After months and months of relentless leaks, Apple recently made its own Tile-like ‘AirTags’ item tracker official. You can use these trackers to keep track of keys, wallets and purses, and more. That’s why they are selling like hotcakes, and the ecosystem of accessories/ cases for Apple AirTag is rapidly growing. However, one could also use these tiny trackers for nefarious purposes. Fortunately, if someone puts an AirTag in your bag or your jacket’s pocket, your iPhone will warn you about it, and you can take action accordingly. So, here is how to disable an AirTag found moving with you on your iPhone or Android device.
Disable an AirTag Found Moving With You
Look, item trackers like the Apple AirTag that can pretty much be located anywhere on the planet help ensure you don’t forget or lose valuables at your local pub. However, people can also use these trackers to stalk someone by planting the AirTags in their bags or anywhere they are less likely to check frequently.
Apple foresaw this issue and created an alert specifically for situations like this. If there is an AirTag near you that’s not registered to your Apple ID, your iPhone will alert you to its presence. The AirTag has a speaker and it will start ringing to alert you.
Now, if you discover an AirTag on you, there are a couple of things you can do depending on who’s AirTag it is. If you’ve borrowed an item from a friend, you might not want to disable their AirTag. However, if the AirTag belongs to someone who’s trying to keep track of your location, you can easily disable it for your safety.
So in this article, we will discuss the courses of action you need to follow if you find an AirTag on you. You can use the table of contents below to skip to any section within this article.
1. Stop “AirTag Found Moving With You” Message Temporarily
If you are borrowing an item from a friend, and you see the ‘AirTag Found Moving With You’ message on your iPhone, tap on ‘Pause Safety Alerts’ to turn off the notifications for one day.
On the other hand, if you are borrowing the item from a member of your Family Sharing group, you can turn off Safety Alerts for either one day or indefinitely.
2. Disable an AirTag Someone Else May Have Planted on You
When you receive the ‘AirTag Found Moving With You’ alert on your iPhone and you feel someone may have planted the AirTag on you to stalk your location, you can disable it with ease. Follow the steps below to disable an AirTag on iPhone and Android:
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Disable an AirTag on iPhone:
If you are an iPhone user, all you need to do is tap the ‘Instructions to Disable AirTag’ button and then follow the steps on your screen. Apple will guide you through steps to remove the circular CR2032 battery to make the AirTag stop working. You can also contact local law enforcement if you think your safety is at risk.
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Disable an AirTag on Android:
Now, if you are an Android user, your device won’t notify you of the Apple AirTag that’s moving with you. However, Apple has a nifty failsafe in place, where the AirTag itself will start making noise and reveal its presence.
Once you find the item tracker, enable NFC (if supported) and tap the white side of the AirTag to the back of your Android device. Scanning the AirTag will open up a web page with information about the item tracker. If it has been marked as lost, follow the steps listed below, else remove the battery and disable the AirTag by following the on-screen instruction.
3. Find the Owner of a Lost AirTag
If you find an object with an AirTag attached to it, the owner might be looking for it as well. In such a case, you can use your iPhone (or any NFC-capable Android smartphone) to scan the white side of the Apple AirTag.
Scanning the item tracker will show a notification on your phone that you can tap to get information about the AirTag. Plus, if the owner has marked the AirTag as lost, you may find instructions on how you can contact them and return the lost item.
Safely Handle ‘AirTag Found Moving With You’ Alerts
While it’s upsetting and scary that people may start using Apple AirTags for nefarious purposes, we appreciate Apple for considering it as a valid concern and building a safety mechanism to prevent its misuse. As we have mentioned above, you can easily disable an AirTag if someone has planted one on you. Plus, if you come across a lost AirTag, it’s easy to find the owner and return it to them, which is also a helpful feature. So, did you pre-order AirTags for yourself? If yes, what would you be attaching them to? Let us know in the comments below.
