Ars TechnicaAndroid phones can now tell you if there’s an AirTag following you
Google says its own tracker ecosystem is on hold until iOS has the same protection.
Danie van der Merwe@arstechnica but I carry my own AirTags without any iPhone as I carry an Android phone. Does this mean my Android phone will keep warning me about my own AirTags? This all seems to be designed around stalkers, but what about legitimate AirTag users who don't have an iPhone?
Angelo Verlain@danie10 @arstechnica your question is answered in the article:
For now, if an AirTag you don't own "is separated from its owner and determined to be traveling with you," a notification will tell you this and that "the owner of the tracker can see its location." Tapping the notification brings up a map tracing back to where it was first seen traveling with you. Google notes that this location data "is always encrypted and never shared with Google."
@vixalientoots not really as it will think it is separated. My iPad is at home and I have an Android phone. The AirTags are "separated from the iPad" and travelling with me. But I own them and they are actually with me. You can disable alerts, but then it is for all tags including those which are not yours. Android has no idea who the tag belongs to.
@danie10 and again, from the article: if an AirTag you don't own "is separated from its owner.
also note that the specification is co-developed by Google and Apple.
basically if you don't get the same notifications on your iPhone, you won't get them on Android
@vixalientoots driving with my sister a month ago, she got alerts about the AirTag I was carrying. So it seems my Android phone will be alerting me every day then that I'm carrying my own AirTag with me? I can either except that, or turn it off, but then I won't be alerted about anyone else AirTag following me.
@danie10 in that case it seems like you can just ignore the warning...