AirTag is a
tracking device
A tracking system, also known as a locating system, is used for the observing of persons or objects on the move and supplying a timely ordered sequence of location data for further processing. It is important to be aware of human tracking, fu ...
developed by
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
. AirTag is designed to act as a
key finder
Key or The Key may refer to:
Common meanings
* Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm
* Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock
* Key (ma ...
, which helps people find personal objects (e.g. keys, bags, apparel, small electronic devices, vehicles). To locate lost items, AirTags use Apple's crowdsourced
Find My
Find My is an asset tracking app and service provided by Apple Inc. that enables users to track the location of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS devices, AirPods, AirTags and a number of supported third-party accessories through a connected iCloud acc ...
network, estimated in early 2021 to consist of approximately one billion devices worldwide that detect and anonymously report emitted
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
signals.
AirTags are compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device capable of running
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
/
iPadOS
iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product l ...
14.5 or later. Using the built-in
U1 chip on
iPhone 11
The iPhone 11 is a smartphone designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. It is the 13th generation of iPhone, succeeding the iPhone XR, and was unveiled on September 10, 2019 alongside the iPhone 11 Pro at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple ...
or later (excluding
iPhone SE 2nd generation and
iPhone SE 3rd generation), users can more precisely locate items using UWB (
ultra-wideband
Ultra-wideband (UWB, ultra wideband, ultra-wide band and ultraband) is a radio technology that can use a very low energy level for short-range, high-bandwidth communications over a large portion of the radio spectrum. UWB has traditional applicati ...
) technology. AirTag was announced on April 20, 2021,
made available for pre-order on April 23, and released on April 30.
History
The product was rumored to be under development in April 2019. In February 2020, it was reported that
Asahi Kasei
is a multinational Japanese chemical company. Its main products are chemicals and materials science.
It was founded in May 1931, using the paid in capital of Nobeoka Ammonia Fiber Co., Ltd, a Nobeoka, Miyazaki based producer of ammonia, nit ...
was prepared to supply Apple with tens of millions of
ultra-wideband
Ultra-wideband (UWB, ultra wideband, ultra-wide band and ultraband) is a radio technology that can use a very low energy level for short-range, high-bandwidth communications over a large portion of the radio spectrum. UWB has traditional applicati ...
(UWB) parts for the rumored AirTag in the second and third quarters of 2020, though the shipment was ultimately delayed. On April 2, 2020, a YouTube video on Apple Support page also confirmed AirTag. In Apple's
iOS 14
iOS 14 is the fourteenth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their iPhone and iPod Touch lines. Announced at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference on June 22, 2020 as the successor to iOS 13 ...
.0 release, code was discovered that described the reusable and removable battery that would be used in the AirTag.
In March 2021, ''
MacWorld
''Macworld'' is a website dedicated to products and software of Apple Inc., published by Foundry, a subsidiary of IDG Inc. It started life as a print magazine in 1984 and had the largest audited circulation (both total and newsstand) of Macint ...
'' stated that iOS 14.5 beta's
Find My
Find My is an asset tracking app and service provided by Apple Inc. that enables users to track the location of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS devices, AirPods, AirTags and a number of supported third-party accessories through a connected iCloud acc ...
user interface included "Items" and "Accessories" features meant for AirTag support for a user's "backpack, luggage, headphones" and other objects.
AppleInsider
The Apple community is a group of people interested in Apple Inc. and its products, who report information in various media. Generally this has evolved into a proliferation of websites, but latterly has also expanded into podcasts (both audio and ...
noted that the beta included safety warnings for "unauthorized AirTags" persistently in the user's vicinity.
Features
![Apple AirTags einrichten](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Apple_AirTags_einrichten.jpg)
AirTags can be interacted with using the
Find My
Find My is an asset tracking app and service provided by Apple Inc. that enables users to track the location of iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS devices, AirPods, AirTags and a number of supported third-party accessories through a connected iCloud acc ...
app. Users may trigger the AirTag to play a sound from the app. iPhones equipped with the
U1 chip can use "Precision Tracking" to provide direction to and precise distance from an AirTag. Precision Tracking utilizes
ultra-wideband
Ultra-wideband (UWB, ultra wideband, ultra-wide band and ultraband) is a radio technology that can use a very low energy level for short-range, high-bandwidth communications over a large portion of the radio spectrum. UWB has traditional applicati ...
.
AirTags are not
satellite navigation device
A satellite navigation device (satnav device) is a user equipment that uses one or more of several global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) to calculate the device's geographical position and provide navigational advice.
Depending on the s ...
s. AirTags are located on a map within the Find My app by utilizing Bluetooth signals from other anonymous iOS and iPadOS devices out in the world. To help prevent unwanted tracking, an
iOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
/
iPadOS
iPadOS is a mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for its iPad line of tablet computers. It is a rebranded variant of iOS, the operating system used by Apple's iPhones, renamed to reflect the diverging features of the two product l ...
device will alert their owner if someone else's AirTag seems to be with them, instead of with the AirTag's owner, for too long.
If an AirTag is out of range of any Apple device for more than 8 to 24 hours, it will begin to beep to alert a person that an AirTag may have been placed in their possessions.
Users can mark an AirTag as lost and provide a phone number and a message. Any iPhone user can see this phone number and message with the "identify lost item" feature within the Find My app which utilizes
near-field communication
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols that enables communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection through a simple setup that can be u ...
(NFC) technology. Additionally, Android and Windows 10 Mobile phones with NFC can identify an AirTag with a tap, which will redirect to a website containing the message and phone number.
AirTag requires an
Apple ID
Apple ID is an authentication method used by Apple for iPhone, iPad, Mac and other Apple devices. Apple IDs contain the user's personal information and settings. When an Apple ID is used to log in to an Apple device, the device will automatica ...
and iOS or iPadOS 14.5 or later. It uses the CR2032 button cell replaceable with one year of battery life (though batteries with child-resistant
bitterant
A bitterant (or bittering agent) is a chemical that is added to a product to make it smell or taste bitter. Bitterants are commonly used as aversive agents to discourage the inhalation or ingestion of toxic substances.
Examples of use
*The add ...
s cannot be used due to the design of the AirTag
battery terminal
Battery terminals are the electrical contacts used to connect a load or charger to a single cell or multiple-cell battery. These terminals have a wide variety of designs, sizes, and features that are often not well documented.
Automotive batt ...
). The maximum range of Bluetooth tracking is estimated to be around 100 meters. The water-resistance of an AirTag is rated
IP67
The IP code or ingress protection code indicates how well a device is protected against water and dust. It defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) under the international standard IEC 60529 which classifies and pro ...
water and dust; an AirTag can withstand 30 minutes of water immersion in standard laboratory conditions. Each Apple ID is limited to 16 AirTags.
Firmware version history
Apple provides no way for the user to force AirTag to carry out a firmware update. Firmware updates may happen automatically whenever an AirTag is in range of an iPhone (running iOS 14.5 or later) that it has been paired with, and when both have sufficient battery.
Criminal use
Stalking ability
Despite Apple's including technologies to help prevent unwanted tracking or
stalking
Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The ter ...
, ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' found that it was "frighteningly easy" to bypass the systems put in place. It has been described as 'a gift to stalkers'. Concerns included the built-in audible alarm taking three days to sound, and the fact that most Americans had
Android devices that would not receive alerts about nearby AirTags that
iPhone devices receive. AirTags cannot have most of their components replaced correctly, but it has been found that AirTags with their speakers forcibly removed from the rest of the components were being used to track people. The AirTag cannot detect this change, making it harder for people to find out that an AirTag had been stalking them. AirTags with their speakers removed have been found for sale on sites like
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
and
Etsy
Etsy, Inc. is an American e-commerce company focused on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies. These items fall under a wide range of categories, including jewelry, bags, clothing, home décor and furniture, toys, art, as well as craft su ...
. In January 2022,
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broadca ...
spoke to six women who stated that they found unregistered AirTags inside things such as cars and bags. The AirTags were being used to stalk them.
In late 2021, Apple released an app called Tracker Detect on the
Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...
Store to help users of Android 9 or later to discover unknown AirTags near them in a "lost" state and potentially being used for malicious tracking purposes. However, the app does not run in the background.
In February 2022, Apple added a one-time warning for users setting up their AirTag, notifying them that using the device to track people is illegal and the device is only meant for tracking personal belongings. It will take between 8-24 hours for an AirTag to chirp if it has been separated from its owner, it will not chirp if the speaker has been removed.
Car theft
''
The National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Mo ...
'' in Canada reported that AirTags were placed on vehicles at shopping malls and parking lots without the drivers' knowledge, in order to track them to their homes, where the vehicles would be stolen. In response, Apple announced just before
WWDC 2021
The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is an information technology conference held annually by Apple Inc. The conference is usually held at Apple Park in California. The event is usually used to showcase new software and technologies in th ...
that it had begun rolling out updates that would allow anyone with an
NFC
NFC may refer to:
Psychology
* Need for cognition, in psychology
* Need for closure, social psychological term
Sports
* NFC Championship Game, the National Football Conference Championship Game
* NCAA Football Championship (Philippines)
* Nati ...
-capable phone to tap an unwanted AirTag for instructions on how to disable it, and that they had decreased the delay time for the audible alert that sounds after the AirTag is separated from its owner from three days to a random time between 8 and 24 hours.
Criticism
Trojan horse
Users who set their AirTags to lost mode are prompted to provide a contact phone number for finders to call. In September 2021, security researcher
Brian Krebs
Brian Krebs (born 1972) is an American journalist and investigative reporter. He is best known for his coverage of profit-seeking cybercriminals.Perlroth, Nicole.Reporting From the Web's Underbelly. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved February 28, ...
noted that the phone number field will actually accept any type of input, including arbitrary computer code, opening up the potential use of AirTags as
Trojan horse
The Trojan Horse was a wooden horse said to have been used by the Greeks during the Trojan War to enter the city of Troy and win the war. The Trojan Horse is not mentioned in Homer's ''Iliad'', with the poem ending before the war is concluded, ...
devices.
Tile
Similar product manufacturer
Tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...
criticized Apple for using similar technologies and designs to Tile's trackers.
Spokespeople for Tile made a
testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter.
Etymology
The words "testimony" and "testify" both derive from the Latin word ''testis'', referring to the notion of a disinterested third-party witness.
La ...
to the
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
saying that Apple was supporting "
anti-competitive practices
Anti-competitive practices are business or government practices that prevent or reduce competition in a market. Antitrust laws differ among state and federal laws to ensure businesses do not engage in competitive practices that harm other, usuall ...
", claiming that
Apple had done this in the past and that they think it is "entirely appropriate for Congress to take a closer look at Apple's business practices".
Loop
AirTags do not have holes or other mechanical features that would allow them to be positively attached or affixed to the item being tracked; solutions include adhesives (glue, tape) and purpose-built accessories. The
polyurethane
Polyurethane (; often abbreviated PUR and PU) refers to a class of polymers composed of organic chemistry, organic units joined by carbamate (urethane) links. In contrast to other common polymers such as polyethylene and polystyrene, polyurethan ...
AirTag Loop is the least expensive solution sold by Apple; it costs the same as a single AirTag and has been criticized as an "accessory tax".
See also
*
iBeacon
iBeacon is a protocol developed by Apple and introduced at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in 2013.
Various vendors have since made iBeacon-compatible hardware transmitters – typically called beacons – a class of Blueto ...
*
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag
Galaxy SmartTag is a key finder and object finder produced by Samsung Electronics. The device utilizes Bluetooth LE to allow the user to locate whatever object it is attached to via the SmartThings mobile app. The SmartTag & SmartTag plus were ...
References
External links
*
{{Apple
Apple Inc. hardware
Internet object tracking
Apple Inc. peripherals
IPhone accessories