Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Apple
Apple's AirTag has become an incredible tool in the fight against thieves, with the device evolving from a simple gadget whose role was to let people keep an eye on their wallets to a must-have car tracker.
Its small form factor, the long battery life, and the integration into the Find My network made the AirTag a valuable weapon used by car owners and the police to recover stolen vehicles.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Browser announced a new program to give away AirTags to drivers in selected police service areas, specifically to install them in their cars for tracking.
The AirTags would be used for monitoring the vehicle's location, with the owner able to provide the police with critical information if it gets stolen.
The Mayor explains that the AirTags will initially be handed out to residents in regions with the greatest increase in vehicle theft. Car owners interested in getting an AirTag for free must attend a special scheduled distribution event where, if eligible, they'll receive the device and professional assistance from the officers to set it up.
Once the device is successfully configured, the AirTag can be installed in the car, tracking its location and sharing critical data to assist the police in locating and recovering it.
Apple's AirTag works with a removable CR2032 battery whose autonomy should reach six months for a new unit. The device doesn't include a built-in Internet connection but connects to nearby iPhones to send its location to the master smartphone. It's what makes it so effective – the AirTag can use any nearby iPhone to broadcast its coordinates, so as long as it detects an Apple smartphone in proximity, it can show the location of a stolen vehicle.
The AirTag has a small factor that allows it to be installed in hard-to-reach places, so the thieves could hardly find it in the vehicle. However, the device also sports anti-stalking protection, so if the thief carries an iPhone, they could receive an alert that an AirTag is traveling with them. The notification allows the thief to make the AirTag generate a sound specifically to find it, so the better you hide it, the bigger the chances for the tracker to escape the wrath of the criminals.
Law enforcement tells car owners to call the police the second they notice the car is missing, as starting an immediate chase makes it harder for the thief to disable the AirTag. A criminal with the police on their tail doesn't have the time to thoroughly search the cabin for AirTags, so the tracker could continue to provide location data, eventually offering critical help in recovering the stolen vehicle.
You can find complete information on who is eligible for the AirTag giveaway in DC, as well as the distribution event details, in the original announcement embedded below.
Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Browser announced a new program to give away AirTags to drivers in selected police service areas, specifically to install them in their cars for tracking.
The AirTags would be used for monitoring the vehicle's location, with the owner able to provide the police with critical information if it gets stolen.
The Mayor explains that the AirTags will initially be handed out to residents in regions with the greatest increase in vehicle theft. Car owners interested in getting an AirTag for free must attend a special scheduled distribution event where, if eligible, they'll receive the device and professional assistance from the officers to set it up.
Once the device is successfully configured, the AirTag can be installed in the car, tracking its location and sharing critical data to assist the police in locating and recovering it.
Apple's AirTag works with a removable CR2032 battery whose autonomy should reach six months for a new unit. The device doesn't include a built-in Internet connection but connects to nearby iPhones to send its location to the master smartphone. It's what makes it so effective – the AirTag can use any nearby iPhone to broadcast its coordinates, so as long as it detects an Apple smartphone in proximity, it can show the location of a stolen vehicle.
The AirTag has a small factor that allows it to be installed in hard-to-reach places, so the thieves could hardly find it in the vehicle. However, the device also sports anti-stalking protection, so if the thief carries an iPhone, they could receive an alert that an AirTag is traveling with them. The notification allows the thief to make the AirTag generate a sound specifically to find it, so the better you hide it, the bigger the chances for the tracker to escape the wrath of the criminals.
Law enforcement tells car owners to call the police the second they notice the car is missing, as starting an immediate chase makes it harder for the thief to disable the AirTag. A criminal with the police on their tail doesn't have the time to thoroughly search the cabin for AirTags, so the tracker could continue to provide location data, eventually offering critical help in recovering the stolen vehicle.
You can find complete information on who is eligible for the AirTag giveaway in DC, as well as the distribution event details, in the original announcement embedded below.
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