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You can be stalked using AirTags unless you're using a fully updated iPhone
Apple's AirTags are finally on sale, and these $29 trackers promise to ensure that you never lose your keys ever again. However, as some reviewers have discovered, there are a couple of big loopholes in the AirTag's privacy features.
During its announcement, Apple spoke of a few features to discourage its AirTags from being used to track people surreptitiously. These AirTags privacy protections sound impressive, such as the fact that an AirTag will sound an alert if it's been separated from its paired iPhone for a certain amount of time, or that iPhone users will get on-screen notifications if a rogue AirTag is accompanying them.
But it appears that these protections may not go far enough.
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For one, that lost-AirTag sound doesn't go off until three days have passed, and only iPhones that have updated to iOS 14.5 will get the on-screen notifications, which come after a couple of hours.
Similar to many of the best keyfinders, Apple's AirTags use Bluetooth to help your phone locate its fob. However, the AirTags also use ultra wideband to more precisely lead you to their location.
On an iPhone with a U1 chip (currently, the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12), you'll get a directional arrow that points you directly to an AirTag's location.
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