Your Android Now Knows When AirTag Is Tracking You
AirTag tracking has been a problem ever since Apple released its Find My network trackers. The company has been working to make it easier to know if the weird AirTag is following you, but those efforts have mostly been limited to its own ecosystem. They released an Android app to help non-Apple users find trackers, but the reviews were not positive .
Finally, back in May , Apple and Google announced that they were working together on a solution to prevent unwanted Bluetooth tracking. The result is a new tracking protection setting built right into Android that can help you find an unfamiliar AirTag that might be stalking you.
How can AirTags and other Bluetooth devices track you?
AirTags cannot connect to the Internet on their own. Left alone, AirTag cannot update its location and is essentially useless. However, it can communicate with other Apple devices that connect to the Internet. AirTags communicate with every iPhone, iPad and Mac they come across. If these devices are connected to Wi-Fi or cellular, they will update the AirTag’s location on the Find Me network. These are not exactly live updates , but they are enough to know where your AirTag is over time.
The danger comes when someone drops their AirTag on you without your knowledge. They can use the Find Me app to see where their AirTag is and thus essentially track your whereabouts (if not in real time). Apple has security in place for this particular situation: once the AirTag is separated from its owner and detected by your Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled device, it announces itself via an alert on your phone, tablet or laptop. Previously, this feature was only available on Apple devices or the Android tracking app. But now Android devices have the ability to detect AirTags with this new built-in setting.
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How to Access “Unknown Tracker Alerts” on Android
According to Tom’s Guide , the “Unknown Tracker Alerts” feature is now rolling out to some Android devices. Registered phones with this feature include Pixel 4a, Samsung devices with OneUI 5.1.1, Sony Xperia, and OnePlus Nord N20 5G. If you don’t see it on your device yet, trust that it will appear in the near future. It currently only works for AirTags, but there are plans to add support for other Bluetooth trackers in the future.
You can easily set up “Alerts for unknown trackers” in the Android settings menu. To get started, open Settings, then tap Security & Emergency (or Personal Security on Android 11 and older). From there, scroll down and select Unknown Tracker Alerts. Make sure “Allow Alerts” is enabled. This switch may already be enabled, but without it, your Android won’t alert you when it detects a tracker traveling with you.
On this page, you will see if the Android tracker has detected and when it last scanned these devices. However, if it’s been a while since the last scan, or if you’re just worried about the current moment, you can click “Scan Now” to start the scan manually.
If he doesn’t find anything, you can go. However, if it detects a strange AirTag, you will see it here in the “Near You” list. Tap the AirTag on the screen and you’ll see a big Play Sound button that you can use to ping the tracker and see where it is. On this page, you will also learn the best way to find the tracker if you are having trouble moving around, for example. If you can’t find it and need a quick solution to block tracking, it’s a good idea to turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so that AirTag doesn’t do anything.
This won’t be a problem for the AirTags your friends and family carry around: as long as the owner is near their AirTag, it won’t register on your phone. However, you can get a few false positives if you lend an item that contains a friend’s AirTag, such as a pair of keys with an AirTag attached. In this case, you can safely reject the notification.