"AirTag found moving with you"

[Anonymous]

On a walk outside today, my iPhone popped up the notification in the title. When I got home I tried to use the "play the sound" option, but by the time I got home the AirTag was no longer available. It had been available for ~20 minutes during the walk but not when I got home.

I googled this but found a bunch of conflicting potential explanations for this.

Anyone on this board who is more tech savvy than I able to offer a plain English explanation of the potential cause? Many thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

DH/DW is tracking you when you leave specific locations.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher. When I have received that notification it's been because a parent added an air tag to a kid's clothing or belongings and we are on a field trip where we travel place to place together.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like your phone picked up an AirTag that was in the vicinity of your walk.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't think this is a big deal. Was someone walking behind you for a while? Maybe a car parked that you were standing near?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher. When I have received that notification it's been because a parent added an air tag to a kid's clothing or belongings and we are on a field trip where we travel place to place together.

I'll add that it shows up when the phone it's linked to isn't present. So, I think if someone snuck an airtag into your belongings, it wouldn't show up when you were with that person, only when they (or really their phone) wasn't with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a teacher. When I have received that notification it's been because a parent added an air tag to a kid's clothing or belongings and we are on a field trip where we travel place to place together.

I'll add that it shows up when the phone it's linked to isn't present. So, I think if someone snuck an airtag into your belongings, it wouldn't show up when you were with that person, only when they (or really their phone) wasn't with you.

+1 This happened to me because my kid came home from college and forgot her prescription, which I took her keys to go get the next day (she was too sick to drive.) the AirTag was on her keys but her phone was at home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH/DW is tracking you when you leave specific locations.

Why would you post something like this? That is obviously not what is happening here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like your phone picked up an AirTag that was in the vicinity of your walk.

In order to receive that notification the AirTag needs to be traveling with you over time, and the phone of the person tracking the air tag isn’t there. It’s not about being in the vicinity, it’s about moving together.

[Anonymous]

Am I the only one who has no idea what this thread is referring to?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who has no idea what this thread is referring to?

Yes lol

[Anonymous]

So if someone picks up my bag at the airport, they will get an alert that an unknown Air Tag is with them?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So if someone picks up my bag at the airport, they will get an alert that an unknown Air Tag is with them?

If they have an Apple iPhone, yes. I don’t think it notifies Android devices.

[Anonymous]

I've gotten this notice when walking with a friend and her dog, the dog was wearing the tag.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I the only one who has no idea what this thread is referring to?

Apple makes these small, round devices that are about the diameter of a quarter but significantly thicker. They are called AirTags and people use them to track things such as luggage, backpacks and even pets (the AirTag can attach to a collar).
They’re inexpensive (around $25/each) and very easy to use. An unfortunate use of these has been some people hide a tag in the car (or purse…) of someone they want to follow. When this happens the AirTag senses that it is now “connected” to an iPhone that is not its partner device and notifies that iPhone that an AirTag is moving with it.