Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parents of adult children

Wondering how to stop worrying about your grown child? Speak to others in our Parents of Adult Children forum.

Original poster

Dd notified of new Apple tag with her since early hours - advice?

346 replies

iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 21:05

Dd is 22, at uni, lives alone in flat with 24 hour reception (manned 24 hours) we visited her yesterday and went for brunch this morning, this evening she's had a notification that a new AirTag has been with her since 5.01am and shows the walk we took to and from the cafe this morning. She's checked everything and can't find anything, has anyone had this and it's been a mistake or should we be very concerned?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
6
pastypirate · 02/04/2022 23:25

If she can't find anything can they coat and bag go in the washing machine? Assuming that would break it?

Scbchl · 02/04/2022 23:26

Iv just googled as had no idea what this was. When did her and her friend get home, were they at an after party where someone could of slipped it in something of hers?

Scbchl · 02/04/2022 23:31

If you get an alert that an AirTag, AirPods or another Find My network accessory is travelling with you, follow these steps to find it. First, check on the Find My app if you're able to play a sound on the unknown accessory:

Tap the alert.
Tap Continue and then tap Play Sound.
Listen for the sound. You can play it again if you need more time to find the item.
If the option to play a sound isn’t available, the item may not be with you any more. Or if it was with you overnight, its identifier may have changed. Find My uses the identifier to determine that it's the same item moving with you. If the item is within range of its owner, you also won't be able to play a sound.

If the option to play a sound isn't available, or if you're unable to hear the sound and you believe the item is still with you, look through your belongings to try to find it. Check on your person, or in anything in your possession that could contain this device. It could be in an item that you don’t check often, such as a jacket pocket, the outer compartment of a bag or your vehicle. If you can’t find the device and if you feel your safety is at risk, go to a safe public location and contact law enforcement.

Original poster
iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 23:32

Already checked with friend - hasn't left anything behind and doesn't have any AirTags. I will FaceTime her tomorrow and go thru everything with her, she's actually gone to bed now as it was a big day yesterday (hence the visit) and she's shattered. I'm as confident as I can be that she's safe tonight. I'll update tomorrow, thanks all Smile

OP posts:
Gingernaut · 02/04/2022 23:34

It's the size of a coin.

She needs to systematically search every part of her bag and coat and not be so stupid as to leave her bag and coat unattended again.

Original poster
iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 23:35

Sorry should have said she's tried the play the sound thing and can't hear anything at all (Googling reveals that the speakers can be removed to avoid them being found if you're committed though)Sad I'm really hoping it's a random mix-up and it's somebody in the flat above or below her maybe? And they happened the go to the same cafe this morning ......

OP posts:
Fraaahnces · 02/04/2022 23:41

It wouldn’t have showed the walk if it was in the flat upstairs. It’s on her or with her. Maybe in her phone case?

Original poster
iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 23:49

Tried the phone case, and she went out earlier this evening for food (literally round the corner) and checked at the takeaway and it showed it still in her flat (she only took her phone and purse with her)

OP posts:
Original poster
iknowimcoming · 02/04/2022 23:51

@Gingernaut

It's the size of a coin.

She needs to systematically search every part of her bag and coat and not be so stupid as to leave her bag and coat unattended again.

Thanks for the stupid comment - very helpful

OP posts:
SheWoreYellow · 02/04/2022 23:54

@MichelleScarn

If someone didn't have an iPhone, am I right that they could be tracked with one of these and never know?!
They need an iPhone to track. They don’t just track people.
EmmaH2022 · 02/04/2022 23:57

Do they attach to magnets by any chance? It might help to run a magnet through her bag in that case.

EatSleepReplete · 02/04/2022 23:57

Which coat was she wearing, did she say? If it was the same one sye wore when she went out when she noticed it tracking her, she can probably discard the coat as a suspect. Bag maybe?

EmmaH2022 · 02/04/2022 23:58

SheWoreYellow but doesn't that mean the person with an iphone puts an air tag on someone and tracks them?

Bloody hate all this.

EatSleepReplete · 03/04/2022 00:03

@MichelleScarn they need the signal from iphones to transmit the location back to the owner. If the person who is carrying the tag has an iPhone, that will work. If they don't, then it will only "ping" every time the tag gets near to someone who does have an iPhone. So it would show as a series of points along a route but the tag owner wouldn't see the whole route.

KittensTeaAndCake · 03/04/2022 00:10

They need an iPhone to track. They don’t just track people.

The person tracking needs an iPhone to track, the trackee could be totally oblivious if they didn’t have an iPhone, but the airtag has to be within a certain range of the tracker’s iPhone. I have one for my cat.

KittensTeaAndCake · 03/04/2022 00:12

And yes they get picked up by others iPhones too

Camdenish · 03/04/2022 00:13

Did she get a takeaway coffee? Could the tag be in the rubbish bin?

QuebecBagnet · 03/04/2022 00:14

@MichelleScarn

If someone didn't have an iPhone, am I right that they could be tracked with one of these and never know?!
I believe so. So I have an iPhone which would alert me to an unknown air tag. But Dd has an android which I don’t think would warn her. There are also other makes like Samsung tiles. I have no idea if they warn people. Probably not because I activated a Samsung tile on my DD’s keys yesterday which is linked to my iPhone. I also have an android phone which hasn’t warned me about the tile and they’ve been next to each other most of the day.
QuebecBagnet · 03/04/2022 00:16

but the airtag has to be within a certain range of the tracker’s iPhone.

Don’t they just have to be in a certain range of any iphone? Which is why I bought mine to put on my bike in case of theft. There was someone on here yesterday who tracked her stolen car due to an airtag. Her phone wasn’t near it but she could see where it was.

MyLifeNow20 · 03/04/2022 00:20

Is it her airtag? How did you track it or get notifications? My DD is also at uni. x

Motnight · 03/04/2022 00:24

@Gingernaut do you often victim blame?

Op this sounds really scary. Hope it all gets sorted.

FrankLeeSpeaking · 03/04/2022 00:25

@Gingernaut

It's the size of a coin.

She needs to systematically search every part of her bag and coat and not be so stupid as to leave her bag and coat unattended again.

Or, you know people could just not use them to track people.
DuckaLucka · 03/04/2022 00:31

This is frightening. But it sounds like apples defences are working. I hope she finds it and is safe.

LocalHobo · 03/04/2022 00:37

Every AirTag has a unique serial number, and paired AirTags are associated with an Apple ID. Apple can provide the paired account details in response to a subpoena or valid request
Is this statement on Apple's website relevant?
Hope you can get it sorted.

jytdtysrht · 03/04/2022 00:38

Even if it won’t play sounds, there is a precision find function that should allow her to locate it. Apple do not want them used for unwanted tracking.