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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:
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6
Inklingpot · 03/04/2022 08:54

@Mellowyellow222

They can be slotted into a card like a credit card.

I have never seen a credit card as thick as an airbag.

Everyone posting in this thread needs to Google air tags and see what size they are! They are a chunky disc about the size of and old 50p but fatter.

Yes, fairly typical MN.

‘I don’t know what this thing is and I’m not going to try to find out but it’s TERRIFYING!’

ZedMammy · 03/04/2022 08:58

Hi OP, this just be so unsettling for you both. I’ve seen quite a few videos of this happening to people and they find them concealed in the lining of something by using gaffer tape over them so they aren’t as easy to spot and it takes a really thorough search to find.

I would get her to notify the police so they are aware it is happening in her area and to see what advice they might have for locating it. Also notify the uni.

Keep us posted with how it’s going xx

GoldenOmber · 03/04/2022 08:59

Please do not notify the police about an ongoing stalking campaign until you have ruled out the more boring but likely explanations.

Iwouldlikesomecake · 03/04/2022 09:00

Yeah I call massive bullshit about ‘a woman found one in her bra’ etc. you could slip one into a braid if you had very thick hair I guess but it would be discovered quickly. They’re not tiny.

You also could not ‘quickly sew one into someone’s clothes’ in a bar unless you were some kind of spy. Your average stalky bloke is going to look a bit out of place sitting and sewing an AirTag into someone’s coat in a bar!!

Mellowyellow222 · 03/04/2022 09:01

[quote BabbleBee]@Mellowyellow222 I have one on my cat, it sits quite nicely in a holder on his collar. It doesn’t dangle down, it was a bit too big / heavy for that. I don’t find it that effective though, we can’t have enough iPhones in our area![/quote]
Oh brilliant. I might try that then.

My parents find the one on the dog - but they are out on the walk with him so there are always iPhones nearby. Might try it on the cat!

I honestly don’t think air tags are as scary as everyone is making out. They aren’t the only trackers on the market and I find them invaluable for finding lost keys.

Atomiccat · 03/04/2022 09:04

My dd had this last week, suddenly got tagged and notified, but turned out it was her apple airpods.

HavfrueDenizKisi · 03/04/2022 09:07

I would get her to bag up everything she had on her when she was at the pub. Get a friend to walk that bag some distance from her flat and then remove things one by one back to her flat to track where it is. That will eliminate/reveal where it's hidden. That is if she can't find it by a thorough search. Then search that item carefully. It's most probably in her bag or coat I'd expect. Someone wouldn't take too long trying to attach it to her belongings or they would have been noticed.

FiveForAPound · 03/04/2022 09:12

So if was on a walk with op dd but not at the takeaway then must be in her coat or bag is that right
Yes, unless it is a neighbour's AirTag and they went to the cafe too.

Which is more likely than her not being able to find it when she's looked and her not being able to hear it either.

FloralsForSpring · 03/04/2022 09:13

This is terrifying

RonSwansonsChair · 03/04/2022 09:17

@Atomiccat

My dd had this last week, suddenly got tagged and notified, but turned out it was her apple airpods.
Seems like there's some kind of glitch, hope it's the same for OP's DD.
PrivateHall · 03/04/2022 09:20

Hopefully you can get a chance to update op. I hope this all ends up with some weird but innocent explanation Flowers

MissBabs77 · 03/04/2022 09:23

Wow. Do we really need this in our lives? yet another apple invention which yes, seems like a great idea for those of us who loose things, but an ideal tool for those on the wrong side of the track, who potentially want to cause harm to others. I would definitely be travelling to my child's home and searching her flat and possessions with a fine tooth comb. This is scary.

Mellowyellow222 · 03/04/2022 09:23

@Theunamedcat

Maybe her bra isn't tiny? Or padded? I'm not saying it's probable just that it's not impossible
I don’t wear tiny bras and sometimes wear padded bras. But I can’t imagine not noticing an airtag lump. You would either notice it when you put the bra on or feel it. They are small or subtle.

I think this has to be an urban myth.

Amandasummers · 03/04/2022 09:25

Wow this is actually frightening op.

I’m also strangely impressed at technology and how this scenario has even been prepared for!

I hope she finds it soon. What about coat/jacket?

Unforgettablefire · 03/04/2022 09:29

Have a look on the AppStore for an app called device tracker, it’ll point you to where it is.

Nomoreusernames1244 · 03/04/2022 09:29

Wow. Do we really need this in our lives? yet another apple invention which yes, seems like a great idea for those of us who loose things, but an ideal tool for those on the wrong side of the track, who potentially want to cause harm to others. I would definitely be travelling to my child's home and searching her flat and possessions with a fine tooth comb

Airtags, newer iphones and airpods with airtag tech are the “safe” version of this tech. As we see here it alerts to any tag travelling with you.

Anyone who really wanted to track you for sinister reasons would get a tracker which doesn’t alert any nearby iphone user.

Tbh the “best” accessible tracking i’ve seen is google/android. If a device is logged into a google account you can log in remotely to see the entire location history, where it’s been, past journeys, everything. Apple tracking/find my iphone only gives current or most recent location.

BritInUS1 · 03/04/2022 09:29

Has she accidently picked up someones keys or something from the bar?

PerkingFaintly · 03/04/2022 09:38

@Atomiccat

My dd had this last week, suddenly got tagged and notified, but turned out it was her apple airpods.
Just highlighting this post for @iknowimcoming
prsphne · 03/04/2022 09:39

@Nelliephant1

I've got one on our dog and it's pretty useless to be honest. If my husband is out with the dog he's often got notifications that someone has checked the tag but I haven't and I'm the only other person with access, it's been picking up someone else's tag nearby, not ours.

They're designed to connect with WiFi that they have come across, if it's not accessing WiFi etc then it's just a waste of time.

Are you sure that it’s not warning your husband he’s been tracked (via the dog) when he takes it out for a walk? That’s what it should do.

We have the same but the tag is on my husbands phone, and when I leave the house with the dog I get a notification to say I’m being tracked as the AirTag stays with me for the whole walk. My husband isn’t looking, but the notification is telling me he could if he wanted to.

And it relies on other iPhones, not Wi-Fi. But it is useless if no other iPhones around.

Allmyarseandpeggymartin · 03/04/2022 09:39

It’s got to be the AirPods surely?

NerdyBird · 03/04/2022 09:39

Is her bag second hand? Could be one someone has forgotten about. Hope you sort it out OP

Atomiccat · 03/04/2022 09:45

Thanks @PerkingFaintly It was very confusing and took almost a day before she understood that noone was stalking her.. She uses her airpods every day so no idea why it suddenly popped up.

Rosey1334p · 03/04/2022 09:46

This happened to me around Xmas time I was out in London at a very busy place with alot of ppl around and in close proximity got in my car to drive home and the notification came up an air tag was moving with me.. I was in Stand still traffic for quite a lot of the journey. The tag didn’t follow me all the way home but was with me a considerable amount of time

I also live alone so was very scared.. thought something had been placed on me but there was nothing. It was either a glitch or probably someone’s air tag in one or the cars next to me.

If she or her friend who stayed has AirPods it could also be that as there is a glitch involving AirPods and apple tags

NippyWoowoo · 03/04/2022 09:54

[quote SofieM0]@KittensTeaAndCake

This all makes sense now. I have been having alerts at similar times during an evening and it’s when we get a visiting cat!!! It’s just clicked. Had no idea about airtrackers and ignored the alerts as spam!! Also I did notice a pendant on the collar that I thought was Apple branded! So this cat is making my phone alert and is too far from its owners phone so I’m getting the alert as device is separated? I did also hear noise and couldn’t figure it out. Could that have been coming from cats collar too? Does this happen to your cat?
So ppl tracking cats with these on collars could also be sending ppl alerts if cat goes out of owners phones radius?[/quote]
I watched a YouTube video on this. So yes, if the owner cannot find their cat, they can make it 'ping'.

Apparently, if you then tap your iphone on the tag, it will bring up the owner's contact details!

The example they used was for a bag. It's very clever but equally scary.

PurpleDrain · 03/04/2022 10:13

I think the crazy stalker theory is highly unlikely and no I wouldn’t do a 4 hour round trip cos of some AirTag glitch.
Sewing into hem linings is mumsnet hysteria at its best.
It will be a simple airpod or similar glitch, please don’t waste police time by reporting this.