How to find, block, and disable an unknown AirTag that may be tracking you

Apple’s AirTag is a tracking device that simplifies the process of keeping track of essential items like keys, wallets, purses, backpacks, and luggage. 

To get started, connect it to your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and fasten it to the item you wish to track. Once attached, the AirTag will appear in the Items tab of the Find My app.

Despite the benefits of this innovative device, experts caution that AirTags could pose risks to your privacy and safety. 

While there are many constructive applications of AirTags, you may have concerns about being tracked by one. If so, here’s what you should do.

But first things first.

What is Apple AirTag?

After years of rumors and speculation, Apple finally unveiled its highly anticipated AirTag in April 2021.

This small, circular tag is designed to be affixed to items such as keys and wallets, enabling their location to be tracked using Bluetooth alongside Apple devices in the Find My app.

AirTags employ Apple’s crowdsourced Find My network, which reportedly comprises about one billion devices worldwide that can detect and anonymously report emitted Bluetooth signals, to locate lost items.

AirTags are compatible with any iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch device that runs iOS/iPadOS 14.5 or later. 

For iPhone 11 or newer models (excluding iPhone SE 2nd generation and iPhone SE 3rd generation), users can employ UWB (ultra-wideband) technology via the built-in U1 chip to pinpoint the location of items more accurately.

How does Apple AirTag work?

Apple’s AirTags use Bluetooth to emit a signal that anonymously connects to any nearby device within Apple’s Find My network. 

The AirTag’s location is then triangulated based on the strength of the Bluetooth signal sent to those third-party devices. This location information is uploaded to the cloud and displayed on a map for easy reference.

AirTags can also be located using two other methods: beeping and Precision Finding. If you know the AirTag is in your living room but can’t locate it, you can make the AirTag beep using the Find My app. 

Simply follow the sound until you find the AirTag.

Precision Finding, on the other hand, requires an iPhone with a U1 ultra-wideband chip, meaning it only works with iPhone 11 and newer models. 

It operates like a quest arrow in a video game, turning your iPhone into a compass that points towards the AirTag and provides the exact distance between the two.

How can an AirTag track you?

AirTags can only be used to gather information about you if they are in your possession since they only register proximity to their owner. 

Therefore, an AirTag in your home, office, or classroom would not reveal any information to someone attempting to monitor you. 

This reduces the “surface area” of unwanted surveillance since the AirTag must be with you in your clothes, wallet, purse, or a vehicle you frequently use.

However, if you travel regularly through urban or suburban areas or use public transportation, other people’s devices can still pick up and relay location information about any AirTag that is with you. 

This could include something as simple as stopping at a rest area on a highway, where someone with an iPhone 50 feet away could pick up the signal.

Or this can even happen when you’re driving on a highway near other people who have iPhones or iPads connected to a cellular network.

How to know if an AirTag is tracking you?

If you suspect that someone is using an AirTag to track your movements, your iPhone may alert you without any action on your part. 

However, if someone is tracking you without your consent and you feel that you may be in danger, it is advisable to contact law enforcement and seek more information on the AirTag’s owner from Apple.

1. You get an alert

If you have an iPhone and an AirTag is tracking you, you may receive an alert on your phone stating “AirTag found moving with you.” This notification will only appear if the following conditions are met:

1. The AirTag is away from its owner
2. Your iPhone is active
3. The AirTag produces a sound when it is moved

This type of notification can also occur with other accessories on the Find My network, such as AirPods, AirPods Pro, or AirPods Max. When these items are moved while separated from their owners, they will emit a sound.

2. Check that your Tracking Notifications are on

In case you don’t receive an alert, ensure that you receive tracking notifications by following these steps:

1. Open Settings and select Privacy.
2. Tap on Location Services and enable Location Services.
3. Go to System Services.
4. Enable both Find My iPhone and Significant Locations.
5. Open Settings and select Bluetooth.
6. Enable Bluetooth.
7. Open the Find My app and select yourself.
8. Enable Tracking Notifications.

3. Check the ‘Find My’ app

AirTags emit a sound when moved to help locate them if they become separated from their owners. If you hear an unfamiliar sound and suspect it could be an AirTag, you can use the Find My app to check if one is nearby, after making sure that step 2 has been completed.

To locate the AirTag, search your belongings thoroughly, including checking the pockets of your pants, purse, and wallet, and patting down jackets and bags.

4. Play a sound on AirTag

If you’ve received an alert that an AirTag was traveling with you, you can use the Find My app to play a sound on the device and locate it easily. 

To do this, open the app by tapping on the alert, then tap “Continue” and “Find Nearby.” Follow the on-screen instructions and move around the area to hear the sound. 

This feature is available only on iPhone 11 or later models with ultra-wideband technology.

If you’re unable to play a sound from the Find My app, it’s possible that the AirTag is no longer with you and your iPhone cannot locate it nearby. 

The “Play a Sound” option is only available if the AirTag owner is not nearby and their Apple device is out of range.

5. See AirTag information

To view the information of the AirTag, use an iPhone or any other NFC-enabled smartphone to read the AirTag. Simply hold the top of your iPhone near the white side of the found AirTag and wait for the phone to recognize it. 

Afterward, a notification will appear, which will direct you to a website containing the AirTag’s serial number and the last four digits of the owner’s phone number.

How to stop an AirTag from tracking you?

Here are different ways you can stop an AirTag from tracking you. Let’s go through each one of them.

1. Disable Find My network

While you cannot prevent other iPhone, iPad, and Mac users from relaying the location of an AirTag, you can still opt out of the Find My network. However, this will also remove your ability to track your own lost or stolen iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, or AirTag through the extended network. Please note that earlier versions of iOS and macOS do not support the Find My network. 

• For iOS 13 or iPadOS 14 or later, go to Settings > Your Name > Find My > Find My iPhone/iPad, and turn off the Find My network. 
• For macOS 10.15 Catalina or later, go to the Apple ID preference pane, select the iCloud link on the left, click the Options button to the right of the Find My Mac item, and uncheck Offline Finding or Find My network (the text may vary depending on the macOS version).

2. Obtain the AirTag’s serial number and associated phone number 

If you come across an AirTag and want to learn more about it without revealing your discovery to the person who planted it, there is a way to do so.

The AirTag contains an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip that enables any smartphone or tablet with an NFC reader, including Android devices, to access a URL associated with the AirTag. 

By following this URL, you can view the AirTag’s serial number and any phone number set by the owner if they marked it as lost. 

The owner will not receive any notification that you have accessed this information, and Apple takes measures to safeguard their privacy by not providing any direct link between you and the owner.

3. Disable the AirTag

If you want to disable an AirTag after finding it, you don’t need to use a hammer or any other tools. Unlike most of Apple’s devices, the AirTag has a removable battery, and you can easily remove it with these steps:

• Apply pressure to rotate the metal underside of the AirTag counter-clockwise, from the upper right to upper left.
• Remove the plate that comes off.
• Take out the battery.

How to disable an unknown AirTag?

If you receive an “AirTag Found Moving With You” alert on your iOS device, you can dismiss it as you usually do, but it’s recommended that you disable the unfamiliar AirTag altogether.

Here are the steps to follow:

1. If your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch displays a notification with the message “AirTag Found Moving With You,” tap on the notification.
2. Select “Continue.”
3. Tap on “Instructions to Disable AirTag” to turn off the AirTag, and then follow the instructions displayed on the screen.

In case you are unable to locate your AirTag, you can use the “Play Sound” option to help find it. However, if you need to reset the AirTag to its factory settings, follow these steps:

1. Press down on the polished stainless steel battery cover of the AirTag and rotate it counterclockwise until it stops.
2. Remove the battery cover and the battery itself.
3. Replace the battery.
4. Press down on the battery until you hear a sound.
5. Repeat the process four more times by removing and replacing the battery and pressing down on it until you hear a sound each time. You should hear a total of five sounds.
6. Reattach the battery cover by aligning its three tabs with the three slots on the AirTag.
7. Press down on the cover until you hear a sound.
8. Rotate the cover clockwise until it stops rotating.

By resetting the AirTag, you can prevent it from sharing your location and disable it. Keep in mind that each AirTag can only be associated with one Apple ID. 

If the previous user has removed the AirTag from their Apple ID but it’s still out of range of their Bluetooth device, resetting it will allow you to use it with your own devices.