Finally, Apple is making it easier to discover unwanted Bluetooth trackers in the latest iOS update.
This new feature will now alert users if a Bluetooth device, such as Apple’s own AirTags or Samsung’s SmartTag, is being used to track them. Additionally, it will enable users to locate the position and possibly disable these unwanted devices. The iPhone maker says it’s implementing this capability in iOS 17.5.
Following the update, users will get an “[Item] Device Found Moving With You” alert on their device if an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is seen moving them over time. Apple further adds that this is “regardless of the platform the [unwanted Bluetooth tracking] device is paired with.”
This feature is based on the Detect Unknown Location Tracker (DULT) specification, and any compatible BlueTooth tracker can be detected and the user will be alerted if “unwanted.”
“If a user gets such an alert on their IOS device, it means that someone else’s AirTag, Find My accessory or other industry specification-compatible Bluetooth tracker is moving with them,” Apple writes in a blog adding that users can disable the unwanted tracker. “[iPhone users] can view the tracker’s identifier, have the tracker play a sound to help locate it, and access instructions to disable it.”
Apple and Google partner to combat misuse of unwanted trackers
Bluetooth tags can be helpful to keep track of your belongings. However, due to its small size, such a tag can be hard to locate. This provides an avenue for malicious actors to misuse these tags to stalk and illegally track people. This prompted Apple and Google to partner to crack down on the misuse of these tags.
The two tech giants have been jointly working to create the industry standard to fight against unwanted tracking via Bluetooth trackers. The industry-wide standard would allow both iOS and Android users to identify any unwanted Bluetooth tags, regardless of the manufacturer, and without requiring any third-party apps.
Notably, Google already had implemented its custom “Find My Device Network” and is currently rolling out the new capability on devices running Android 6.0 and above. We are expecting to hear more about this development tomorrow, during Google I/O.
Other key manufacturers including Motorola, eufy Security, and Chipolo are committing to make their Bluetooth trackers compatible.
Furthermore, Apple and Google say they will continue working with industry players to develop the official standard for this technology.
