What to Do If An Apple AirTag Is Tracking You

Police are warning people to be vigilant after receiving reports of Apple AirTags being used to follow individuals without their knowledge.

The small tracking devices, which are about the size of a quarter, made headlines recently when Brooks Nader, a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, revealed that someone had slipped an AirTag into her coat pocket while she was out with friends in New York City’s Tribeca neighborhood.

As she was walking home around 11:30 p.m., she received a notification on her iPhone that she was carrying an “unknown accessory.”

“This item has been moving with you for a while,” the alert read. “The owner can see its location.”

“When I was almost home, I got this notification on my home screen pop up saying that I was being tracked and I had been for a while now which is basically when I knew something wasn’t right,” she told TODAY.

Nader guessed that the AirTag had been in her pocket for about five hours before she received the alert, meaning that whoever snuck it inside her coat would have been able to track her movements without her knowledge during that time.

She said she reported the incident to the police, but added she couldn’t file a police report because no crime had been committed. The NYPD said they could not discuss the case.

Nader is one of several women who have reported being tracked without their consent by Apple AirTags.

For example, one TikTok user, @Kimbrreezeh, said in a video posted in September that her phone notified her that an unknown device was following her. 

“I was being informed that there has been an AirTag that has been following me since 5 o’ clock,” she said. “It didn’t tell me until like 11:30. … I have no idea who could’ve done this.”

Law enforcement agencies around the country have also warned Apple AirTags can be used to track cars.

What should you do if you discover you’re being tracked by an Apple AirTag? 

“Law enforcement experts say don’t go home — that could reveal where you live to the bad guys,” said senior consumer investigative correspondent instead Vicky Nguyen. “Instead, go to your local police…