Although Apple AirTag’s main purpose is to find missing/lost objects, people have gotten creative and are using the device for many different purposes. One of those unfortunate different purposes is to commit crimes using the AirTags. These things often go against what Apple designed the AirTags to be used for. Even if the idea of using an Apple AirTag device for an unintended purpose sounds reasonable, it is highly recommended that you do not use your AirTag for another purpose other than using it for finding missing/misplaced objects. Here’s why your idea of using an AirTag for another for something else might not be a good idea after all…
AirTag to track car
Theoretically, an Apple AirTag should be one most efficient way to track a car, bike, or bicycle. In reality, this does not work that well. Unlike LoJack, OnStar Stolen Vehicle Assistance, or any stolen vehicle recovery system, the Apple AirTag does not connect to any cellular network. Instead, the AirTag piggybacks on other iPhones to relay its location back to you. This information gets relayed to you through the other iPhone’s cellular or WiFi connection.
Because of this, if the thief has an Android device or is not carrying a cell phone at all, your AirTag is pretty much useless.
If the thief has an iPhone, the AirTag will even be more useless. Ironically, due to an anti-stalking feature found on the AirTag, thieves will get a notification on their iPhone alerting them that they are being tracked by an AirTag. The AirTag will even play a sound so the thief can locate it easily.
In conclusion, there’s a chance that an AirTag might help you recover your stolen car or bicycle but an AirTag should not be used as a replacement for a dedicated stolen vehicle recovery system.
AirTag successfully used in car theft
The only way an AirTag will help you recover your vehicle is if the thief does not use an iPhone or completely ignores the anti-stalking feature warning on his iPhone. The thief can also panic and ditch the car due to the sound alert played by the AirTag. This is possible to happen as not all thieves are criminal masterminds. So is not a bad idea to keep an AirTag hidden on your car, but just not solely rely on it.
AirTag stalking
Another thing you should definitely NOT use your AirTag is to stalk people. Apart from that this is highly unethical and illegal, Apple designed the AirTag knowing that there are millions of unethical and creepy people on this earth who would use this device for nefarious purposes.
This led Apple to integrate a highly sophisticated anti-stalking feature onto the AirTag. Using an AirTag to stalk someone only works if that person uses an Android device or no cell phone at all, which is highly unlikely. As explained above, the anti-stalking feature will let the person know that he/she is being tracked by an AirTag device. The AirTag device will then play a sound using its built-in speaker so the stalked person can easily find it.
This AirTag anti-stalking feature works so well, that two women were able to go to West Seneca Police Department and notify the officers that they were being tracked/stalked. The officers were able to recover an AirTag from the bumper of one of the woman’s vehicle.
Using Apple AirTag to steal vehicles
If you’re a car thief, just like a normal person using an AirTag to track their own car, using an AirTag to track a vehicle to later steal it might not be a good idea. In case you don’t know, car thieves are now using AirTags to track high-end vehicles as warned by the York Regional Police Auto/Cargo Theft Unit.
Just like thieves get warned when car owners are tracking their vehicle with an AirTags, owners are also warned when thieves try to track their high-end vehicles with an Apple AirTag.
Don’t buy an AirTag if you don’t have an iPhone
Since a lot of accessories, even Apple AirPods, are compatible with Android devices, you might think that this would be the case with AirTag. Unfortunately, if you own an Android or Samsung device, you will not be able to set up your AirTag. As of now, AirTag Precision Finding is designed to strictly work only with iPhones.