Apple Airtags - use on dive equipment for security?

[kelemvor]

That's a bummer. The stalker alert - while entirely necessary - completely rules out using the things to track stolen items.

 

[Dody]

In my highly unscientific testing its a pretty short window . When I have forgotten my phone my wife gets the alert pretty quickly, sub 5 minutes, usually closer to 2-3. I really like AirTags but I do want them to add family sharing or something to the tags. It's crazy that my wife can monitor where my phone/watch/laptop/ipad is but can't look for car keys with the airtag and gets the airtag stalker alert (which is entirely driven by the first issue that she is near an airtag without it's owner) if she takes the set with the airtag without me being in the car too.

With an Apple device that has an human interface linked to the OS (iPhone, Apple watch, iPad, Macbook), you can voluntarily communicate the device location to anyone you want. For a period of time or permanently. With the Airtag, if you want several people to track, you will have to share your Apple ID/ password. Apple is currently under fire for some dirty usage of the Airtag. They won’t let husbands/ wives/ parents tracks their relatives without them knowing it. But when you receive the stalker alert, you can say (press) that you don’t want to see the alerts coming from this specific Airtag because you know why it is there. However, I don’t know if it is permanent or not.

 

[azstinger11]

With an Apple device that has an human interface linked to the OS (iPhone, Apple watch, iPad, Macbook), you can voluntarily communicate the device location to anyone you want. For a period of time or permanently. With the Airtag, if you want several people to track, you will have to share your Apple ID/ password. Apple is currently under fire for some dirty usage of the Airtag. They won’t let husbands/ wives/ parents tracks their relatives without them knowing it. But when you receive the stalker alert, you can say (press) that you don’t want to see the alerts coming from this specific Airtag because you know why it is there. However, I don’t know if it is permanent or not.

Yeah I get that, but there is no reason we shouldn't be allowed to setup an airtag in the same way I can setup devices like in the find my app. A voluntary and very clear opt-in process that requires consent on both parties. It's a basic functionality that is woefully missing.
My wife is in my family sharing plan so can charge apps, in-app purchases, movies, anything without a per purchase approval using my credit card, and track every iOS device I own, but being able to access the TV remote air tag is privacy bridge too far? It absolutely needs consent, notifications of enrollment, and opt-in (instead of opt-out) but it isn't cosmic.

The ignore notifications for this airtag are per occurrence not per device. Every time my wife takes the keys with the airtags and I'm not there she gets the alert, she can mute it for that "trip" and won't get a second one so long as she stays near the keys (or my iOS devices don't communicate with them), but it isn't persistent, if she dismisses the alert today she'll get the alert tomorrow when it triggers. Again all this is easily solved by enabling family sharing.

 

[Dody]

Yeah I get that, but there is no reason we shouldn't be allowed to setup an airtag in the same way I can setup devices like in the find my app. A voluntary and very clear opt-in process that requires consent on both parties. It's a basic functionality that is woefully missing.
My wife is in my family sharing plan so can charge apps, in-app purchases, movies, anything without a per purchase approval using my credit card, and track every iOS device I own, but being able to access the TV remote air tag is privacy bridge too far? It absolutely needs consent, notifications of enrollment, and opt-in (instead of opt-out) but it isn't cosmic.

The ignore notifications for this airtag are per occurrence not per device. Every time my wife takes the keys with the airtags and I'm not there she gets the alert, she can mute it for that "trip" and won't get a second one so long as she stays near the keys (or my iOS devices don't communicate with them), but it isn't persistent, if she dismisses the alert today she'll get the alert tomorrow when it triggers. Again all this is easily solved by enabling family sharing.

Maybe Apple will add these features in the future . They are not known for promptly complying to customer requests. And I guess that their number 1 priority is to find an acceptable solution to the stalker issue.

 

[Rick Brant]

The speaker in the airtag is very easy to disable, there are many videos about how to do this. I use them for a few items I own but not my dive gear.

 

[Dody]

The speaker in the airtag is very easy to disable, there are many videos about how to do this. I use them for a few items I own but not my dive gear.

Why would you want to disable it if your usage is legit?

 

[Rick Brant]

Because I am using them to track gear that gets stolen, you know like the topic of this thread. If the beeper goes off, the thief will immediately find it.

 

[Dody]

Because I am using them to track gear that gets stolen, you know like the topic of this thread. If the beeper goes off, the thief will immediately find it.

It only goes off when the owner or a person that has been alerted that an airtag is stalking makes it ring or 24 hours after the airtag has been separated from the paired device. So, the problem is the alert, not the ring. For someone looking for a lost object, it is an indispensable feature. For a stalker, disabling the alarm in the first place so that it is difficult to find immediately makes sense.

 

[Rick Brant]

It only goes off when the owner or a person that has been alerted that an airtag is stalking makes it ring or 24 hours after the airtag has been separated from the paired device. So, the problem is the alert, not the ring. For someone looking for a lost object, it is an indispensable feature. For a stalker, disabling the alarm in the first place so that it is difficult to find immediately makes sense.

I have my airtags placed in a location that a thief would not be likely to get an alert. It's a vehicle, a large vehicle, and the tag is not placed near the driver. So the thief is not likely to get an alert. Also, there is no scenario in which a beep would be useful to me. I'm not sure what your point is here but if I was using the device for stalking it is not likely I would post here on SB.

 

[Dody]

I have my airtags placed in a location that a thief would not be likely to get an alert. It's a vehicle, a large vehicle, and the tag is not placed near the driver. So the thief is not likely to get an alert. Also, there is no scenario in which a beep would be useful to me. I'm not sure what your point is here but if I was using the device for stalking it is not likely I would post here on SB.

If the device is further than 15 meters, it is possible that the alert will not be received. My point was not to accuse you of anything. Just not very happy to see all those information on internet that could easily be used by bad people.