4 ms·

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.