14 DAY TRIAL // Bluetooth trackers have become a lot more common these days, as the debut of Apple’s AirTag has made these products more widely adopted.
But at the same time, the launch of the Apple AirTag has also caused new concerns that we really didn’t have before. Due to its form factor and reduced sizes, the AirTag can very well be used for all kinds of nefarious purposes, including stalking an individual who has small chances of spotting the device.
To make sure such abuses aren’t possible, Apple has developed a series of privacy protections, including a notification that shows up on your iPhone when the device detects a tracker that’s moving with you.
On the other hand, if you have an Android device, the company has come up with a so-called Tracker Detect app that’s currently available from the Google Play Store and which offers similar functionality.
Possibly coming in Android 13 this year
The big drawback, however, is that Android users need to manually scan for nearby trackers whenever they suspect they may be tracked. On iPhone, the whole thing happens automatically in the background, so users don’t have to do anything to be notified an AirTag is moving with them.
Google is reportedly working on dealing with this as we speak. The company is believed to be working on integrating native Bluetooth tracking detection in Android, with the latest Google Play services update coming with evidence the search giant is developing so-called “Unfamiliar Tag Detected notification” for Bluetooth Low-Energy tags.
The feature is still in its early days, so it’s not yet clear if it can be ready for the debut of Android 13 later this year. However, this is most likely the target, so expect Google to provide more information on the whole thing at the company’s developer conference in just a couple of months.