If you believe your security is at risk, please contact your local police, who can work with Apple to request information related to the item,” the support page reads. “You may be required to provide AirTag, AirPods, Find My network accessory, and device serial number.” One way to find out the serial number is to hold the top of an iPhone or other Near Field Communication-enabled smartphone to the white side of an AirTag. A website with the serial number will appear.
This page may also include a partial phone number of the person who owns the tracking device. If you have concerns about scanning the AirTag or don’t have the capability, there is a serial number printed on the device under the battery.
Who does this affect?
In viral stories shared online and in police reports, women are often the victims of AirTag harassment, but Galperin cautions against framing unwanted tracking as just a women’s issue. “I have been working with victims of technological abuse for many years,” she says, “and I would say that about two-thirds of the survivors who come to me are women. But a third of them are men. I suspect that number would be higher if there wasn’t so much stigma around being a victim or survivor of abuse.”
She emphasized how men, women, and non-binary people can be victims of abuse, as well as perpetrators. “When we paint everything with this really broad brush, we make it very difficult for victims who don’t fit that mold to come forward,” says Galperin.
For more resources, you can visit the website of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Contact the hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233 or texting the word “HOME” to 88788.