Try Using Bluetooth Scanner App to Find Unwanted AirTags
There’s a chorus of voices that say Apple should domoreto the guardian of all-Android and iOS users alike-against unwanted tracking and harassment. I agree with them and the whole AirTag concept piqued my curiosity. Can you track trackers?
I’m not talking about Apple’s built-in warnings when unrecognized AirTags find themselves following the same paths as you. You can read all about how it works on the Apple website . Spoiler alert: If you are an Android user or are using an iOS version older than 14.5, you need to wait for the AirTag to beep after it has been away from a linked device for several days . (Not very helpful if you are being stalked by someone who has regular contact with you.)
I thought there must be some method to track the AirTag by the signals it emits. It must somehow communicate with devices registered on Apple’s “Find My” network.
As it turns out, you can manually track the AirTag. It seems, as it were, something like. You just need a Bluetooth scanner app (presumably something like LightBlue or Bluetooth Scanner ). The specified device will not show up as an AirTag when identified, but you should at least be able to understand that there is some strange unknown Bluetooth device nearby. And, ideally, moving your phone can help you determine its location.
One thing to keep in mind if you are scanning Bluetooth for AirTags is that their ID – a string of letters and numbers that looks like 12: c9: 34: f8: a1: … – will be changed another. , random values. This is intentional. Your goal is simply to find the location of the nearby Bluetooth devices that are transmitting. You will not be able to identify the AirTag on purpose (unless it is associated with an iPhone, which then disables said randomization).
I don’t have my own AirTags yet, so I can’t go into more detail on how to scan, including how likely it is that the average person will be able to do it successfully. However, scanning unwanted AirTags with a bluetooth scanning app should not be your approach to ensure your privacy. First, you’ll likely get quite a few distractions, and finding an AirTag won’t be as easy as finding a small device that never stops chirping.
Instead, you should definitely install iOS 14.5 if you own an iPhone, which will passively inform you if this problem occurs. If you are using Android and you have suspicions, then turn to the scanner while you wait for the AirTag to tweet (assuming the person controlling it is never around). And keep your fingers crossed that Apple offers a much more robust solution for those who would rather know that AirTag is tracking them all over the place rather than a week after it happened.