Apple AirTags were developed with the goal of making it easier to find lost items. However, they also raised security and privacy concerns due to potential unwanted tracking.
AirTag Issue Update: Apple and Android Team Up to Address Security Issues! #new
Last month, The Washington Post revealed just how easy it can be for someone to stalk another person. Fortunately, a recent update, as reported by CNET, appears to address the potential problem by shortening and randomizing the window in which the AirTag sounds an alert.
When first released, AirTags that had been separated from their owners would automatically sound an alert sound after about three days—good for lost keys, not so good for an inserted tracker. With this new update, available now, the AirTag will instead sound its alert randomly every eight to 24 hours. This will alert unwitting AirTag wearers to the device much sooner, and hopefully better deter its misuse.
Disabling a placed (or simply unnecessary) AirTag is a matter of tapping it with an iPhone (or other NFC-compatible device) and following the on-screen prompts. Android devices aren't yet compatible with Apple's Find My network, but an app for that is coming.
