Photo: Apple
On paper, the AirTag is the kind of device that pretty much each and every one of us eventually needs. It’s a GPS tracker support to help us never lose our belongings, be they the keys, the wallets, or anything else that typically gets lost.
Unfortunately, however, it was only a matter of time until people with bad intentions figured out the potential of the AirTag, and this is how the device is now being used for all kinds of nefarious purposes from stalking to monitoring cars that would eventually get stolen.
And now, a very simple hack is making the AirTags just the perfect device for thieves.
Someone on Etsy has started selling what is being described as silent AirTags, which are essentially modded Apple GPS trackers that no longer produce an audio warning when they’re away from their owners for too long.
Apple has specifically configured the AirTag to beep, not only to make it easier to locate the device but also to potentially warn other people a GPS tracker might be close to them.
The Etsy post has since gone viral, and while the seller says they just wanted the silent AirTags to be used to keep track of bikes or pets, it’s very clear people out there could employ them for other nefarious purposes.
The listing has already been removed, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is entirely gone. There are tons of resources on how to mute an AirTag out there on the WWW, and it’s pretty much impossible to block criminals from accessing them.
If anything, Apple could make it harder to disconnect the internal speaker of the AirTag by rendering the device useless when such tampering occurs, but on the other hand, there are other methods to achieve the same purpose. One of them is by simply muffing the speaker sound, and at first glance, there’s not much Apple can do about it, given there’s no interfering with the hardware.
The typical recommendation still stands: just pay attention to your iPhone in case you receive an alert of a nearby AirTag. And Android users, you’d better install the Tracker Detect app ASAP.
And now, a very simple hack is making the AirTags just the perfect device for thieves.
Someone on Etsy has started selling what is being described as silent AirTags, which are essentially modded Apple GPS trackers that no longer produce an audio warning when they’re away from their owners for too long.
Apple has specifically configured the AirTag to beep, not only to make it easier to locate the device but also to potentially warn other people a GPS tracker might be close to them.
The Etsy post has since gone viral, and while the seller says they just wanted the silent AirTags to be used to keep track of bikes or pets, it’s very clear people out there could employ them for other nefarious purposes.
The listing has already been removed, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the problem is entirely gone. There are tons of resources on how to mute an AirTag out there on the WWW, and it’s pretty much impossible to block criminals from accessing them.
If anything, Apple could make it harder to disconnect the internal speaker of the AirTag by rendering the device useless when such tampering occurs, but on the other hand, there are other methods to achieve the same purpose. One of them is by simply muffing the speaker sound, and at first glance, there’s not much Apple can do about it, given there’s no interfering with the hardware.
The typical recommendation still stands: just pay attention to your iPhone in case you receive an alert of a nearby AirTag. And Android users, you’d better install the Tracker Detect app ASAP.
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