Android can now detect AirTags, for security

• Android updates and now allows you to alert you if an AirTag follows you without your consent
• This method helps fight against harassment
• If you have identified a suspicious AirTag, you can easily deactivate it and notify the relevant authorities

The developer of the platform announced it last May, during Google I/O: Android smartphones will be able to recognize if an AirTag is following them without the owner of the mobile being aware. And as agreed, this feature is now available, for anyone who has installed Android 6.0 or later of the open source operating system.

On iOS, this alert already exists. A solution which has already enabled several invasive ex-husbands or other potential burglars to end up in court, after being spotted and then reported to the police. This is the only one which, supported by geolocation, can legitimately intervene in the context of such a suspicion of violation of private life – or even harassment.

What should I do if an AirTag is following me?

If you receive an alert that an AirTag is tracking you without your consent, you can choose to deactivate it to prevent your GPS location from continuing to be transmitted to its owner. Here is the procedure to follow to do this:

1. enter the AirTag
2. hold the metal battery cover down
3. turn it to the left to remove it
4. remove the battery which then becomes visible

When the AirTag's battery is missing, it no longer receives energy and the transmission of the Bluetooth signal which allows it to be located via Apple's eponymous network stops.

Other tags in the loop

Although AirTags now seem to be the most popular tags of their kind at the moment, Google has still assured that other brands of similar small devices will also be supported by Android detection shortly. However, we do not yet know precisely when an update for the accessories ofSamsung, ofChipoloor even Tile and Pebblebee will be published.