A rider in Washington is back with his pride and joy, after an Apple AirTag helped him recover his stolen motorcycle, according to a story by Apple Insider.
For those not familiar with how Apple’s new quarter-sized tracker works, Apple AirTags anonymously connect via Bluetooth to nearby Apple devices, primarily iPhones, which then update the location of the AirTag to Apple’s iCloud service.
Designed to help locate lost keys, bags, pets and other items prone to getting lost, there has been some experimentation in using the Apple AirTags to track other things – like a motorcycle.
This comes with some caveats though, as Apple has implemented several security features that prevent an AirTag from being used to track a person without their knowledge.
For instance, if an Apple device notices that an AirTag that isn’t associated to your account is traveling with you, it will create an on-screen alert.
The Apple AirTag will also make a sound periodically to alert one that there’s an AirTag nearby, when the tag isn’t near its owner’s phone.
These security measures are possibly the reason why today’s headline was still a lucky feat for this Washingtonian rider, as he found his bike a few blocks aways from where he parks.
Another case where an electric scooter with two AirTags was recovered, it was seen that the thieves had spent some time searching for the AirTags on the vehicle, before giving up their search.
At $29 a pop, and with about a year’s worth of battery onboard, each AirTag is a pretty affordable solution for a wireless tracker, and one would imagine that with some clever placement techniques, some of the drawbacks to Apple’s security measures could be mitigated.
If you’re looking to for a cheap alternative to a GPS vehicle tracker, this might be it. Let us know if you’ve given an AirTag a try with your bike – we’re curious about the technology.
Source: Apple AirTag
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