Travelers urged to disable one AirTag setting before flying this summer
We already have more than enough to worry about before boarding a plane, and whether it's getting to the airport on time, ensuring you've got your passport, or dealing with the increasingly stringent rules when it comes to crossing borders, it’s no wonder some people are anxious about traveling.
Now, travelers are being told to remember one more thing. This time, relating to Apple's AirTags.
For the security-conscious and the forgetful alike, AirTags are a great way to keep track of everyday belongings. Whether you're known for chucking your keys down and being forced to turn the house upside down in a frantic search for them, or you're worried about keeping track of your luggage as you cross the world, AirTags have a ton of uses.
Originally released in 2021, AirTags provide real-time tracking through the Find My network and got a beefy update in January 2026. The Gen 2 AirTag includes the US chip, upgraded Bluetooth, and a louder speaker to help make tracking even easier.
Advert
Over on Reddit, u/Billy_Likes_Music posted in a subreddit dedicated to the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup. While the OP's advice seems to be aimed at cars, it can be extended to anything you'd traditionally use an AirTag for.
They advise disabling the AirTag's speaker before jetting off, for fear that potential thieves will use the sound notification to realize they're being tracked.
The thread maintains that AirTags are superior to other trackers because Apple's network is robust, and after buying them, they're connected to the Find My network for free. It's true that other trackers might have a monthly subscription cost.
They write: "Air Tags have an alert for a thief who would then know they are being tracked. They can then look for the Air Tag and remove it and be on their way."
Hiding your AirTag well might not be good enough, with the Redditor suggesting you remove the speaker altogether. They also share links to a video on how to disable the audible alert, although not everyone was convinced.
We previously covered how you can use your iPhone to detect AirTags not registered to you traveling alongside you, but in a February report from ZDNET, the outlet highlighted similar security concerns about the ability to remove speakers.
Here, they revealed how it was easy to take an AirTag apart in minutes, remove the speaker, and put it back together before proving the tracker worked without an audible warning it was separated from its anchor device.
Replying to u/Billy_Likes_Music's post, someone said: "I bought a 4 pack of AirTags, hid them in my truck. I don't have an iPhone...My Android phone alerted me that I had trackers following me, within 20 minutes of putting them in my truck. I guess I need to do the speaker removal. It's a symphony in the truck."
Proving the main point, someone else added: "My son did that in his current Lightning and in his old Ford Flex. Disabled the speaker and hid it way up in the dashboard, he traded it in four months ago and we still log in and watch it moving around Chicago to this day."
If you're worried about your vehicle's security or any of your gadgets, a third concluded: "You are better off putting a simpler tag - still fully compatible with Apple’s Find My - like Anker’s SmartTags (or many of the competitors). They are still ‘AirTags’ but lacking the UWB ensures a perp cannot hone in on them (like you can with a device that has a UWB chip)."
Opinions are split on using AirTags for the above reasons or for disabling the speakers, but if anything else, we're pretty sure physically opening your AirTag and removing the speaker would void any warranty or support.