Apple is preparing AirTags (tentative) lost item tracking tag, and it is expected that it will be announced at a special event in March. Meanwhile, it became clear that iOS / iPad OS 14.5 Beta 3 for developers has added an “item safety function” that seems to prevent stalking by AirTags and other tracking tags.
In the latest iOS 14.5 Beta 3, the “What to bring” tab is enabled in the “Find My” app. The lost-and-found tags and third-party accessories tied here are tracked on your iPhone or iPad to determine your current location.
And the new “item safety feature” was discovered by Benjamin Mayo, a 9to5Mac writer and app developer. By turning on this feature, the iPhone can detect and notify you of “search” compatible trackers such as AirTags of others, preventing you from being informed of your location. Also, if you try to turn it off, the Find My app will warn you that “the owner of an unknown item can see your location”.
Mayo speculates that Apple is aiming to prevent “stalking” by AirTags. Even if someone hides the tag in the user’s belongings, the person will be warned by the iPhone and notice it as a safety measure.Prior to this, from within iOS 14.3 Beta 1, “If you feel you are at risk for this item, please contact your local law enforcement agency.”Sometimes the message was found, Seems to be a valid interpretation.
However, for example, when a criminal with an iPhone steals someone’s bag or bicycle, the original owner will be informed that he or she knows where he or she is. However, it is not possible to turn off the signal emitted by the tracking tag, so it may be possible to throw it away and escape (although there was a clue that the battery could be removed).
These things make us feel that the announcement of AirTags is imminent, but is it really? Some expect it to be another day in March, as Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman commented that it wasn’t the 16th. From the precedent so far, the 23rd and 30th (Tuesday when Apple prefers to hold an event) are considered to be promising, but we will inform you as soon as a follow-up report is available.