Google rolls out tracker alerts to combat unauthorised AirTags and other Bluetooth trackers
The tracker alerts will be available to anyone running Android 6.0 or higher.
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As we covered earlier, Google is rolling out its Unknown Tracker Alerts to help users stay safe from Bluetooth trackers for users on Android 6.0 and higher.
Get automatic alerts for unknown trackers
With unknown tracker alerts, a user will get notified on their compatible Android device if an unknown Bluetooth tracker is separated from its owner and is found to be travelling with them.
The user can tap the notification to learn more about the tracker and view a map of where the tracker was seen travelling with them. They can also tap “Play sound” and the tracker will make a noise to help them locate it without the owner of the tracker knowing.
Unknown tracker alerts currently work with Apple AirTags with Google saying that it will continue to work with tag manufacturers to expand this important protection to other tracking tags over time through joint industry specification.
Taking action on an unknown tracker alert
(Image source: Google)
After a user receives an alert, they can learn more about the unknown Bluetooth tracker and get tips on how to take action.
When the device is near the back of the user’s smartphone, some Bluetooth trackers may share their serial number or additional information about the owner of the device, like the last four digits of their phone number.
You can also learn how to physically disable the Bluetooth tracker completely, so the device will stop the owner from receiving future location updates from the tracker.
Manually scan your surroundings
(Image source: Google)
There may be times a user could want to check the surroundings for trackers without waiting for an alert. Google has built a manual scan feature to check if there are any trackers nearby that are separated from their owners.
To do this, go to Settings → Safety & emergency → Unknown tracker alerts and tap the “Scan Now” button. Your device will take about 10 seconds to complete a manual scan, and then a list of trackers that are currently determined to be near and separated from their owner’s device will be shown. Tips on what to do next can be found by tapping the listed tracker.
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