It's been a little over a month since Apple released its AirTag Bluetooth trackers and Pretend to be the woman of the insurance… Eroticism Mature Woman calls at your officit looks like the company is finallydoing something about its privacy features — or lack, thereof.
First reported by CNET, Apple is pushing out a firmware update that makes it easier for people to identify when unwanted AirTags are traveling with them.
As noted by 9to5Mac, the update will be installed automatically when the AirTag's in range of your iPhone. It should list the build number as 1A276d and the firmware version of 1.0.276.
In a statement to Mashable, Apple confirmed the following changes within the update:
"The recent introduction of AirTag included industry first proactive features that discourage unwanted tracking.
Following up on our commitment to continue to improve AirTag’s privacy and security, starting today we will be updating the time period after which an AirTag that is separated from its owner will play a sound when moved. This time period is changing from three days to a random time between 8 and 24 hours.
Later this year, we will also introduce an Android application that will enable users to detect an AirTag or Find My network-enabled accessory separated from its owner that may be traveling with a user."
Well, that took long enough.
When I reviewed AirTags back in April, I criticized Apple for making it easy to stalk anyone and everyone with these small trackers. Moments after Mashable's review went live, Gizmodo also published its review calling AirTags out for the same exact thing.
Coincidence? Definitely not.
In the weeks that followed, other publications followed suit — including the Washington Post, Wired, Toms Guide, Ars Technica, and more. AirTags, which were originally praised for being "stalker-proof," were finally being called out for being the exact opposite.
Even though Apple bragged about its top-notch privacy features, plenty of loopholes were found during my experience with it.
AirTags connect to Apple's Find My Network — the company's crowdsourced app that allows users to find missing devices. Basically, an AirTag leverages this network and other iPhones around it to refresh its current location. And with a billion active iPhones devices, it makes it very easy to use an AirTag to track people who are out of Bluetooth range.
I was able to stalk my roommates across New York City (with their permission, of course) using just an AirTag and my iPhone for an entire weekend. Even with iOS 14.5 installed, it took about two hours for one of them to receive an 'Unwanted AirTag' notification.
And since neither of my roommates were ever away from me for a full three days, that sound alert never went off. It actually reset every time they were within range of my iPhone.
While a new 8- to 24-hour window for an alert sounds way better than three days, that still gives an abuser or stalker plenty of time to follow someone home. The update also doesn't address the concerning amount of time it takes for someone to receive an unwanted AirTag alert to their iPhone.
As for that Android app, well, perhaps Apple should've launched that alongside the AirTags. According to Statista, the forecasted amount of Android users in 2021 is currently at 131.2 million (so far).
Until the app comes out, months from now, millionsof people are at risk of being stalked or abused with an AirTag for up to an entire day before it even makes a peep. But hey, it's better than no Android app at all.
SEE ALSO: If you find an unwanted AirTag, here's how to disable itFor now, Apple's advice for people who find themselves being tracked by an AirTag is to ... take out the battery. I wish I were kidding.
This new update isn't as extensive as I'd imagined. Sure, I'm happy that Apple has acknowledged the cracks in its AirTag privacy features. But I was really hoping to see features like ongoing alerts (whenever an AirTag is in use and connected to your iPhone), an even smallerwindow of time for the AirTag to start beeping, quicker unwanted AirTag alerts, and the inability to track beyond Bluetooth range.
Let's just hope this isn't the last of the safety updates we'll see Apple rolling out for these dangerous lil' Bluetooth trackers.
Topics Apple
Dear Joan Holloway, Was It Something I Said? by Adam WilsonCrime, Punishment, and Chess by Sadie SteinA Great Stag, BroadBacon, SciWhat We’re Loving: Janácek, Cooke, and Literary Booze by The Paris ReviewMad Man by Lary WallaceOwala FreeSip is without a doubt the best water bottleArthur Miller Reads Death of a Salesman, February 1955 by Sadie SteinA Labor of Love, Resurrected by Sadie SteinBrowning at 200, Publishers at 83 by Sadie SteinMy Mother’s Love by Albert CohenIntroducing the 1966 Tee by Sadie SteinSelling, Banning, and Walking by Sadie SteinWin Two Tickets to See John Irving, Live by Sadie SteinDear Betty Draper Francis, Stop Weighing Your Food by Adam WilsonDear Betty Draper Francis, Stop Weighing Your Food by Adam WilsonThe Man Who Saw Tomorrow by Rachael MadduxThe Art of Poetry, Live by The Paris ReviewApp Time at The Paris Review by The Paris ReviewA Great Stag, Broad Xiaomi unveils latest advancements in LLM, with a focus on lightweight applications · TechNode Best Buy Drops: Get the Samsung Music Frame for $299.99 A mom found a great solution to preserve her valuables from fire How a group of lizards was forever changed by 2017's hurricane season 'What's up, brother?': Meet Sketch, the streamer taking over the sports world How to connect Xbox controller to PC Best Buy 3 TSMC cuts price of its 8 Watch as SpaceX launches, then lands another Falcon 9 rocket Tesla to cut more than 10% of workforce, report claims DingTalk to operate independently after Alibaba Cloud’s spin Gaming emulators are now on the App Store after Apple relaxed the rules Orca mother ends 'tour of grief' for her newborn after 17 days and 1,000 miles Wordle today: The answer and hints for April 16 iPhone SE 4: It reportedly borrows features from iPhone 13, iPhone XR New Zealand will ban plastic bags for good How collecting poop helps save mountain lions Panasonic sues Xiaomi and OPPO for patent infringements · TechNode Xiaomi launches its third generation foldable phone Mix Fold 3 · TechNode Chinese automaker BAIC BJEV to reveal its first Huawei smart selection EV in 2024 · TechNode
1.0636s , 8289.5625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Pretend to be the woman of the insurance… Eroticism Mature Woman calls at your offic】,Miracle Information Network