In order to prevent Bluetooth trackers such as AirTags from being used for malicious purposes, Android will welcome a new function to detect the presence of nearby beacons. The end of espionage?
“The AirTag is the perfect accessory to find everything.” This is how Apple presents its tracking device on its website. It’s very simple, just hang it on something that we tend to misplace – keys, wallet, bag, suitcase, etc. – and ring it with the Locate app on your iPhone to find it, in real time. Practical for the heads in the air! And the same goes for other Bluetooth trackers, like Samsung’s Galaxy SmartTags, which work on a similar principle.
Except that malicious people were quick to divert the use of these small location beacons. Many complaints have been lodged with the authorities, because some use it to locate thefts and burglaries – on the off chance, by finding the home of the owner of a beautiful car located in a busy street, in order to larceny out of sight – or to stalk and harass women or their ex-partners. According to a survey published in April 2022 by the media Viceabout 150 police reports relate to women who were being tracked with this device – usually hidden in their car or in their purse – across the United States.
Of course, Apple has already made several improvements to its AirTags to try to fix this problem. Last December, the company integrated a function into its accessories so that the user receives a notification warning him if an unknown beacon “travels” with him (see our article). A welcome but insufficient measure, since only owners of iPhone 11, 12, 13 and 14 can benefit from it, the device must be equipped with a U1 chip. On Android, Apple has developed a dedicated application, Tracker Detect (“detection of trackers” on the French Play Store), but no one is aware of it – and in addition, the scan is not automatic, it must be launch manually. In short, the problem is far from being solved! Google may have the solution because its mobile operating system should soon embed a new function allowing it to detect the presence of nearby trackers.
Bluetooth trackers: an alert function in case of tracking
In May, Apple and Google announced that they were working on a new technical specification intended to prevent Bluetooth beacons from being used for unwanted spying and tracking purposes, and which should become a standard. It will be compatible with Android and iOS, and open to all market players. But the Mountain View company hasn’t stopped there and is about to introduce a native function on Android devices to detect the presence of nearby Bluetooth trackers – whether it’s an Apple AirTag , a Samsung Galaxy SmartTag or a Tile tracker – which can therefore potentially be used to track you. Mishaal Rahman, an Android journalist and researcher, posted on his Twitter account a series of screenshots showing this new option, which will automatically send a notification to alert you in case of tracking.
From the images, the smartphone will display the model of the tracker and offer several options. Thus, you can, using a small button, ring the beacon in order to find it easily, without alerting the owner. You will also get instructions on how to obtain the serial number of the accessory – very useful in the event of a complaint –, to take a screenshot of the map with its different locations and to deactivate it, for the prevent updating its location. You can also manually run a scan to find nearby Bluetooth beacons. It is quite possible that this function will be deployed at the end of the summer, with the launch of the final version of Android 14. In any case, react if you detect an AirTag near you, because it is very unlikely to follow you by chance. In the event of an alert, you must absolutely try to find the tracking beacon.