How do you know if you are being tracked by an AirTag?

Several young women are, again, sounding the alarm about people tracking them with AirTags. Far from being a novelty, this dangerous and above all criminal practice is spreading more and more, which has led the Apple company to take measures to limit it.

As a reminder, according to article 226-1 of the criminal code, the fact of undermining the privacy of the private life of others “through any process” is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of 45,000 euros. Therefore, this includes tracking someone with a beacon without their knowledge.

In addition to the many resources available in the event of a complaint, here are some steps to take if you suspect a label has been placed on your case.

a sound signal

Initially, the AirTag is programmed to emit a sound signal when it is separated for a certain time from the device to which it is connected. The signal is described as audible to anyone nearby, so it’s easy to find.

If you suspect an AirTag has been attached to your belongings, it’s also possible to detect it via a smartphone, whether it’s an iPhone or an Android phone.

For an iPhone or iPad, the procedure to follow is to activate the “Location Services” function, which will allow the iPhone to send the following notification if it detects an unknown device nearby: “Detecting an AirTag following your trips”. At this time, the notification may suggest that you make the AirTag beep to make it easier for you to find it.

retrieve serial number

On Android, several apps can detect trackers and don’t require an Apple account. Apple, for example, offers the “Tracker Detection” app, which works in much the same way as described above. Thanks to Bluetooth, the application will confirm that an unknown device is nearby.

If you believe that unwanted tracking is a harassing situation or puts you at risk, you should contact the authorities. Stalking someone without their knowledge is a crime and is punishable by imprisonment. At the same time, it is necessary to recover the serial number of the device in the context of a claim. To do this, there are several resources detailed in this article.