Handling a Mysterious Journey: Steps to Take if Your Lost AirTag Keeps Up with You

Quick Links

• What to Do When You See This Message
• What Does This Warning Mean?
• Listen Out for Rogue AirTags Too

Key Takeaways

• Tap the “AirTag Found Moving With You” warning to open Find My app, play a sound, & locate AirTag.
• Scan an AirTag to identify owner & contact them if the beacon is in Lost Mode. You can also pause notifications if no threat is suspected, or get instructions to remove the battery and disable the AirTag if necessary.
• AirTag notifications trigger when the beacon is away from its owner’s linked iPhone and found near you for some time.

Have you seen a message saying that an AirTag, pair of AirPods, or unknown accessory is moving with you? Here’s what to do, how to contact the owner, and how to disable the AirTag if you suspect something isn’t right.

What to Do When You See This Message

You’ll receive this warning on an iPhone as a push notification, either on your lock screen or as a pop-up at the top of the screen. Tap on it to open the Find My app to see more information. You’ll have a few options available to you, including a “Play Sound” button which will cause the AirTag to emit a high-pitched noise.

You can keep tapping this button until you are able to locate the AirTag in question . If you find it and decide it poses no threat, you can use the “Pause Tracking Notifications” button to stop seeing alerts about this AirTag’s presence. This is handy if, for example, you’ve borrowed a friend’s bag and they’ve left an AirTag in it or if you’re driving someone else’s car that has an AirTag hidden somewhere.

Once you’ve found the AirTag, you can scan it with your iPhone (use the “Identify Found Item” button on the Items tab of the Find My app to do this manually), then tap on “Learn About This AirTag” to get more information. You’ll be able to see if the AirTag has been put into Lost Mode, which means that the owner of the item is attempting to find it.

Apple

If the item has been lost, the AirTag will have a message and contact information for you to contact the owner. If the AirTag is not in Lost Mode, you can tap “Disable AirTag” to get information on how to remove the battery and prevent it from being tracked.

If you do suspect foul play, keep hold of the AirTag and take it to the police . There’s no way to find out who owns an AirTag that you have found, but Apple links each tracker to an Apple ID. This information can be released to law enforcement if a court deems it necessary..

What Does This Warning Mean?

AirTags have a relatively high potential for abuse, which has caused Apple to improve anti-stalking measures since the item trackers were first introduced. Apple’s Find My network is by far the most effective of its kind , which is great news if you lose something but comes with privacy concerns.

The “AirTag Found Moving With You” message will only trigger in specific, circumstances. The AirTag must be out of range of its owner’s iPhone and traveling close to you for some time.

Christian Zibreg / How-To Geek

So for example, you won’t get this warning if you’re on a train next to someone who happens to have an AirTag attached to their luggage. Because the owner’s iPhone is within range, Apple doesn’t consider this a risky situation. But if someone leaves a bag that’s attached to an AirTag in the back of your car and you drive off without them, you’ll likely be warned.

Listen Out for Rogue AirTags Too

Sometimes an AirTag could be just out of range of your iPhone, and won’t trigger a warning. In this instance, you may be able to hear an AirTag that’s been lost or is being used to track you.

Listen out for the distinctive sound an AirTag plays once it’s been away from its owner for an extended period. This could happen after eight hours of absence (or longer). AirTags that have been left in an owner’s home (or other specified) location won’t trigger this sound.

AirTags are great for finding lost items and providing peace of mind, but the potential for abuse has led to stalking and theft opportunities . Don’t use an iPhone? Don’t worry, Android users can also detect AirTags too.