AirTags FINALLY Get That Anti-Stalking Firmware Update

Cell phones have been an integral part of the American way of life for so long that it feels like they’ve been around forever. However, that’s just not the case; cell phones are still fairly new, especially when you consider all of their amazing capabilities and all of the changes we’ve seen in the past five to ten years alone. The one area where cell phones have had trouble making a mark, however, is in locating lost items.

The new feature

AirTag Auto Disable: Now, AirTags will be unable to track anyone’s location after being inactive for more than 1 hour. To disable and enable tracking, users must enter their credentials into an app. This way, if a user is worried about his or her AirTag getting stolen, he or she can simply disable it and it can’t be used to find him or her without that key code.

This ensures that your AirTag will stay with you and only you! Additionally, thanks to this update, we won’t have to deal with any of those pesky stalking lawsuits from exes and ex-lovers. 😉 We want to ensure our customers feel safe in every situation—we don’t want them worrying about having their whereabouts tracked by a creepy partner or stalker. Our new anti-stalking feature allows our customers to remain calm and confident in all situations when using AirTags! We’re so excited to finally launch our anti-stalking feature microsoft!

The old feature

In order for a user to view someone else’s GPS data on their smartphone, that person must first have allowed them to track them. This led to some rather shady practices by people who wanted to get around their spouse’s wishes and stay in touch. For example, one AirTag wearer received multiple calls from her mother, who wanted to know why she wasn’t picking up her phone. The reason? Her mom had tracked her down at work and saw that she was too busy getting patted down by a police officer… It may be old news, but it was enough of a security hole that AirTag quickly got rid of it.

How we got here

It all started with AirTag Labs’ release of what was, at first, a revolutionary product. The AirTag was a microchip that would allow users to link their possessions to their phones and be alerted if they got too far away from them. Early adopters loved it, but eventually some of those early adopters became stalkers and thought it would be super fun to use the technology for unproductive activities like showing up at someone else’s house unannounced (seriously). This caused huge backlash from those who had originally embraced AirTag technology. In response, AirTag Labs released an update to the firmware in which all tags are now linked to GPS coordinates – meaning no more peeping with location tracking!

Future developments

It had been a long time coming, but AirTag finally got around to developing that anti-stalking firmware update. Previously, users were able to access close friends’ whereabouts when they checked their tags. However, with so many serious threats facing not just celebrities but all citizens today, it was important that AirTag started acting responsibly in order to protect their users.

This week, they released a new version of their mobile app that allows users to share location data only with those who have previously agreed to share it with them and warns them if they are nearing someone whom they do not know. It is a huge step forward for personal security and we applaud AirTag for being responsible enough to recognize its importance and creating such a useful product fix error.

Life goes on

For too long, we’ve seen AirTag users unable to use their devices to protect them from their stalkers and other unauthorized individuals. Of course, we try our best to make sure that when you buy an AirTag that it doesn’t have any known issues—but if we’re being honest here, not even diligent QA is enough sometimes. We love our users and want nothing but for them to live happy lives. It might seem like a long time coming but I am proud to announce that AirTags finally get that anti-stalking firmware update…it’s about time! (link leads to changelog)

And with that, I hope all of you continue to enjoy your AirTags as much as you always have–I know I do. Those new features are just amazing–although maybe a bit of overkill in some cases. What do you guys think?

And the scariest thing of all

Whether we like to admit it or not, most of us have probably known someone who’s had a stalker. The stories can be horrifying. Imagine being followed by someone who knows your every move, every day. You might stop going out, fearful that you’ll see that person nearby. Suddenly, you’re afraid to live your own life! When AirTags’ anti-stalking firmware was hacked a few days ago and released on Torrent sites around the world, many feared their worst fears were coming true: AirTag users could now be tracked wherever they went! Perhaps more frightening still is how no one knows how it got hacked in the first place… but we’re pleased to report that all is well with our devices once again!