Android introduces kryptonite to Apple AirTags: they can be hacked if you have them nearby

Google’s promises, albeit somewhat belatedly, are already arriving. From now on, All Android phones will have the ability to neutralize Apple AirTags in an extremely simple way. These trackers have been around for many years and are used for a variety of purposes, some of them quite malicious. Anyone who uses them to ignorantly stalk and harass will now face a new barrier.

Finding and disarming a stalking AirTag is easy if you have an iPhone, but everything changes if you have an Android phone in your pocket. Google worked with Apple to send alerts when one of these trackers was near you multiple times without its owner being there. And the truth is that they work, but not always not as good as it should be.

Now, after a long time, Google has finally provided the necessary tools to Android mobile device users. When the next update arrives on mobile phones around the world, They will be able to find the AirTag that is following them. and neutralize misuse.

• Find AirTag on your Android mobile phone. Finally, if one of these trackers is near you and its owner is not present (that’s a good sign that they are using it to track your person or vehicle), you can find the device from your smartphone. Google hasn’t indicated how to do this, but it’s possible that you can make it ring and search your immediate area to find it.
• Neutralize AirTag. Additionally, users who encounter this situation will have the option to activate a new option that disables your device’s location so that the tracker cannot be detected and therefore does not perform its function. This last detail, while interesting, is not entirely effective if you are in an environment with a lot of mobile phones, since the AirTag can continue to connect to them to determine its location.

The most interesting thing about this, of course, is the ability to find the AirTag with precise indications of its location. Also, these two features don’t have to wait for Android 15, they will likely be implemented via new Google Play Services, so All Android phones, regardless of their version, will be able to take advantage of these benefits..

Who says AirTag, says any tracker

AirTag is the most popular tracker of its type in the world, but not the only one. In fact, Google’s new features are available for other devices on the market as well. Samsung, Motorola and other independent brands like Tile have a few, although they’re much more controlled because they run on Google’s own network of devices.

Now everyone plays by the same rules, including Apple trackers that have been roaming the world for years with the potential to break some of the basic rules of coexistence. Or at least without offering the possibility of finding them if there is a suspicion that they are committing a crime.

Because yes, placing an AirTag – or any GPS – on someone without their consent. This is a criminal offense.