Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/U.S. Customs and Border Protection
If you still need proof that AirTags have become must-have trackers for vehicle owners, here's the case of an Audi Q3 owner who managed to recover their tag thanks to Apple's device.
The man was casually unloading groceries from the car when someone approached him. 18-year-old Noah Sidney displayed a gun to the victim, asking for the car keys, the phone, and the wallet. In a few seconds, he was already behind the wheel of the Audi Q3, trying to make himself unnoticed.
Little did he know about the AirTags planted in the car. The Audi Q3 owner previously installed not one but two separate Apple trackers in the vehicle, just in case it gets owner – I believe he installed two trackers "just in case," as thieves become more tech-savvy and often look for AirTags in the vehicle after getting a notification on their iPhones.
As a result, the AirTags were in permanent communication with the man's other Apple devices. The Audi owner contacted the Chicago police, reported the theft, and provided the officers with information on the vehicle's location.
The Chicago cops on the ground worked with a high-tech helicopter operated by the US Customs and Border Protection. In a matter of minutes, the helicopter was in the air, following the directions provided by the AirTag. It didn't take long to track down the carjacker, with officers in the air then communicating with ground units to share live location information.
The carjacker eventually stopped the car, but an Illinois State Police trooper started chasing him on foot. Sidney was eventually caught and is now held in custody.
The police recovered the Audi Q3 and returned it to the owner.
AirTags are coin-shaped devices that access the Find My network and transmit their coordinates to a master smartphone, computer, or tablet using nearby iPhones. The AirTag doesn't have built-in Internet but can communicate its location by connecting to iPhones in proximity. Once the connection is established, the AirTag shares its location with the owner.
The device also comes with privacy protections, alerting iPhone owners when an AirTag is moving with them. As a result, thieves could get a notification that an AirTag is in the car, so the Audi owner played the safe card by installing two trackers. If the thief finds and disables the first AirTag, the second unit will still track their location.
A criminal with the police on their tail wouldn't obviously have the time to search every little place in the car, so AirTags can become essential devices for recovering a stolen vehicle. Police recommend car owners to dial 911 the moment they notice the car is missing, as the thief wouldn't have the time to disable the installed trackers if the search begins immediately.
Little did he know about the AirTags planted in the car. The Audi Q3 owner previously installed not one but two separate Apple trackers in the vehicle, just in case it gets owner – I believe he installed two trackers "just in case," as thieves become more tech-savvy and often look for AirTags in the vehicle after getting a notification on their iPhones.
As a result, the AirTags were in permanent communication with the man's other Apple devices. The Audi owner contacted the Chicago police, reported the theft, and provided the officers with information on the vehicle's location.
The Chicago cops on the ground worked with a high-tech helicopter operated by the US Customs and Border Protection. In a matter of minutes, the helicopter was in the air, following the directions provided by the AirTag. It didn't take long to track down the carjacker, with officers in the air then communicating with ground units to share live location information.
The carjacker eventually stopped the car, but an Illinois State Police trooper started chasing him on foot. Sidney was eventually caught and is now held in custody.
The police recovered the Audi Q3 and returned it to the owner.
AirTags are coin-shaped devices that access the Find My network and transmit their coordinates to a master smartphone, computer, or tablet using nearby iPhones. The AirTag doesn't have built-in Internet but can communicate its location by connecting to iPhones in proximity. Once the connection is established, the AirTag shares its location with the owner.
The device also comes with privacy protections, alerting iPhone owners when an AirTag is moving with them. As a result, thieves could get a notification that an AirTag is in the car, so the Audi owner played the safe card by installing two trackers. If the thief finds and disables the first AirTag, the second unit will still track their location.
A criminal with the police on their tail wouldn't obviously have the time to search every little place in the car, so AirTags can become essential devices for recovering a stolen vehicle. Police recommend car owners to dial 911 the moment they notice the car is missing, as the thief wouldn't have the time to disable the installed trackers if the search begins immediately.
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