Apple today rolled out iOS 15.4 beta 4 to developers, adding some of the company’s previous AirTag anti-tracking features. In response to concerns that AirTag trackers and the “Find My” search network are being used for illegal tracking, and to quell user concerns about the problem, Apple announced on February 10 that it would make some changes to the software level. In this iOS 15.4 beta4, some previously promised changes have surfaced.
For example, a new explicit prompt has been added to the AirTag settings screen, informing users that “using [AirTag] to stalk others is a crime in many parts of the world” It also mentions that AirTag can be used by victims for this purpose If detected, law enforcement can also identify the owner of this AirTag.
Apple previously acknowledged that they have been “actively cooperating with law enforcement” on AirTag-related requests. But Apple also mentioned that “AirTag abuse incidents are actually rare”, but “there are too many instances” (that is, there are more publicity and not many actual uses). They said they had “successfully worked” with law enforcement in these cases to trace AirTag back to the perpetrators.
In addition, improvements address reminders that may confuse users. In the past, users may have seen vague “Unknown Attachment Detected” alerts on the iPhone’s lock screen and the Find My app. However, this notification will also appear when products such as AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro are located near the user.
Improved alerts make it more clear that AirPods are near you. Apple says the new reminders will be clearer and will identify the exact accessories. For example, if an unknown pair of AirPods Pro is detected “moving with you,” the alert will explicitly say “AirPods Pro detected” instead of “Unknown accessory detected.”
Apple has also made other minor changes, including un-disabling project security alerts, adding custom tracking notifications, and an option to find network notifications.
The anti-tracking mechanism that debuted in iOS 15.4 is only part of an improvement package against AirTag abuse. Apple says it will release additional features later in 2022, such as precise lookup for unknown AirTags and more pronounced AirTag beeps.