Following a series of headlines in recent weeks highlighting how Apple’s AirTags are being exploited for stalking, the company has updated its current “Personal Safety User Guide” with new advice on what consumers should do if they come across an unexpected AirTag or hear one make a sound. The tutorial explains what the AirTag alerts indicate, as well as what to do if they discover an AirTag or other find my network device following them. It also includes instructions for Android users. 9to5Mac and AppleInsider were the first to notice the addition to the guide. Apple verified to TechCrunch that the AirTag-related material was added to the guide today.
The guide, on the other hand, is not brand new. The same document had previously contained information aimed at assisting people who were concerned about their personal safety or various ways they could stalk or track using Apple devices. It was primarily designed to assist people who had previously exchanged information with a partner and now wanted to ensure that person could no longer access their account, data, or location, among other things. However, in the instance of AirTag, the stalking was not necessarily caused by a partner’s violence, According to an article published by The New York Times, auto thieves were using AirTag devices to track and identify high-end vehicles they planned to steal.
Others claimed they received notifications that they being tracked by an AirTag after leaving a public location, such as their local gym. According to the story, some parents were also utilizing the gadgets to track their adolescent children without informing them. Apple has brought the stalker scenario to light because it is the first major tech business in the lost-item tracker area to offer proactive notifications about unfamiliar Bluetooth trackers nearby.
According to The New York Times, some academics feel Apple’s AirTag did not cause the tech-enabled stalking problem. Instead, it is possible that the AirTag’s built-in alerts system has uncovered an issue that was previously common. Unfortunately, for Apple, considering how extensively the firm has positioned it as being concerned about user safety and privacy, this scenario has become a PR disaster.
While some Apple spokespersons have given statements to reporters regarding AirTag stalking situations, the new guide now serves as a more official source of information on the subject. It explains what an alert implies, why an AirTag could make a sound, and how to utilize the new Tracker Detect app for Android. Most crucially, it directs you to Apple’s support page for instructions on what to do if an unknown AirTag is following you and how to make it produce a sound if you cannot discover it otherwise.
The guide is now available as a searchable webpage instead of merely a PDF, thanks to the documentation upgrade. This enables Google and other search engines to better index its contents, directing web surfers to the appropriate page based on their search query. It may also be less difficult to keep the guide up to date as new personal safety documentation and recommendations become available.
Aside from AirTag details, the updated guide now includes details on newer Apple features that were not accessible when it was first released, such as Apple’s App Privacy Report and how to set up recovery contacts. Other new parts include Home Kit and the Home App, private browsing mode, blocking people via texts, phone, FaceTime, and email, taking a snapshot to capture suspicious behaviour, and setting up account recovery contacts.
