How To Find A GPS Tracker Or AirTag On Your Car

It's the stuff of spy movies: someone plants a GPS tracker or Apple AirTag in your car without your consent and uses it to track your every move. While this may seem like a farfetched scenario, it's something that is occurring with increasing frequency thanks to the widespread availability of consumer GPS tracking devices. For about the cost of a meal at a casual restaurant, anyone can buy an Apple AirTag or Samsung SmartTag, which they can then use to keep track of everything from luggage and backpacks to keys and wallets.

Besides AirTags, GPS trackers generally fall into one of three categories: portable battery-powered, hardwired, and plug-in trackers. A problem arises when these devices are used to secretly track someone and monitor their activities. GPS trackers are often no bigger than a quarter, making them difficult to detect. As one can imagine, this has appealed to people with nefarious motives who use them to stalk, harass, and keep tabs on their victims.

Laws about the use of GPS trackers vary widely from state to state, with some making it illegal to track someone without their permission while a few barely mention the subject. Whatever the laws in your state say, using a GPS device to track someone without their authorization is a serious invasion of privacy. If you think someone is tracking you with an AirTag, SmartTag, or another GPS tracker, you're not powerless — there are ways to identify and remove it.

Saying the thought of someone placing a hidden GPS tracker or AirTag in your vehicle can be unnerving would be an understatement. Nobody likes the idea of being tracked without their consent, but unfortunately, it does happen. The good news is that these trackers often give off clues that'll help you figure out if someone has planted one on your car — you just need to know what to keep an eye out for.

For example, Apple has added anti-stalking features to AirTags to make it easier for users to detect unwanted tracking. When an AirTag isn't with its owner, it will make a noise every time it's moved. If you have an iPhone or iPad with iOS 14.5 or iPadOS 14.5 or later with Location Services, Bluetooth, and Tracking Notifications in the Find My app turned on, you'll receive an alert that says: "AirTag Found Moving With You" when your device detects an unknown AirTag has been traveling with you for an extended amount of time. You won't receive an alert if your device is in Airplane Mode.

Since AirTags aren't the only devices misused to track people, you'll want to pay attention to other signs as well. If you've always had good phone reception in your car and begin to notice things like static or strange noises when standing close to it or while driving, that could be a sign that a hidden GPS tracker is interfering with your signal. If your battery is draining faster than usual, that's another clue. You should also pay attention to the human factor. If someone seems to always know your whereabouts without you telling them, it's possible they've placed a tracking device on your vehicle.

If you think someone has planted a GPS tracker on your vehicle, finding it will be a priority. Before getting started, it's a good idea to have the following tools on hand to help you with your search: a flashlight, mechanic's mirror, and a creeper or some type of mat to help you get under the car. You'll need to search both the exterior and interior of your car for the device.

Follow these steps to search your vehicle's exterior: 

1. Use a flashlight and mirror to check your car's undercarriage for any suspicious devices. Pay special attention to the frame and other areas where a tracker could be magnetically attached.
2. Check inside all four of the wheel wells for any strange, attached devices or wires sticking out. Use your hands to look for anything that shouldn't be there.
3. Examine the bumpers for any gaps hiding a tracker or anything that's out of place.
4. Inspect the area in and around the exhaust pipe.
5. Check for unexplained wires or antennas on the roof or hood.
6. Check the engine and battery terminals for any unusual wires that could power a GPS device.

Follow these steps to search your vehicle's interior: 

1. Check the dashboard, steering wheel, and under the seats.
2. Check your car's data connector, typically located under the dashboard on the driver's side in the OBD-II port. Many trackers are designed to plug directly into this port for power.
3. Use a flashlight to check under the seats and in the glove compartment.
4. Remove your spare tire and inspect in and around the trunk.

If you don't find a GPS tracker after conducting a manual search of the interior and exterior of your car, consider using a GPS bug detector to find it. 

If you suspect someone has hidden an AirTag in your vehicle, you can use your iPhone or iPad to find it and put an end to the unwanted surveillance.

Follow these steps to enable alerts to detect unknown AirTags: 

1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > toggle Location Services on.
2. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > toggle Find My iPhone on.
3. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Location Services > System Services.
4. Turn on Significant Locations to get alerts when you reach important places like your home.
5. Open Settings > Bluetooth > Toggle Bluetooth on.
6. Open Settings > Notifications > Tracking Notifications > Toggle Allow Notifications on.

After you've completed those steps, make sure Airplane Mode is turned off. Otherwise, your Apple device won't be able to receive tracking alerts. From now on, when an unknown AirTag is detected moving with you, you'll receive an alert on your iPhone or iPad. If you receive an alert, go to the Find My app to see if you can play a sound on the unknown AirTag.

1. Tap the alert on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap Continue, then tap Play Sound.
3. Listen for the sound; if you need more time, just play it again.

If you don't hear anything, it's possible the device is so well hidden that you won't be able to hear any sound. You can tap Find Nearby on an iPhone 11 or newer to use Precision Finding to locate the unknown AirTag. You can do this by tapping the alert, following the on-screen instructions, and then moving around your car until it connects to the unknown AirTag. You'll see the distance and direction to the AirTag on your screen. If you still can't find the AirTag, you should search for it manually by thoroughly checking the common hiding spots for GPS trackers.

If you don't have an iPhone or iPad, you can use an Android device to locate an AirTag hidden in your vehicle. All you have to do is go to the Google Play Store and download the Tracker Detect app. This app works by searching for AirTags that are nearby and separated from their owner, making it easier to identify any unknown trackers in your vicinity, as long as they're compatible with the Find My Network.

Once you've downloaded and installed the app on your phone, turn on your phone's Bluetooth and accept the terms and conditions. When using the app for the first time, you'll have to give it permission to access your phone's Bluetooth. To begin searching for an unknown AirTag, tap the blue Scan button at the bottom of the screen. If the app finds an unknown item nearby, it'll show up as an Unknown AirTag. If the app doesn't detect any Unknown AirTags, wait 15 minutes and try scanning again. If it still doesn't find an AirTag, you should conduct a thorough search of your car, checking areas where GPS trackers are commonly hidden.

If you've found an unknown GPS tracker or AirTag on your car, you'll want to disable it to stop it from sharing your location and prevent further tracking. Hardwired GPS trackers can be difficult to disable, so it's best to take your car to a professional mechanic for removal. If you find a battery-powered GPS tracker, turning it off and removing the batteries is usually enough to stop the tracking. Another option is wrapping the device in aluminum foil to block cellular or satellite signals and keep them from transmitting your location.

When you find an unknown Airtag in your car, you can disable it to stop it from sharing its location. To get started with this process, hold your iPhone or NFC device close to the white side of the AirTag until a notification appears. Tap the notification to open a website with information about the AirTag and the owner. Jot down the AirTag's serial number and phone number so you can give it to law enforcement if necessary, then tap Instructions to follow the onscreen steps to deactivate it. The easiest way to do this is to press down on the back of the AirTag and twist it counterclockwise to open it. Then, take off the cover and remove the battery. Once you've removed the battery, it won't be able to track you.