Apple tag found on van. Beware!

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If you find one that's not yours, stick it on the local bin lorry.
Perhaps that is how one ended up in a motorhome hook up socket. Someone could have found they were being tracked and thought they would stick it on a motorhome. Where better? What fun to watch a jealous ex. follow the wrong person around the NC500 or disappear onto the Santander ferry.
 
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But your phone should let you know that you are being tracked if the AirTag doesn't belong to you.
Yes, that is a protection thing which is in the software and cannot bar turned off. Its is to prevent people dropping a tag into your clothing or bag the following. It would work on a vehicle but whoever put it where it was fond kn owl little of the way these things work. I har one secreted in my camper in addition to the tracker. A thief might look for and disable a trace but they wouldn't find the air tag where I hid it.
 
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A thief might look for and disable a trace but they wouldn't find the air tag where I hid it.
OK inside the toilet cassette might not be the first place they look but anything that is emitting a radio signal can be traced and tracked down.
 
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OK inside the toilet cassette might not be the first place they look but anything that is emitting a radio signal can be traced and tracked down.
It's not that easy. Particularly in a big metal box. I've just turned on my Bluetooth device scanner and I can see more than 20 devices. Finding a tag on that mess wouldn't be easy.
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Assuming you have an apple phone
I think Google and Apple are finally starting to collaborate. I believe Android phones that have had a recent update should warn you about stalking AirTags now? And maybe eventually vice versa? I think you'll still need to use AirTags on Apple and Google "Find My" tags on Android.
 

Two on Tour

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Assuming you have an apple phone

If you load the Android App "Tracker Detect" onto your Android phone Jim, then you will get a pop-up message every so often saying that "a tracking device is travelling with you", if an Air Tag is not in range of the tag owner's iPhone.
 
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So if I understand this correctly anyone could place an air tag and anytime it was within 15 m of any apple devices the exact location would be messaged to them. Even without the owner of the transmitting device knowing?
Can they turn this feature off?

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So if I understand this correctly anyone could place an air tag and anytime it was within 15 m of any apple devices the exact location would be messaged to them. Even without the owner of the transmitting device knowing?
Can they turn this feature off?
Yes. Which is why they're adding anti stalking features. Because people were using it for neferous purposes.
 
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It's not that easy. Particularly in a big metal box. I've just turned on my Bluetooth device scanner and I can see more than 20 devices. Finding a tag on that mess wouldn't be easy.
View attachment 960420
Part of the technology of the airtag is ultra wideband wireless which lets an iPhone 11(needs to have the U1 chip set) onwards identify the location of the tag to within centimeters when it gets to within meters of the tag. Thus even though I have several hidden in my camper they're not my primary tracking tool.

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Part of the technology of the airtag is ultra wideband wireless which lets an iPhone 11(needs to have the U1 chip set) onwards identify the location of the tag to within centimeters when it gets to within meters of the tag. Thus even though I have several hidden in my camper they're not my primary tracking tool.
I think it only reveals uwb when you own the tag.
 

lorger

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We have them hidden on our e-bikes, not sure how good they’ll be but we certainly get notifications when we leave them behind.
 
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We have them hidden on our e-bikes, not sure how good they’ll be but we certainly get notifications when we leave them behind.
The thing is, the same anti-stalking features that enable someone to find a tag slipped into their bag or behind their filler cap, can be used by a thief to find the tag on your bikes. AirTags are for finding something you've accidently lost. Not to find something someone has deliberately taken.
 

lorger

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The thing is, the same anti-stalking features that enable someone to find a tag slipped into their bag or behind their filler cap, can be used by a thief to find the tag on your bikes. AirTags are for finding something you've accidently lost. Not to find something someone has deliberately taken.

Yes I understand this, it would be better if it was only visible to the owner. However it’s another deterrent and they would need to remove a tyre to find it, I know this can probably be done in minutes after they realise theirs a tag on the bike but that might just be enough to either find it or for them to dump it. We also have one on the MH and I can guarantee they’ll not find it in seconds or minutes 😂😂
 
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Yes I understand this, it would be better if it was only visible to the owner. However it’s another deterrent and they would need to remove a tyre to find it, I know this can probably be done in minutes after they realise theirs a tag on the bike but that might just be enough to either find it or for them to dump it. We also have one on the MH and I can guarantee they’ll not find it in seconds or minutes 😂😂
I think the stalker thing means you can make the tag beep. Although apparently you can hole the speaker with a pin, which makes it much quieter.

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Still dropping clangers and making it up as I go along
My daughter has one of the Android versions that she placed inside her car.
It went for a body repair recently with a family friend, she knew he had taken her car home on at least one occasion!!
Plus no work done on it for 2 days as no one was nearby with a phone to pick up it's signal and relay it on to her..

I know people do use them to even track their cats !!!!!!!!!!
If no apple phones in area it can't bounce a signal.
 
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AirTags are for finding something you've accidently lost. Not to find something someone has deliberately taken.
I disagree. My son had his MacBook stolen at university. It has the same technology as AirTags. He was able to tell the police where his MacBook was and when it was moved from one house to another. The police raided the house and found the MacBook in a shed (thanks to the tracking). A number of other items were also recovered. The thieves were taken to court and sent to prison. My son got his MacBook back undamaged.
 
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I disagree. My son had his MacBook stolen at university. It has the same technology as AirTags. He was able to tell the police where his MacBook was and when it was moved from one house to another. The police raided the house and found the MacBook in a shed (thanks to the tracking). A number of other items were also recovered. The thieves were taken to court and sent to prison. My son got his MacBook back undamaged.
And you can use a frying pan as a boat paddle. AirTags aren't the best theft recovery technology. Especially with the anti stalking features they've added.
 
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And you can use a frying pan as a boat paddle. AirTags aren't the best theft recovery technology. Especially with the anti stalking features they've added.
I didn’t say they we are the best but they (or their equivalent) got 2 guys put in prison for theft. The best isn’t always necessary and a range of devices helps.
 
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I didn’t say they we are the best but they (or their equivalent) got 2 guys put in prison for theft. The best isn’t always necessary and a range of devices helps.
For your van, they're supplementary at best. Especially with the recent features added.

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Coolcats

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So much energy on AirTags. Clearly the anti stalking feature makes them a rubbish tracker, if and I mean if someone was trying to track that MoHo it was either a child or an incompetent! No self respecting thief would use an air tag. As you all know their are cheap gps trackers out thier.

So as a thief who wanted to track a MoHo would you A) use an air tag B) invest ina cheap gps tracker….personally I think it would be the latter.
 

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