Unknown Apple Airtag Detected notification

The air tag itself has no GPS capability,  it relies on its location being inferred from proximity to phones which do have that ability.  I assume that an android user looking that the history map of an air tag you can only see the location YOU have assigned to it rather than any locations inferred from other peoples phones, so “as the crow flies” suggests it was close you at the start of that and the end of that but probably not for some time in between.  I think the AirTag check in Android only shows devices which are out of range of their parent device, eg if I had an AirTag and an iPhone paired to it, but my iPhone is close to the AirTag it wouldn’t alert my neighbour.  Of course if my phone battery is dead, or I leave it at home and take my air tagged keys with me that would make nearby android devices suspicious.  If the same tag comes up at multiple locations in a short period of time – Android thinks you might be being stalked.

so how can that happen innocently?  A neighbour puts an air tag on their keys and goes for a run when their phone battery has died.  They happen to be close to you on the run then again at home.   Alternatively they put an AirTag on a cat’s collar.  When they are home the tag is paired to them, but when they are away from home or the cat is on the prowl it’s unpaired and could appear in your alerts.

Shouldn’t be too hard to take yourself and the scooter to middle of nowhere (100m from other people) and eliminate that tag being on either of you.

Presumably if it is on a pet and you make it ring they will be very confused?

I can’t hear anything though

I can barely hear AirTags of my own when I ask them to make a noise.

If the AirTag is in your neighbour’s house on their keys presumably they’ll be noticing the occasional beeping at some point.

Is it possible that you’re detecting different AirTags in different places?

Admittedly, it does require that the AirTag is close to you for some while before you’re alerted on iPhone. But in a store or even on the street that’s possible. At home, more likely to be a neighbour or animal collar?

IDK if putting a £35 AirTag on an old scooter is the MO of many prospective thieves. Seems a bit overly conspiratorial.

IDK if putting a £35 AirTag on an old scooter is the MO of many prospective thieves.

Hiding an AirTag to the extent the poster can’t find it on a Vespa seems like more work than just knicking it from outside the supermarket.

Is it hammered into your lawn inside a frozen sausage?

Thanks all, particularly Poly. Really helpful and makes me a little less paranoid.

Is it hammered into your lawn inside a frozen sausage?

What if I’d been buying frozen sausages at the supermarket? Makes you think.

Hiding an AirTag to the extent the poster can’t find it on a Vespa seems like more work than just nicking it from outside the supermarket.

Yes, it did occur to me that there surely must be bigger fish out there, but hey, people nick anything.

Anyway, while I was sat having breakfast, I was ringing the Airtag repeatedly so hopefully that’ll annoy a cat at the very least.

What if I’d been buying frozen sausages at the supermarket? Makes you think.

Could it have been disguised as a chocolate button and you’ve eaten it?

if it could be a neighbours it sounds like you need to discount it being on the bike (take it somewhere remote ish and repeat the scans)

edit- soz someone already suggested that

Could it be in the petrol tank?

Could the airtagger be hoping people on a forum suggest you go somewhere remote to ‘verify’ it’s on the bike, makes you think

@kayak23 I’d be pitching this whole ordeal to Netflix. How much do you look like Liam Neeson?

Is it possible that you’re detecting different AirTags in different places?

The “tracking” detection knows which unique tag.

IDK if putting a £35 AirTag on an old scooter is the MO of many prospective thieves. Seems a bit overly conspiratorial.

Agreed – especially given every android and iphone now tells the scooter owner they might be being tracked!   The internet loves to believe that we are all going to have anaesthetic gas pumped into our houses so someone can steal our dogs because someone from a utility company was looking for a leak and put a bit of paint on the road, and the idea that thieves are spending money on a traceable product that lets them find something stored outside is about as far fetched!  There are creepy **** who will stalk, particularly women, and jealous controlling partners so the “you might be being tracked” capability is sadly necessary but not for quick cash generating theft!

if it could be a neighbours it sounds like you need to discount it being on the bike (take it somewhere remote ish and repeat the scans)

And then you’ll be alone, in the middle of nowhere, with only the your nemesis aware of location 🙂

As people have said, if I wanted to steal scooters/motor bikes, I’d just drive round in my transit and pick them up when I saw them. I couldn’t be arsed tracking them anywhere.

I think we’re ok. I’m about 50 feet from the middle of nowhere with the scoot and nothing found on Apple app or Android scan.

Thank you for your help thumbs up emoji

Awesome.  No evil nemesis in a van just behind you?

That tree’s looking a bit shifty if you ask me.

That lawn needs a trim.

Heading towards Kineton from Moreton Morrell. Bandit country. Be careful out there.

Heading towards Kineton from Moreton Morrell. Bandit country. Be careful out there.

Excellent work!

Excellent work!

Not really. He’s obviously tracking you.

Lolz

Tuned in for the latest episode, I guess no Season 2…

I just got one of the same notifications “unidentified air tag traveling with you”. Mild panic followed by the realisation that I picked up my mother in law and her dog earlier tonight and I think the dog has an air tag on her collar.

There must have been an Android update recently that brought air tags in to play. I know I had a few emails and notifications about a similar thing starting with Android devices in the last couple of weeks

followed by the realisation that I picked up my mother in law and her dog earlier tonight and I think the dog has an air tag on her collar.

But you surely shouldn’t get the notification if the dog owner and their phone is with you?

It’s my understanding that the Airtag has to be out of Bluetooth range of the person who owns it and it has to be moving location with you.

I got another alert yesterday morning as it goes. Ignoring them now.

I was wondering, given that Airtags have featured in Rentons post about his stolen bike. Surely the thief would have gotten a notification to tell him that an Airtag was with him without it’s owner and he’d have known the bike was being tracked?

Can’t be too many places to hide one on a mountainbike.

Surely the thief would have gotten a notification to tell him that an Airtag was with him without it’s owner and he’d have known the bike was being tracked?

Can’t be too many places to hide one on a mountainbike.

Indeed, unless you can get it into a frame tube in which case you now have an Airtag rattling around your frame.

Unless the thief is one of the many people that don’t have an up to date version of Android.

Muc-Off do and Airtag holder for their tubeless valves. Not sure most thieves would think to look there?

I’m actually tempted by the Motorolla Moto Tags as I’m not an Apple user. Apparently they fit most Airtag accessories.

The only thing putting me off is I’d have to remove one of my tyres and they’re an absolute ball-ache to get on and off (Schwalbe HD). Might be easier to remove the BB and hot glue it into the frame.

Surely the thief would have gotten a notification to tell him that an Airtag was with him without it’s owner and he’d have known the bike was being tracked?

Can’t be too many places to hide one on a mountainbike.

Perhaps I’m giving the thieving scum too much credit, but might they turn off their phones while out commiting crimes to avoid tracking?

Came back to check if Bert had been eating too much while out litter picking one morning…

I’m actually tempted by the Motorolla Moto Tags as I’m not an Apple user. Apparently they fit most Airtag accessories.

The only thing putting me off is I’d have to remove one of my tyres and they’re an absolute ball-ache to get on and off (Schwalbe HD). Might be easier to remove the BB and hot glue it into the frame.

Someone off here invented one that went up inside the steerer tube of suspension forms and acted as a bug/holder all in one. That was very neat.

Apparently the Android system is pretty rubbish compared to Apple, I’d not bother yet.

Someone off here invented one that went up inside the steerer tube of suspension forms and acted as a bug/holder all in one. That was very neat.

Apparently the Android system is pretty rubbish compared to Apple, I’d not bother yet.

I’ll have to search for that, sounds good! Don’t suppose you remember the thread title?

Android Find My Device system had a big update a few months back so looks to be steadily improving. It just needs Google to enable UWB to be comparable with Apple, which I believe they plan on doing “soon”.

The steerer tube ones apparently don’t work too well with it being metal all round it

But you surely shouldn’t get the notification if the dog owner and their phone is with you?

It’s my understanding that the Airtag has to be out of Bluetooth range of the person who owns it and it has to be moving location with you.

MIL has phone turned off/not charged, bluetooth disabled (lots of older people do this – perhaps to save the battery, perhaps for technical paranoia reasons), or left phone behind (again lots of older people don’t have their phone as a life support system).  Or MIL doesn’t have an iPhone – perhaps its paired to an iPad instead, or FIL’s phone, or one of the children’s phones.

I was wondering, given that Airtags have featured in Rentons post about his stolen bike. Surely the thief would have gotten a notification to tell him that an Airtag was with him without it’s owner and he’d have known the bike was being tracked?

Can’t be too many places to hide one on a mountainbike.

you are potentially right – if the thief has a modern smartphone they may well be warned.  I’m not sure how many people are nicking bikes but have a decent phone? but even if they are – I’m guessing only the most determined thief then hangs around hunting the bike for the tracker with the aim of removing it rather than ditch the bike and move to next target?

I’m not sure how many people are nicking bikes but have a decent phone?

anyone under 40 (and many people over it) has a smartphone permanently attached to them – maybe not the latest most expensive model. AirTags work back to an iPhone 6S which came out in 2015. A refurbished one can be had for £50.

Ok your opportunist crackhead might not have a phone but the theives in question traveled 35 miles each way by car/van to an address on their radar from last year. That’s a professional, not a junkie after a quick hit.

Ok your opportunist crackhead might not have a phone but the theives in question traveled 35 miles each way by car/van to an address on their radar from last year. That’s a professional, not a junkie after a quick hit.

I hadn’t followed renton’s story, but the evidence seems to suggest that those who nicked his bike were unaware it had a tracker, so either their phone was off (to avoid generating evidence themselves – but in a bike theft it seems unlikely the cops will be that thorough!) or not modern enough to find airtags – iphones go back to 6S (if updated to latest OS) but Android required android 12 which is much newer and android users (and the platform in general) tends not to update the OS autotmatically as much as iOS ones.   It does mean that the utility of airtags for replicating renton’s success may be diluted as time goes on; although notice even when they presumably knew there was a tag on it they didn’t waste time hunting for it – they just ditched the bike.

But you surely shouldn’t get the notification if the dog owner and their phone is with you?

I think poly is right, it’s more likely to be set up to father in laws phone but he wasn’t with us so it will have lost that connection