This article may contain affiliate links. Learn more on our Partner Program page.
Apple unveiled its AirTag smart tracker on Tuesday. Two Apple executives spoke to Fast Company about how the AirTag protects privacy and is safe from stalkers.
In the interview, Apple's VP of Worldwide iPhone Product Marketing Kaiann Drance and Senior Director of Sensing and Connectivity Ron Huang talked about the development of the smart tracker and its advantages. explained Drance:
When it came to designing our own product, we thought carefully about how to do it in a way that no one else in the industry has done before. You'll see that we've taken into account the privacy of AirTag owners and non-owners alike, and made those benefits available to third-party products as well.
“AirTag Found Moving With You”
Although almost any smartphone can interact with the AirTag, Apple has built a theft-proof smart tracker. Huang explains:
If you lose your AirTag, someone can't just pick up your AirTag, connect it to their iPhone, and continue using it.
With a unique feature called "Pairing Lock," iPhone users can be protected from anyone who might find and steal their lost AirTag. For example, a person who finds a lost AirTag can't even determine who it belongs to. The owner can only be identified by marking the AirTag as "lost" in the Find My app. As mentioned earlier, the smart tracker is also designed to be "stalker-proof," as the iPhone can detect an AirTag nearby. If someone places the tracker in a person's backpack, for example, the person will receive a notification with the following text: "AirTag Found Moving With You."
AirTags: Not intended for children and pets
But Android users are also protected from alleged stalking attempts. According to Apple, after the AirTag has not been paired with the device for a certain period of time, it will automatically emit a sound to inform those around it of its presence. Currently, the AirTag must be out of range of its paired device for three days for the alarm to sound. But that may change in a future software update. The two then explain that AirTags are not intended for tracking children or pets. If parents want to safely track small children, they should use an Apple Watch with family setup - say the two executives. AirTags can be pre-ordered from Apple starting tomorrow. While a single AirTag costs 35 euros, Apple charges around 119 euros for a pack of four. (Image: Apple)
