An iPhone trick can expose whether someone is stalking or tracking you by location - and hopefully identify them.
Apple’s AirTag is designed to help you not lose your important things as much. It keeps track of your personal items like your keys, bags or luggage through the Find My app. However, the tool can be exploited.
If someone slips an AirTag into your bag or car without your knowledge, it can be used to track your movements.
Thankfully, iPhones have safety features that can detect unknown AirTags travelling with you and help identify who might be behind them.
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Here's what you need to do.
First, you'll need an iPhone running iOS 14.5 or later. This can be checked by going to Settings > General > Software Update where it will tell you what iOS is running.
Then, turn on Location Services and enable Find My iPhone by going to Settings > Privacy & Security.
You'll also need Bluetooth switched on.
Next, ensure notifications for tracking alerts are on in Settings > Notifications > Tracking Notifications.
Now, if an AirTag not registered to you moves with you, your iPhone will alert you.
Fortunately, this will also work on a pair of Apple AirPods if someone is using that to follow you.
You can tap the alert to see a map of the locations where the AirTag has tracked you. Dashed lines will show your route and might help pinpoint where the tag was placed on you or your belongings.
Furthermore, you can tap the Play Sound option to make the AirTag release a noise and help you locate it.
If you have an iPhone 11 or newer (excluding iPhone SE 2nd and 3rd gen), you can also use Precision Finding.
This feature uses Ultra Wideband to guide you directly to the AirTag with an arrow and distance indicator. Just tap Find Nearby after the alert.
What's left is to find the culprit behind the act.
Once you find the AirTag, hold the top of your iPhone against its white side and a notification should appear. Tap this and it should take you to a website with information about that specific AirTag.
Here, you'll find the AirTag's serial number and the last four digits of the phone number of the person who registered the AirTag.
The only thing left to do is cross-reference those digits with your contacts to see if you recognise the owner.
Apple also recommended screenshotting the data so that you can 'document the information.'
Once you’ve identified the AirTag, you can disable it. Just keep in mind that the owner will be notified that the AirTag is no longer trackable.