Apple's AirTags are equipped with a safety feature to prevent unauthorized tracking. This means that no one can secretly place an AirTag in your belongings and track your location without your knowledge. If an AirTag that isn't registered to you remains in your vicinity for an extended period, your Apple device will alert you with a notification saying, 'AirTag Found Moving With You.
This notification may indicate that you've borrowed an item with an AirTag, are near a lost item with an AirTag, or that someone has concealed an AirTag among your belongings. If you receive the 'AirTag Found Moving With You' alert, follow these steps:
- Tap on the message when it appears.
- Click the 'Continue' button.
- If you're unsure of the AirTag's location, select 'Play Sound' to help locate it.
- If the AirTag is linked to an item you've borrowed, opt to deactivate 'AirTag Detected' notifications for one day. For items received from a friend or a member of your Family Sharing group, you have the option to completely turn off Item Safety Alerts.
- By tapping 'Learn About This AirTag,' you can view its serial number to determine if it has been reported as lost. If so, you'll find information to contact the owner.
- If the AirTag is not in Lost Mode and its origin is unknown, choose 'Disable AirTag' and follow the on-screen instructions. This will prevent it from tracking your movements going forward.
- The provided instructions will guide you through the process of removing the AirTag's battery to disable it.
- If you feel uneasy about the situation, Apple advises contacting your local law enforcement for assistance. They can collaborate with Apple in addressing such concerns.
Apple states that if you receive an 'AirTag Found Moving With You' notification but cannot locate the AirTag, it might no longer be nearby. However, be aware that AirTags have privacy features that can prevent them from playing a sound if you're using an outdated notification. Each AirTag has a Bluetooth identifier that changes periodically. Therefore, by the time you see the message, its identifier may have already changed, making it impossible to use the sound feature to locate it. In such cases, Apple recommends thoroughly searching your belongings or waiting for another alert as you move to different locations during the day. Additionally, it's worth knowing that an AirTag will automatically emit a sound after being separated from its owner for three days, serving as an anti-tracking measure. If an AirTag is nearby, you may continually hear this sound, preventing it from remaining concealed.
It's crucial to understand that removing the battery from an AirTag, as per Apple's instructions, is the only way to stop it from tracking you, other than physically discarding the AirTag. Reinserting the battery and resetting the AirTag will enable the owner to resume tracking.
