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Original poster

Air tag tracking me but I don't own one

238 replies

frustratedplusone · 01/03/2025 23:54

Hi just need a bit of advice on how these work. Last day or two my phone keeps telling me im near an air tag .. but I don't own one. From history it's only tracking me when I'm in my car. It shows every journey I made today. I asked my soon to be ex partner as he has one and he said why do I have his air tag on my phone? .. I don't have his on my phone! I never received notifications on his whereabouts when he used it and the history is only tracking where i have been not anyone else. He said he's not put it in my car but we are going through a break up due to emotional abuse on his part so I don't want to demand to see his as trying to avoid further conflict, is there any explanation for this other than he has hid one in my car? Only me and my DD been in car she's 9 and doesn't have one.

OP posts:
PumpkinPie2016 · 02/03/2025 08:57

Sorry no idea why all my numbers became 1 🙄

bottlemom · 02/03/2025 09:00

Our dog has one on her harness, it alerts me that I'm being tracked every single time she's in the car. There's a tracker in your car

RedToothBrush · 02/03/2025 09:00

Go to the police. It strengthens your case for harassment, stalking and coercive control.

Even if you can't find it, you have a good argument here to involve the police to investigate because your phone is going mad and alerting you that you are being tracked. You have evidence that someone is following your movements.

I'd also be looking carefully at my social media and changing passwords.

Good luck and be careful.

TagSplashMaverick · 02/03/2025 09:08

he is controlling and abusive but not done anything like this before

It’s him.

Imbusytodaysorry · 02/03/2025 09:37

Your ex has outs a tracker on your car . Go for the police or a garage then the police.
Don’t let him off with this.
The abuse will continue.
Remember what is advised on here to any women leaving an abusive marriage, this is when they ramp up the abuse.

Isobel201 · 02/03/2025 09:41

my iphone will pick up anyone else's air tag nearby, it does it if I'm in my mum's car and she has one there.

Imbusytodaysorry · 02/03/2025 09:43

PumpkinPie2016 · 02/03/2025 08:56

How worrying for you @frustratedplusone

Really, I can only 2nd what others have said;

  1. Screen shot any evidence
  1. I would contact the police before attempting to find it - explain your suspicions and ask for their advice.
  1. Depending on 2, you can then take the car to a reputable garage and ask them to help find it. Ask them to photograph where they find it/see if you can get pictures or other proof that they were looking for it.
  1. Once it's found, take it straight to the police.

Above all else, don't let your car anywhere near your ex until its sorted or he will try to move it. I hope you can get things moving today.

This is a good order of things OP.
Don’t be flippant or loose any evidence .

noctilucentcloud · 02/03/2025 09:45

OP this site has some information about how to find and disable an airbag. However, I think it'd be worth talking to someone like Womens Aid for advice to make sure you and your daughter are safe (abusers often increase in their control as the relationship is about to end) and that you collect the right evidence (eg screenshot, photos) for the police if required. https://refugetechsafety.org/airtag/

CalicoPusscat · 02/03/2025 09:53

Really hope you find it soon. Or sell the car and get a new one, he'd wonder what you're doing in Skegness etc 😁

sanityisamyth · 02/03/2025 09:56

CalicoPusscat · 02/03/2025 09:53

Really hope you find it soon. Or sell the car and get a new one, he'd wonder what you're doing in Skegness etc 😁

Edited

🤣

Dolphinnoises · 02/03/2025 10:01

How often do you see your ex? The AirTag needs to “see” its owner on a regular basis or it starts to beep. I found this out the hard way when DD took her AirTag on a school overnight trip as the school aren’t great on keeping us informed of traffic problems and I thought it would be helpful on the way home.

You should be able to get it to beep using the instructions posters have posted above. Otherwise use a torch and have a thorough look.

TattyPhoenix · 02/03/2025 10:03

Apple quite literally have put this function in to prevent what is happening to you! It's meant to let people know that they are being tracked. The fucker is gas lighting you.

support.apple.com/en-gb/119874

xWren · 02/03/2025 10:09

My DP has one in his work van as it’s company owned and they track their vehicles for safety.
If he picks me up in the van, I get a notification that I’m being tracked by an air tag - it’s a safety precaution from Apple so people can’t be tracked unknowingly.
If your ex is controlling and abusive, it is most likely him that has put this in your car to track you.
Unfortunately you have already alerted him to your knowledge of it.
I’d take it to a reputable garage, have them find and remove it and then I’d love to see his face tracking you driving it all the way to the Police station!

TheCatterall · 02/03/2025 10:17

@frustratedplusone so when you ask him to track his air tag on his phone - where does it say it is? Has he shown you in his phone where it says it is?

basically he’s put it in your car.

What to do (according to Google).
Follow the instructions on your device to disable the AirTag

Consider contacting the authorities if you feel unsafe

Use Bluetooth tracking apps to scan for any unknown AirTags in your vicinity

this YouTube video says you can make it play a sound to find it. It’s two years old though so not sure how upto date this is.

godmum56 · 02/03/2025 10:22

"He's been abusive and controlling"
And yet you are still with him?

Oldglasses · 02/03/2025 10:28

Your partner is abusive and controlling. I think that answers your question. I hope you can find it in your car, and definitely inform the police.

Crazybaby123 · 02/03/2025 10:29

Our ring doorbell somehow hooked itself up to my sons playatation and we can't figure out why or how it did it. I would google all the ways to check how air trackers work and can get accidently connected, or how to find ones if someone has put one in your car for example. Could be multiple explanations you will have to work through each one.

LunchtimeNaps · 02/03/2025 10:31

This happened to me although all innocent. My car was in for service. Borrowed DP car with permission to pop to an appointment and I got notified I was being followed by an AirTag. Turns out DP had left his motorbike keys in the car and they had a tag on them. Really handy for this stalking shit but not so handy if you're trying to track a stolen thing and the thief is notified.

Hdjdb42 · 02/03/2025 10:35

It's definitely in your car because I've hidden one in mine, and that's exactly what happens to my phone too. Check the seat back pockets and the boot where the spare tyre sits.

Jacopo · 02/03/2025 10:38

Actually I think you should play the long game here in order to ensure you get out of your relationship safely. By all means locate the tracker, but leave it where it is. Don’t tell him you’ve found it. Change all your passwords on everything. Don’t drive anywhere that you don’t want him to know about. Get out of the relationship. Then dump the tag.

Peanutcurry · 02/03/2025 10:39

Do airtags only alert nearby iPhones that they might be being tracked without owner's knowledge, or would an airtag alert an android phone?

Lolapusht · 02/03/2025 10:44

Maybe change all your passwords too. Does he have access to your WiFi password etc? How tech savvy is he in general?

As an interesting side note, Apple introduced the notification thing because men decided it was ok to put trackers on women without their knowledge or consent. Really handy bit of technology that was of course used for nefarious purposes. So it’s not totally unbelievable that he would put a tracker on you.

Lolapusht · 02/03/2025 10:46

Peanutcurry · 02/03/2025 10:39

Do airtags only alert nearby iPhones that they might be being tracked without owner's knowledge, or would an airtag alert an android phone?

Think they only work with iPhones (I was going to say “no” but I’m sure someone will have made them work somewhere so it might not be 100% certain!).

You can get similar things for android phones but not sure if they alert you as AirTags do.

oOiluvfriendsOo · 02/03/2025 10:48

My partner got a new car and was getting air tag alerts. Google how to find air tag, that will tell you hot to activate a sound from the air tag allowing you to find it

MimiSunshine · 02/03/2025 10:49

I would be driving straight to the nearest police station showing them the notifications on your phone and reporting your ex as likely to have planted it and his abuse.

don’t bother taking it to a garage. They are only going to look in the obvious places you can look. It won’t be secreted into the engine or anything and to report it to the police it’s best to leave it in situ for now