Apple today released a new "Tracker Detect" app on the Google Play Store, with the app designed to allow Android users to locate AirTags that might be nearby.
According to the app's description, Tracker Detect looks for item trackers that are separated from their owner and that are compatible with the Find My Network, so it will locate AirTags and other Find My-enabled devices like the Chipolo Bluetooth item tracker.
Apple says that Android users can scan to find a nearby AirTag if they think that someone is using an AirTag or another device to track their location. The app is designed to alleviate fears from experts worried that AirTags can be used maliciously to track the location of individuals.
For iPhone users, Apple previously introduced several safety features, including an alert that will let an iPhone user know if an AirTag that does not belong to them is following them. There was no such protection for Android users prior to the introduction of the Tracker Detect app, which Apple said it was working on back in June.
An Apple Support document on the feature says that if the app detects an AirTag or Find My-compatible item tracker nearby for at least 10 minutes, a sound can be used to help locate it. Conducting a scan will reveal any nearby AirTags, and after offering up a tool to play a sound to locate the AirTag, Apple will offer information on how to disable it by removing the battery.
Tuesday October 15, 2024 6:07 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple today announced a significant upgrade to the iPad mini, now featuring an A17 Pro chip and support for the company's new Apple Intelligence system. The refreshed seventh-generation tablet maintains its compact 8.3-inch design while offering notable performance improvements and new capabilities. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The A17 Pro chip brings a 30%...
Tuesday October 15, 2024 1:57 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple has held an October event in three out of the past four years, but is an event this month still likely after today's surprise iPad mini 7 announcement? While some Apple enthusiasts believe that the iPad mini 7 being unveiled in a press release today means that Apple is unlikely to hold an October event this year, the announcement does not entirely rule out the possibility. Last year,...
Thursday October 10, 2024 8:26 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
iOS 18.1 will be released to the public in the coming weeks, and the software update introduces the first Apple Intelligence features for the iPhone. Below, we outline when to expect iOS 18.1 to be released. iOS 18.1: Apple Intelligence Features Here are some of the key Apple Intelligence features in the iOS 18.1 beta so far: A few Siri enhancements, including improved understanding...
Things are firming up for a big Halloween week for Apple, with the company's next operating system updates reportedly coming early in the week and hardware launches coming a few days later. Ahead of those hardware launches, we've recently seen what appears to be one of the most significant physical product leaks in years, while some of the new features in Apple's recent software updates have ...
Tuesday October 15, 2024 12:05 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
In its press release for the iPad mini 7 today, Apple reiterated that additional Apple Intelligence features will be rolling out "over the next several months." Below, we outline Apple Intelligence features that are expected to be added as part of iOS 18.2, which is expected to be released to the public in December. Apple Intelligence in More Languages During its iPhone 16 event last...
Tuesday October 15, 2024 8:18 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
Apple today introduced the iPad mini 7 with a faster A17 Pro chip, Apple Intelligence support, and Apple Pencil Pro support. In addition, the device also received a handful of smaller upgrades and changes compared to the previous model, as outlined below. The new iPad mini can be ordered starting today, and it launches on Wednesday, October 23. Here are six of the device's smaller...
Monday October 14, 2024 10:10 am PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today provided developers with the seventh betas of iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 to continue testing Apple Intelligence features. The seventh betas come a week after Apple seeded the sixth iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1 betas. The updates can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. Note that Apple Intelligence features still an iPhone 15...
Weird how so many people have been criticizing Apple about detecting unknown AirTags and you never heard anything like that in all the years that Tile has been operating.
I think the rush for ways to detect unknown AirTags actually makes them significantly less useful. I was able to recover a stolen item worth over $2k because of an AirTag--the thief was charged and currently in jail but if my AirTag had alerted him to its presence it would have defeated the whole point.
So I got the app, I have to manually open it and force it to scan. So the onus is still on the user. I have to THINK I'm being tracked and then search for if I am being tracked or not. I wish it would just prompt you as soon as it detected something just like iOS does.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro are Apple's newest iPhones and follow last year's iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, but how different are the two latest models, and what exactly does a "Pro" device offer?