In a continuation of a partnership developed in 2023, Apple announced Monday that the companies have teamed up with Google to create an industry standard to reduce the misuse of object trackers.
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Most people have heard a story about how a tracking Tile, AirTag or other tracking device has been used for stalking or as a means to track and steal physical assets like cars. This new specification, Detecting Unwanted Location Trackers, is designed to alert people when an unknown tracker is moving along with them.
According to Apple's press release, "with this new capability, users will now see a '[Item] Moving with You' notification on their device when an unknown Bluetooth tracking device is moving with them, regardless of the platform the device is paired with."
The companies rolled out the specification to all Apple devices running iOS 17.5 or later, and all Android 6.0 or later devices. If an unknown tracker is detected, you’ll be notified and be able to view the tracker’s identifier, play a sound to help you find the tracker, and disable the tracker (from your iPhone). The press release didn’t say how Android users would be able to use the information.
