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I use Airtags for this purpose with my car and my bicycle, but they're not designed for this purpose. You can pull the speaker coil out of them fairly easily, b

I use Airtags for this purpose with my car and my bicycle, but they're not designed for this purpose. You can pull the speaker coil out of them fairly easily, but they will still notify the thief that they're being tracked if they have an iPhone on them. Not ideal, but it beats having a huge epidemic of stalking.

pnw 3y ago
They will also notify an Android phone if they have installed the app which Apple created for this purpose. I have to imagine thieves would know about this.
- tssva 3y ago
  A thief can use the Apple provided app to discover if there is a tag, but I don't know that I would say it notifies them since unlike on an iPhone it would require the thief to actively open the app and perform a manual scan for the tag.
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    That's a distinction that doesn't really matter, because a thief is going to have that app installed and open after they've stolen something.
    - AustinDev 3y ago
      You're vastly overestimating the competency of the majority of thieves.
    - tssva 3y ago
      Since cars are being located even with automatic notification to iPhones the higher barrier is likely to have some impact.
  - commoner 3y ago
    That's true for Apple's Tracker Detect app, but any thief or other user could simply use the free and open source AirGuard app on Android, which has more functionality than both Tracker Detect and the AirTag anti-tracking features built into iOS: https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard For example, AirGuard lets the user activate the alarm on any AirTag in range immediately without waiting any period of time. iOS and Tracker Detect only let the user do this if they determine that the AirTag is following the user, and Tracker Detect adds another 10 minute waiting period for no good reason.
catiopatio 3y ago
> Not ideal, but it beats having a huge epidemic of stalking. Does it, though? And are those really the only two possible outcomes? I blame reactionary click-bait journalism for forcing Apple to take these steps.
ApolloFortyNine 3y ago
I always found it a bit rediculous that Apple seemingly admits stalking is a problem they have to solve it, and they solve it by requiring you to buy an iPhone. To solve a problem they created, you have to give them money. It's worse in my opinion than just going with 'we're not responsible for how our product is used' defense.
- HWR_14 3y ago
  You don't have to buy an iPhone. Apple publishes a free app in the Google Play Store[1]. You do have to run Apple software, but it'd be a bit much to expect them to make things work with no code at all. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trac...
  - kyboren 3y ago
    I don't want to carry any phone, among other reasons because I do not want to be tracked 24/7. Now Apple has made it trivial for anyone to buy persistent, highly accurate dystopian stalker gear that could easily be surreptitiously placed on my person or vehicle. Having no phone, I would have no idea. The AirTag tracking system escalates the technological arms race and dramatically expands my threat model. All I want is the right to be a human with my human dignity respected, without requiring "techno upgrades" to enforce my rights, and the best response I've seen from the pro-surveillance crowd boils down to, "well you've gotta carry a tracking device if you don't want to get tracked". Unacceptable.
    - HWR_14 3y ago
      First, you can totally carry a phone in airplane mode or a tablet without cellular capabilities. Or you can scan with a tablet from a known location (e.g. the office) and regularly do so. Second, the threat model isn't new. Tiles have had the same capability for a long time. GPS trackers that use cellular to report your location are about as big as an AirTag (although more expensive). But finally, this is something a lot of people want to have. We need laws to punish their misuse, but ultimately banning them would impact other people's rights.

pnw 3y ago

They will also notify an Android phone if they have installed the app which Apple created for this purpose. I have to imagine thieves would know about this.

tssva 3y ago
A thief can use the Apple provided app to discover if there is a tag, but I don't know that I would say it notifies them since unlike on an iPhone it would require the thief to actively open the app and perform a manual scan for the tag.
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  That's a distinction that doesn't really matter, because a thief is going to have that app installed and open after they've stolen something.
  - AustinDev 3y ago
    You're vastly overestimating the competency of the majority of thieves.
  - tssva 3y ago
    Since cars are being located even with automatic notification to iPhones the higher barrier is likely to have some impact.
- commoner 3y ago
  That's true for Apple's Tracker Detect app, but any thief or other user could simply use the free and open source AirGuard app on Android, which has more functionality than both Tracker Detect and the AirTag anti-tracking features built into iOS: https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard https://github.com/seemoo-lab/AirGuard For example, AirGuard lets the user activate the alarm on any AirTag in range immediately without waiting any period of time. iOS and Tracker Detect only let the user do this if they determine that the AirTag is following the user, and Tracker Detect adds another 10 minute waiting period for no good reason.

catiopatio 3y ago

> Not ideal, but it beats having a huge epidemic of stalking. Does it, though? And are those really the only two possible outcomes? I blame reactionary click-bait journalism for forcing Apple to take these steps.

ApolloFortyNine 3y ago

I always found it a bit rediculous that Apple seemingly admits stalking is a problem they have to solve it, and they solve it by requiring you to buy an iPhone. To solve a problem they created, you have to give them money. It's worse in my opinion than just going with 'we're not responsible for how our product is used' defense.

HWR_14 3y ago
You don't have to buy an iPhone. Apple publishes a free app in the Google Play Store[1]. You do have to run Apple software, but it'd be a bit much to expect them to make things work with no code at all. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trackerdetect https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apple.trac...
- kyboren 3y ago
  I don't want to carry any phone, among other reasons because I do not want to be tracked 24/7. Now Apple has made it trivial for anyone to buy persistent, highly accurate dystopian stalker gear that could easily be surreptitiously placed on my person or vehicle. Having no phone, I would have no idea. The AirTag tracking system escalates the technological arms race and dramatically expands my threat model. All I want is the right to be a human with my human dignity respected, without requiring "techno upgrades" to enforce my rights, and the best response I've seen from the pro-surveillance crowd boils down to, "well you've gotta carry a tracking device if you don't want to get tracked". Unacceptable.
  - HWR_14 3y ago
    First, you can totally carry a phone in airplane mode or a tablet without cellular capabilities. Or you can scan with a tablet from a known location (e.g. the office) and regularly do so. Second, the threat model isn't new. Tiles have had the same capability for a long time. GPS trackers that use cellular to report your location are about as big as an AirTag (although more expensive). But finally, this is something a lot of people want to have. We need laws to punish their misuse, but ultimately banning them would impact other people's rights.