What To Do If You Get An Alert About An Unknown AirTag

Admit it — you've lost your keys, wallet, handbag, sunglasses, and other small items at least one point in your life. It's inevitable, but it can still be quite annoying. Fortunately, now you don't have to turn your home upside down or spend hours trying to find a missing item. AirTags solved that dilemma when they were released in 2021. One of Apple's revolutionary products, AirTags are Bluetooth-enabled devices designed to be attached to or inserted in your belongings. When you misplace a item, all you have to do is whip out your iPhone to make the AirTag chime or locate it with Precision Finding. It's that easy.

However, this convenient tracking mechanism has been exploited too — used instead for stalking. Tracking someone without their consent is illegal, and Apple heavily condemns the use of AirTags for such purposes. This, unfortunately, doesn't automatically stop people from using AirTags as stalking devices. That's why they come with security features that send an alert to your iPhone if you're near one that doesn't belong to you. But what do you do after receiving an unknown AirTag notification?

If you're running iOS 14.5 or newer, turned on Location Services, Bluetooth, and Tracking Notifications in the Find My app, and are not on airplane mode, you may receive an "AirTag Found Moving With You" notification on your iPhone. This happens when your device detects that an AirTag, which isn't linked to your Apple ID, has been traveling with you for quite some time. However, this doesn't necessarily mean that someone had sneakily tucked it into your bag or clothings to stalk you.

There are a few other reasons why you get an unknown AirTag alert. The first is if you're using a borrowed item like a backpack, luggage, or car with an AirTag attached (the car's AirTag being in the keys). It's also possible that someone lost their AirTag, and it managed to find its way to your belongings. Sometimes, there are even instances that you get notified when you're moving in the same area with other people. This can be on a tour, in public transport, or even in a large resort. Since you're traveling with these people, you're within their AirTag's reach, and this is what your iPhone picks up on.

So, now how would you know whether an AirTag is with your person or is actually traveling with their owner who happens to be near you? The biggest sign is that you'll hear a chime from the unknown AirTag if it's moving with you but its owner isn't around. This means it was either intentionally or mistakenly slipped into your belongings or vehicle. If, however, you don't hear any chimes but receive the alert, we'll walk you through the step-by-step guide on what to do next.

After receiving the AirTag alert on your iPhone, here's what you should do:

1. Tap on the notification.
2. In the Safety Alert screen, select Continue to open the unknown AirTag's menu and map. This map will show you a dotted red line, indicating the points where the AirTag was detected near your phone. This map doesn't automatically suggest that the owner is tracking you, although they can view the AirTag's location.
3. Do one of the following to find the AirTag:
   1. Press on Play Sound to make the AirTag chime. Continue to do so until you locate it. If however, you couldn't play a sound or the AirTag didn't chime, this indicates that its owner is around and it's likely with them. But if you're alone and you can't hear the chimes, thoroughly search your clothing, bag, or any of your belongings.
   2. Select Find Nearby if this option is available on your phone. Move around and follow the arrow to where the AirTag is.
4. Once you have the AirTag on hand, place its white side on the back of your iPhone near the camera.
5. Open the notification in Safari. You'll see a page showing you the AirTag's information, including its serial number, the last four digits of the owner's phone number, and whether it was marked as lost.

If it's a lost AirTag, be cautious about contacting or meeting with the owner. It's best to turn it over to proper authorities and let them handle the return. If it isn't marked as lost or you don't recognize the phone number as one of your family or friends, disable the AirTag by removing its battery. Simply twist open the silver part of the AirTag and take the battery out. This should completely turn it off and its tracking functionality.

If you borrowed an item from a family or friend and received an unknown AirTag notification on your iPhone, the first thing you need to do is ask whether they're using an AirTag with their belongings. In some cases, they might not even own an AirTag and are not aware that they're potentially being tracked. Locate the AirTag in the borrowed item and disable it at once. If, on the other hand, the owner intentionally attached an AirTag to their belongings, you can opt to pause the alerts on your iPhone. Follow these steps to do so:

1. Open the AirTag notification on your phone.
2. Select Continue to proceed to the AirTag's menu.
3. Pull up the menu to expand it.
4. Tap on Pause Safety Alerts.

If the owner of the AirTag is part of a Family Sharing group that you're also in, you can choose to pause the alerts for one day or indefinitely. Otherwise, your only option is to pause it for a day. Since the AirTag's identifier changes every day, you then need to do it again the following day if the borrowed item is still with you. In cases where the borrowed item is frequently shared between you and the owner — for instance, a car, your family cat, or the house keys — you actually now have an option to share AirTags with five other people, as long as they have an Apple ID and are running on iOS 17. When you share an AirTag, every person the item is shared with won't receive unknown AirTag alerts every time they're moving with the said AirTag.