Thieves Steal Seven Dirt Bikes, Have No Clue AirTags Track Their Every Move

Apple customers discovered that AirTags are irreplaceable gadgets for car, motorcycle, and bike owners, as planting the pill-shaped device in a vehicle could help recover it when thieves get in the way.

A Catawba County family discovered this side of Apple's AirTag earlier this month when seven dirt bikes were stolen from their garage.

Surveillance cameras show four people sneaking into the family's garage and stealing not one, not two, but seven dirt bikes.

Recovering a stolen vehicle is no easy business. Thieves typically use highly complex tactics to cover their traces, with vehicles sometimes disassembled before police even start investigating. However, this case was different because the owner previously installed Apple AirTags inside the dirt bikes.

Lindsay Moretz and husband Dustin were not at home when the dirt bikes were stolen, but thanks to Apple's AirTags, tracking down the vehicles was possible from any location. Dustin was working 2,000 miles from home, so Lindsay took the matter into her own hands. She unlocked her iPhone, launched the Find My app, and found that the dirt bikes were located in a neighborhood in Raleigh.

The woman didn't want to wait anymore, so she jumped behind the wheel and drove to the location indicated by the AirTag. It's not the best thing to do when dealing with criminals, and police recommend against it, but the woman also called the highway patrol to tell them about the dirt bikes' location. Fortunately, the officers promptly responded to the request, so they rushed to the coordinates revealed by the AirTag – the same location where Lindsay was already heading.

The highway patrol also obtained a warrant, so when the officers arrived at the scene, they could search the area for the dirt bikes. They eventually discovered the vehicles in a trailer, with all seven bikes returned to the owner.

Unfortunately, police still have no information about the suspects, and the investigation is still underway. Authorities try to determine if the theft is in any way linked with others, as they want to figure out if the same suspects are responsible for other hits.

How AirTags work

Apple's AirTag is a pill-shaped device whose form factor allows for installation in hidden places, such as inside cars or the handlebar of a bicycle.

The device uses a removable CR2032 battery with up to six months per unit, so owners don't have to recharge the tracker. This means that the AirTag can be planted inside a car and removed only once or twice every year for battery replacements.

Apple's AirTag doesn't come with built-in Internet. However, it broadcasts its location using nearby iPhones. It connects to other Apple devices using Bluetooth, so the iPhones in proximity must be very close to the tracker. Once the connection is established, the AirTag can share its coordinates in the Find My app.

Owners can launch the app on their iPhones and look for the AirTag location. The coordinates aren't updated in real-time, though a refresh happens every few seconds if a connection to an iPhone is available. When the AirTag has no iPhone nearby to broadcast its location, the Find My app displays the last known location.

What's next for AirTags

Apple is already working on the second-generation AirTag, albeit it's unclear when the company wants to release the upgraded model.

Previous reports based on sources familiar with the project indicated that Apple originally planned to launch the second AirTag this year. The company eventually delayed the release because the first model was still in hot demand, and its inventory was full of unsold units. It's one of the reasons the AirTag has received several discounts lately, likely ahead of the second generation's launch.

The next AirTag is expected to come with increased precision and even better battery life. The device could also ship improved stalking protection, as criminals around the world discovered a nefarious use that allows them to plant the device into victims' cars or purses to track their locations. Apple has already shipped anti-stalking updates, with AirTags capable of sending warnings when moving with an iPhone, but the device remains a popular device among stalkers.

Apple has remained tight-lipped on its plans for the AirTag, but we should hear more information about the upgraded model next year. Meanwhile, the first model serves its purpose correctly, so you should also get the device and plant it in your car before it's too late. If you have no idea where to hide the AirTag, I recently created a list with the best five places to plant the tracker and make it insanely difficult for a thief to find and disable the device.