How to stop being tracked via Bluetooth beacons like AirTag

Small Bluetooth tags for finding lost items are a godsend for frequent travelers and simply forgetful people. The coin-sized devices contain a battery and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmitter, and a smartphone app allows you to determine the beacon’s location to within a few centimeters. If the lost keys with the tag are far away from the owner and their smartphone, other people’s smartphones can help find them: both Apple and Google have deployed a global network in which every smartphone reports the location of nearby beacons to a server, and their proprietary apps (Find My for iOS, and Find my Device for Android) can locate the lost item. There just needs to be at least one smartphone nearby that has both Bluetooth switched on and an internet connection.

Although the most popular beacon is Apple’s AirTag, there are several other accessories that work on the same principle and that are sometimes compatible with each other (Chipolo, eufy, Filo, Samsung SmartTag, Tile, and others). Sometimes tracking functions are built directly into frequently lost accessories, such as Bluetooth headsets and headphones.

The possibility of remote tracking was quickly appreciated not only by the forgetful but also by scammers and stalkers. By planting an AirTag on a victim — for example, slipping it into a purse pocket or under a car license plate — one can track a person’s movements without their knowledge. Thieves use this technology to steal expensive cars, and stalkers and jealous partners use it for surveillance and harassment. So how can you protect yourself from such a thing?

First generation of AirTag protection

As soon as the first reports of AirTags being used for tracking appeared, Apple implemented several protective measures to reduce the likelihood of stalking. First, AirTag was equipped with a speaker. If the Bluetooth tag is far away from the smartphone it’s linked to, it intermittently emits a loud beep. Second, iOS 14.5 introduced a feature that alerts a smartphone owner if a someone else’s AirTag is detected nearby for an extended period of time and regardless of the smartphone’s location. If this happens, you can turn on the sound on this beacon to physically locate it, and also check the serial number of the AirTag. Sometimes, it can all be quite innocent, for example if it’s a tag hanging on the keys of a relative or friend you’re traveling with, or a beacon parents have put in their child’s backpack. In this case, the warning about the foreign AirTag can be disabled temporarily or permanently.

Unfortunately, these measures were not enough. They didn’t help Android owners in any way, and attackers learned to bypass the “beep” protection by manually disabling or damaging the speaker, or buying “silent” AirTags on online markets.

How to protect yourself from AirTag and other Bluetooth trackers in 2024

This year, manufacturers have developed cross-platform compatibility — the ability to detect BLE beacons regardless of which smartphone they’re linked to and what kind of smartphone the tracking victim has. To achieve this, Apple and Google joined forces and implemented this functionality in both iOS 17.5 and Android (the update is available for all versions starting with Android 6). Now, warnings that someone else’s tracker is being consistently detected nearby is available on either of these platforms, and the victim can see the tracker’s ID, turn on its speaker, and even get instructions on how to disable the beacon. The tech giants proposed the DULT (detecting unwanted location trackers) standard, which may become an industry standard in the future. For now, some tag manufacturers — Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee — have said they will support the current specification.

What to do if you find an unknown Bluetooth tag on your belongings?

There are no hard and fast rules for this situation, as much depends on individual circumstances.

Upon receiving a warning on your smartphone, the first step is to locate the tracker and carefully examine it. You can use the “precision finding” feature, for example by following this guide. The tag could be hidden anywhere — in the folds or pockets of your bag, in your wallet, under the wheel arch of your car, stuck to the bumper or license plate frame, and so on. If you’re unsure whether it’s the same tracker flagged by the app, check the serial number. Some models have it printed on the casing, while others can be checked by placing them next to the smartphone’s NFC reader.

Locating the tracker helps rule out innocent scenarios: perhaps you accidentally picked up someone else’s headset instead of yours, or a colleague left their keys in your car. In such cases, simply return the lost item to its owner. Another possible legitimate tracking scenario is a tag attached to rented equipment, especially cars and expensive electronics. In this case, discuss the tracking with the rental provider and decide whether it’s acceptable to you. Normally, such property protection measures should be outlined in the rental agreement.

The situation is more complex when it comes to malicious tracking.

For victims of domestic violence, married couples going through a difficult divorce, or given other circumstances where exposing tracking might provoke aggression from the perpetrator, it’s recommended to remain discreet. Report the tracking to law enforcement, but avoid revealing this fact to the stalker. It’s important that the tag doesn’t “light up” at the police station. To achieve this, you can either remove the battery or arrange a meeting with the authorities at a safe location.

If there’s no risk of violence, you can simply hand the tag over to the police. Throwing it away or deactivating it is not enough, as the perpetrators could just start all over again.

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