Apple and Google have collaborated to create an industry specification known as “Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers” for Bluetooth tracking devices. This new specification enables alerts for users on both iOS and Android if a Bluetooth tracking device is being used to track them without their knowledge. The initiative aims to prevent the misuse of devices meant to help locate belongings. As of today, Apple has integrated this feature into iOS 17.5, and Google is rolling it out on Android devices running version 6.0 and above.
With this update, users will receive an alert stating “[Item] Found Moving With You” on their device if an unfamiliar Bluetooth tracking device is detected moving with them over time, regardless of which platform the device is paired with.
For iOS users, such an alert indicates that an AirTag, Find My accessory, or any Bluetooth tracker compatible with the industry specification is moving with them. While it may simply be attached to a borrowed item, users can take action by viewing the tracker’s identifier, making the tracker play a sound to locate it, and accessing instructions to disable it if necessary. Several Bluetooth tag manufacturers, including Chipolo, eufy, Jio, Motorola, and Pebblebee, have pledged to ensure their future tags are compatible with this specification.
Apple’s AirTag and third-party Find My network accessories were designed with pioneering privacy and safety features from the outset. Apple remains dedicated to enhancing these protections to ensure consumer safety. This cross-platform collaboration, another industry first, was developed with input from the community and industry stakeholders. It provides guidelines and best practices for manufacturers who wish to incorporate unwanted tracking alert capabilities into their products. Apple and Google will continue to work with the Internet Engineering Task Force through the Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers working group to develop the official standard for this technology.