Android may soon notify users when nearby AirTags are detected

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Apple’s AirTags are a great way to help keep up with personal items that you don’t want to use. Unfortunately, they’ve also been used as a way to stalk people since their initial release.

Now, it looks like Google is adding a feature to Android phones to try and protect users from AirTag stalkers.

According to a new report from 9to5Google, the latest Android build contains a few lines of code referencing an “unfamiliar device alert” and an “unfamiliar tag detected notification” for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags.

A few months ago, Apple built an Android app with the specific purpose of helping Android users sniff out unwanted AirTags. But this effort from Google looks to make that ability available to all Android users, even without the app.

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Google’s solution includes code tags for three different types of tracking devices. The first, “ATag”, is likely a reference to Apple’s AirTags. There’s also a line for “Tile” devices, which likely point to Tile’s AirTag competitor.

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The final tag just says “Finder” device, so it’s unclear exactly what it represents. This code line could reference more generic tracking devices, but there’s no way to know as of yet.

In addition to being able to identify AirTags and other trackers, Google’s system will likely also let you ring unknown trackers so you can locate them more easily.

The tracking and unwanted device alerts will likely show up in the “Safety & Emergency” section of the settings on an Android device.

It’s still unclear exactly when this feature will come to Android and what it will look like.

Hopefully, the new safety feature will be comprehensive and do everything that Google can to try and help Android users protect themselves from rogue AirTag trackers.

Have any thoughts on this? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• Are Apple’s AirTags draining the battery life of nearby devices?
• How to locate and disable an unknown AirTag on Android and iOS
• Here’s what happens if you mail an AirTag to Tim Cook
• AirTags could be used to stalk you – here’s how to stay protected

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.